For the first time in the Philippines, some Filipino voters will be casting their ballots in the May national elections in shopping malls instead of in the usual public school classrooms.
 
As well as a milestone in Philippine elections, voting in the malls is another sign of the transformation of shopping malls from convenient centers of retail to hubs for dining, entertainment and services.
 
In recent years, government agencies have been opening satellite branches in shopping malls to accept applications for Land Transportation Office licenses, National Bureau of Investigation clearances, Social Security System benefits and Philippine Health Insurance membership, among others. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is the latest government agency to offer its services inside a shopping mall.
 
For the cover story in the April issue, FORBES Philippines interviewed the president of the country’s biggest shopping mall operator, Hans Sy. He explains that the growing variety of things to do inside shopping malls forms part of a deliberate strategy to turn malls into lifestyle or destination centers. “We have to give reasons for people to come over,” explains the president of SM Prime Holdings.
 
Long before the Comelec entertained the idea of setting up voting booths in shopping malls, there has always been a strong link between elections and consumer spending. Thus, retailers and shopping mall operators are expected to do well in 2016, owing to the long election season.
 
Food and beverage makers such as the Concepcion family’s RFM Corp., which is also featured in this issue, are seen to benefit tremendously. “The election year will be good for the business,” the company’s CEO, Joey Concepcion, readily admits in an interview.
 
Yet, the relationship between elections and consumer spending that everybody takes for granted also underscores a less benign fact about Philippine politics: the prohibitive cost of running for the presidency. Apart from political advertisements, candidates have to spend billions of pesos to pay and feed thousands of supporters. Sales of fast-food chains as well as alcoholic drinks makers surge during the campaign season.
 
No wonder – as shown in a couple of infographics in our Leaderboard section – many of the presidential candidates have to be wealthy themselves and win the financial support of rich campaign donors to take a shot at the country’s highest political office.
 
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