XIAMEN, China: SM Prime Holdings Inc. is expanding its presence in China following the success of its first four malls in the mainland. The Philippines’ largest mall developer and operator will spend approximately 3.58 billion renminbi or P23.63 billion for the development of new malls in Suzhou, Chongqing, Shandong and Tianjin, where the company plans to build a shopping center bigger than the Mall of Asia (MOA) in Pasay City.

XIAMEN, China – SM Prime Holdings Inc., the mall developing arm of SM Investments Corporation, is investing around RMB3.58 billion or P23.63 billion to develop four more malls in China, including one bigger than the Mall of Asia.

XIAMEN, China—SM Prime Holdings Inc., the Philippines’ largest shopping mall operator and developer, will open four new malls in China between 2010 and 2013, including the biggest, as part of an aggressive expansion plan.

SM Prime Holdings president Hans Sy (fourth from left): and Gawad Kalinga (GK) founder and Chairman Antonio Meloto (third from left) recently led the ground breaking ceremony for the 25 GK homes, which SM would be donating as part of its 2Sth anniversary celebrations.

THE Heroes’ Ward of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Medical Center (the AFPMC, formerly the V. Luna Hospital), after being adopted by the SM Foundation has been refurbished, repainted and reequipped with functioning equipment. The 50-bed capacity ward serves battle casualty patients that include officers, enlisted personnel and civilian auxiliary patients. Most of the patients confined at the ward are soldiers with serious wounds and bone injuries, some of whom are waiting to be fitted with artificial limbs before being returned to active duty or sent to station hospitals of their respective units for therapy.

IN the Philippines only 45 percent of infants born every year are breast-fed during the first six months, after which only 22 percent are breast-fed up to one year, and only 15 percent continue to be breast-fed up to two years. The rest are bottle-fed.

A GLOBAL Pinoy Center has been launched at the SM Center in Valenzuela City.

The Global Pinoy Center, or GPC, a one-stop shop that offers remittances services, communication facilities, shopping, skills training, investment and legal consultations for Overseas Filipino Workers and their families is now open at the Northwing Al Fresco beside Shakey’s of SM City Bacolod, a press release from the mall said.

OCCUPANCY and rental rates in Metro Manila shopping malls are expected to rise in the next 12 months on strong consumer spending and the expansion of clinics, activities and lifestyle services in these commercial hubs, according to a property research firm. In its latest Philippine market overview, Colliers International said Metro Manila malls are expected to enjoy single-digit vacancies given limited mall expansion in the future.