MANILA, Philippines - SM Megamall was named the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA)’s Shopping Center of the Year in the large category during the recent 16th Outstanding Filipino Retailers and Shopping Centers of the Year Awards night held recently at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Grand Ballroom.
SM Prime Holdings president Hans T. Sy and the SM Megamall team led by VP for operations Steven Tan and VP for leasing Daisy Chua received the award from PRA chairman and Golden ABC Inc. CEO Bernie Liu, IPO director general Atty. Ricardo Blancaflor, DTI Usec Zenaida Maglaya, and PCCI chairman Sergio Ortiz Luis.
The 346,789 square-meter mall opened in 1991 and is widely known to have spearheaded the malling phenomenon in the Philippines with an exciting tenant mix, themed floors, an Art Walk and an Art Center, an Ice Skating Rink, a Bowling Center, a Megatrade Hall and the Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord.
In recent years, it has reinvented itself to serve a new generation of shoppers with attractions like the upscale Mega Atrium, a Cyberzone, global tenants like Forever 21, a new Carpark Building C with a bus bay to ease traffic, and the first DFA satellite consular office in Metro Manila, which processes passports.
As a responsible member of the community, SM Megamall has spearheaded many corporate social responsibility projects such as handicap friendly facilities, and environmental endeavors like a sewage treatment plant and the Trash for Crash recycling programs.
This year, SM Megamall will yet undergo another transformation with the opening of a new building that will reset standard in the Ortigas area with its shopping, leisure, and entertainment attractions.
The annual search for the Outstanding Filipino Retailers seeks to recognize Filipino retailers who have epitomized the model of a successful retailer in terms of growth and good ethical business practices.
The award, which started in 1997, is collaboration between the PRA and the Department of Trade and Industry. Since its inception, over 150 retailers have been given this honor, and a total of 37 have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
In 2002, the PRA introduced the Shopping Centers of the Year category, a separate award to recognize the Philippines’ world-class shopping centers promoting the growth and development of the retail industry.
During this year’s search, two other SM Supermalls – SM City Naga and SM City Calamba were named finalists in the medium category.