MANILA, Philippines – SM Prime Holdings Inc. is giving SM Baguio a major facelift beginning this month to provide an additional 76,000 square meters of retail space and make it energy efficient.

The expansion involves the construction of a seven-level open-air retail, dining and entertainment destination that will rely almost exclusively on natural ventilation. This would be in addition to the existing mall of 106,000 square meters.

Located at the heart of Baguio City, SM Baguio aims to be the first mall in the country to be certified by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), the internationally recognized standard for green building design and construction.

A primary amenity of the expanded SM City Baguio will be an expansive roof garden, lushly landscaped with native and non-invasive trees and other plant materials, intermingled with numerous water features.

This roof garden will use the Green Roof Technology to create an environment for vegetation growth.

SM Prime currently has 41 SM Supermalls strategically located nationwide with a total floor area of five million sqm.

It is slated to open five new malls this year. They will be located in San Fernando in Pampanga, Olongapo in Zambales, Lanang in Davao, General Santos in South Cotabato, and Consolacion in Cebu.

SM Prime expects to end the year with 46 malls with a total gross floor area of 5.7 million square meters.

Outside the Philippines, the group is opening SM Chongqing, its fifth mall in China which will have a gross floor area of 146,323 square meters.