ESTABLISHING its dominance as the biggest shopping mall in Iloilo City and the rest of Western Visayas, SM City Iloilo opened its expansion wing of four floors at the left side with its food hall of popular local and international restaurants, boutiques, and specialty stores.
 
The inauguration on Friday, November 20, was graced by Steven Tan, senior vice president of SM Supermalls; Iloilo City Governor Arthur Defensor; Representative Jerry Trenas; City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog; Vice Mayor Jose Espinosa III; Councilors Nielex Tupas, Lyndon Acap, Plaridel Nava, Julie Grace Baronda, Jay Trenas, and Rodel Fullon Agado; and representatives of the Iloilo business community and store suppliers.
 
SM Prime Holdings’ total investment for the expansion was P1.3 billion. The expansion wing is “set to offer the best entertainment, dining, lifestyle and shopping experience to its shoppers and patrons.”
 
The expanded mall will provide more jobs to the Ilonggos.
 
From an existing 71,995 square meters and 200 leased units, SM Prime Holdings added four floors of 21,124 square meters and 165 units shopping and dining spaces. The mall now has a total of 93,079 square meters and 365 units.
 
Tan said the expansion program also covers the works at SM Cebu set to be inaugurated next week to become the biggest in the whole Visayas and at the Mall of Asia in Metro Manila to have a third level and botanical garden.
 
SM targets 75 shopping malls in the Philippines by 2018 from its existing current 55 malls. SM is also expanding overseas with 37 shopping malls in China with the latest in Tianjin, China.
 
SM is also into business partnership with Double Dragon Properties Corp with its City Malls while its latest acquisition is Cherry Foodarama in Mandaluyong to be converted into a premiere shopping site.