DESPITE a fresh terror alert, the Philippines’ biggest mall operators see strong Christmas sales this year.

It will be business as usual for the country’s three biggest retailers, as the shopping season goes full blast in the fourth quarter. “There will be no effect on our sales because these threats are not something new. In a way, the Filipinos customers are used to this already,” Teresa Cecilia Reyes, SM Prime Holdings Inc. vice president for finance, said.

She said same-store sales have grown 6 percent, adding that this could further increase as Christmas draws nearer.

About half of the mall developer’s revenues are derived during the Christmas shopping months of November and December.

While some malls previously fell victim to bomb threats and attacks, Reyes said there was no proof that would verify those were real terror activities.

“Until the threat actually happens, it will not deter customers from going to malls,” she said.

Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC) said it continues to enjoy “excellent mall traffic” since the government has already assured that there is no imminent threat.

“In our case, it will always be business as usual. Our malls are filled with people because it’s already the buying season,” Rose Ann Villegas, RLC corporate public relations manager, said.

Mall operators assured the public that security measures are in place in their shopping centers.

“Security at all our malls remains tight. We continue to observe all safety procedures and apply best practices in ensuring safety in and around our facilities,” Raul Irlanda, Ayala Property Management Corp. president, said in a statement.

“That’s the burden of mall operators, to ensure that their customers are safe because they are paying a lot of fees for parking and their security,” said Astro del Castillo of First Grade Holdings.

On Wednesday, a number of countries led by the United States issued travel advisories against the Philippines because of possible terror attacks in public areas, including airports and shopping malls.