GENERAL Santos City—Barangay Lagao in this city is abuzz with excitement at the prospect of seeing up close competition between the country’s two biggest mall operators here.

“With Robinsons Place set to open by September, SM Prime Holdings Inc. will also be putting up their shopping mall here in 2010,” said barangay head Minardo Avila III.

Avila said he received information from vice president Hans Sy that SM Prime Holdings Inc. is  interested in establishing its shopping mall in barangay Lagao.

SM Prime Holdings, Avila said, has already closed a deal with the Salazar family for the lease of its  five-hectare property along Santiago Boulevard, which is under the jurisdiction of barangay Lagao.

The Gokongwei family, owner of the Robinsons malls, started the construction of their P2-billion  shopping mall at J. Catolico Avenue in barangay Lagao last year.

The mall also features four movie houses. SM Prime Holdings Inc. has leased the prime-lot property of the Salazar family for about 50 years, Avila said.

Avila added he was happy with the job opportunities available to his constituents in barangay Lagao  and that “the two big mall operators are investing their capital here in our city.”

SM Holdings has already started land development in their barangay. “SM usually starts with small developments, or about 85,000 square meters, but with provisions to expand to 200,000 square meters,” Sy was quoted as saying when he announced the project.

SM Prime Holdings Inc. is extending its shopping mall in Ecoland, Davao City, with the addition of another building.
General Santos City has a considerable number of overseas Filipino workers. The presence of seven tuna-canning factories and an international airport has also helped generate jobs for the local population and increase area revenue during the past three years.

“If SM Prime Holdings and Robinsons Place will operate in our area, capital investments will also increase here,” said Chan Suy Lam, president of the KCC Mall here. He said his company can compete with the two big mall operators in terms of services, even as he admitted they are giants compared with the size of his mall’s operation.