PASAY | Mall of Asia Complex [Archive] - Page 15

3cr

June 13th, 2006, 08:16 AM

http://img427.imageshack.us/img427/3071/sm16te.jpg
I hope the HQ will be over 60 stories in height :)
http://img427.imageshack.us/img427/1672/sm22fh.jpg
Magsurvive kaya ang SM MOA, the adjoining business center and those other structures built on reclaimed land along Manila Bay when all these talks about the impending and overdue big earthquake finally comes to fruition? It just seems a little scary that they are planning to build so much structures on reclaimed land pa naman. Not to scare anyone but here's an article which forcasts the expected mass devastation Metro Manila will endure when this West Valley Fault (aka Marikina Fault) breaks. Sad to say the resulting aftermath is bad, very bad according to this article.

‘Big One’ Is Possible But Metro Is Unprepared

BY AUBREY STA. CRUZ MAKILAN
Bulatlat

Here’s something that the country’s national leaders should be bothered about: If a major earthquake were to hit Metro Manila today, the devastation would be so big even disaster response authorities cannot simply cope with it. And it even looks like disaster preparedness occupies a low priority among officials down to the municipal level.

Recent reports gathered by Bulatlat show that upwards of 35,000 residents of Metro Manila would die and up to three million others would need to be evacuated. In addition, some 175,000 buildings would be damaged. The pressure of collapsed buildings and the inability to rescue those who would be trapped inside would cause most of the deaths.

Metropolitan Manila, which is composed of 13 cities and four municipalities, is densely populated with several clusters and districts having high-rise buildings close to each other. Investigations done by various disaster units and fire departments a few years ago found many buildings did not comply with construction standards and that these are prone not only to fires but also to damage by earthquakes of any scale.

One of the reports gathered by Bulatlat, the Metropolitan Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study (MMEIRS), cites “many research studies (indicating) that active phases of the (West) Valley Faults (formerly the Marikina Valley Faults) are approaching and that the estimated magnitude will be around 7 or more.” But MMEIRS also raised the possible intensity from 7 to even 9, which could be “devastating.”

The study projected the “big earthquake” to be “unlike any tragedy seen or imagined in Metro Manila.”

Asked for comment, however, a scientist-environmentalist theorized that such studies could be pressing the panic button now just to allow certain insurance companies to profit from a sudden surge of building insurance orders and the like.

Largest impact
MMEIRS, a Japan-funded study that was begun in August 2002, identified the West Valley Fault, which lies just northeast of Manila, as “the fault expected to cause the largest impact in the metropolis.” The West Valley Fault traverses Marikina town, Pasig going to Muntinlupa up to the south.

The Fault, other studies showed, caused at least two major earthquakes within the last 1,400 years. No earthquake is known to have taken place along the West Valley Fault after the 16th century. But based on the estimated return period of less than 500 years, the Fault is due to exhibit dangers this century – or even within the next few years, if the estimates of an official of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) are valid.

Dr. Norman Tungol of Phivolcs’ Geology, Geophysics, Research and Development Division (GGRDD) estimated the Fault’s movement of recurrence at 200-400 years and based on this, he told Bulatlat, it is due for another movement.

Tungol said however that since studies have a big margin of error, this projection “could be within the next few years, (or) few tens of years.” He also said that even if there is no need for the people to panic because there is no timetable yet, “dapat mag-prepare because it’s inevitable.”

He confirmed that an earthquake with intensity 8 or 9 could be expected in the Valley Fault with a possible magnitude of 7.2 because of the lengthy fault.

Another Phivolcs scientist, Dr. Elena Bautista, noted however that the MMEIRS study found no pattern for the frequency of earthquakes occurring in the West Valley Fault.

A noted engineer, Dr. Arthur Saldivar-Sali, saw MMEIRS’ assertion that “active phases of the Valley Faults are approaching” as vague. He noted that the study, which he admits he has never seen, was apparently based on “deterministic analysis” which focuses on the characteristics of the movement of a fault and can be a prejudgment based on studies done or merely on gut feel that has no scientific basis at all.

Saldivar-Sali is a member of the Council of Engineering Consultants of the Philippines (Cecophil), a group of corporations and companies doing civil engineering designs and foundations.

Probability theory
Saldivar-Sali, a former UP professor who is also now with the Geo-Technica Consultancy Group, told Bulatlat that he tends to believe in the “probability analysis” of former Phivolcs Director Raymundo Punongbayan. Shortly after the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991, Punongbayan told of a higher probability of a major earthquake on the Valley Fault based on its rare movements. Since lesser energy is released in the friction of rocks, more energy is stored, like a rubber band, preparing for a big snap.

The higher the percentage of the probability of an earthquake, the dangerous it would be, Saldivar-Sali said.

Punongbayan also cited the danger of building anything five kms near the fault. The director’s warning caused alarm among the business community and Marikina local officials asked that the fault be renamed “West Valley Fault” instead.

In layman’s terms, a magnitude of 7.2 can be compared to a bomb explosion, Saldivar-Sali said. In exponential form of 10, a magnitude of 1 is equivalent to one ton (1 x 100), magnitude 2 to 10 tons (2 x 101), 3 to 300 tons (3 x 102), and so on. A 7.2 magnitude if multiplied to 106 is equivalent to 7.2 million tons of bomb explosion.

MMEIRS actually aimed to design a master plan for earthquake impact reduction in Metro Manila leading to the holding of training seminars on earthquake preparedness. Funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA-Philippines), the study was supported by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the Department of Science and Technology (DoST), Phivolcs and JICA contractors Pacific Consultants International, Oyo Corporation, and Pasco Corporation.

Scientists from Phivolcs, the University of the Philippines as well as from Japan participated in the study. Due for completion last March, the report is being finalized in Japan, according to Cora Macasieb, Special Operations Officer II and acting division chief of the Directorate for Special Operations of the Metropolitan Manila Disaster Coordinating Council (MMDCC).

Separate studies on earthquake are also being done in cooperation with China, Japan and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

Among others, three areas were tested under the MMEIRS study: Mataas na Lupa in Malate, Manila; Ugong, Pasig; and Cupang, Marikina. Studied were Metro Manila’s three fault lines, namely, the West Valley Fault, the Manila Trench and Manila Bay.

Analyzed were the areas’ earthquake history, length of the fault and vulnerability to earthquake. Damage scenarios and estimates of costs of destruction were also done.

Impact
The seismic intensity generated by the West Valley Fault earthquake and the damage felt in an area varied from place to place. The intensity may range from 7 in Quezon City, almost 8 and 9 alongside Marikina River and Manila Bay, and 8 at west of Metropolitan Manila and 7 at other areas. Based on the Phivolcs Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS), intensity 7 is “destructive,” while 8 and 9 are “very destructive” and “devastating,” respectively.

Aside from the estimated death toll, the West Valley Fault earthquake would cause injuries to 118,200 persons, the study reveals. MMDC’s Macasieb said that the death toll would rise if the earthquake occurs during office hours where most of the people are working inside buildings including those who would come from the province to process various papers in the metropolis.

The number of buildings expected to be destroyed by the Manila Trench earthquake would reach about 5,000 while 16,000 for the Manila Bay fault. The West Valley Fault earthquake will cause the collapse of buildings in northeastern Quezon City, western Marikina, eastern Pasig, Muntinlupa-Laguna Bay and Mandaluyong-Makati. Evacuation can be difficult in the metropolis’ fringes particularly in the north and east portions of Las Piñas and Taguig, the MMEIRS study also found.

Residential buildings around the Malacañang in Manila and the House of Representatives in Quezon City would be severely damaged. Other infrastructures such as bridges and power posts will also be destroyed.

The danger of spreading fire to the Malacañang presidential office is not ruled. Liquefaction around the House area might take place. Even the MMDA building would be severely damaged, the study adds.

Collapses would lead to electricity short circuit, petroleum and LPG leakages from storage tanks, among others, that would cause fire. Areas highly vulnerable to fire would be Valenzuela, Caloocan, and south of Quezon City west intersection.

Damages to the Angat reservoir and water purification plant would likely happen, causing a long-term stoppage in water supply. Public transportation facilities such as airport runways would be closed, leaving only helicopters available for operations. Ports in the North and South harbors would be damaged and tilted by liquefaction, making these inaccessible for loading and unloading. Damages would likely be expected on roads and bridges.

Including victims of fires and liquefaction caused by the earthquake, the study estimates the number of refugees or evacuees at three million. The figure would include 1.3 million persons who would be uprooted from their homes if the aftershock would last about seven days.

After liquefaction, there would be a possible regional separation. The western part of Metro Manila would be isolated from other parts of the metropolis. The same thing would happen to the northern and southern parts due to building collapse especially in the area intersecting Makati and Mandaluyong. Meanwhile, all road networks running east-west that are on the fault would be broken.

3cr

June 13th, 2006, 09:27 AM

Magsurvive kaya ang SM MOA, the adjoining business center and those other structures built on reclaimed land along Manila Bay like those at Bay City when all these talks about the impending and overdue big earthquake finally comes to fruition? It just seems a little scary that they are planning to build so much structures on reclaimed land pa naman. Not to scare anyone but here's an article which forcasts the expected mass devastation Metro Manila will endure when this West Valley Fault (aka Marikina Fault) breaks. Sad to say the resulting aftermath is bad, very bad according to this article.

‘Big One’ Is Possible But Metro Is Unprepared

BY AUBREY STA. CRUZ MAKILAN
Bulatlat

Here’s something that the country’s national leaders should be bothered about: If a major earthquake were to hit Metro Manila today, the devastation would be so big even disaster response authorities cannot simply cope with it. And it even looks like disaster preparedness occupies a low priority among officials down to the municipal level.

Recent reports gathered by Bulatlat show that upwards of 35,000 residents of Metro Manila would die and up to three million others would need to be evacuated. In addition, some 175,000 buildings would be damaged. The pressure of collapsed buildings and the inability to rescue those who would be trapped inside would cause most of the deaths.

Metropolitan Manila, which is composed of 13 cities and four municipalities, is densely populated with several clusters and districts having high-rise buildings close to each other. Investigations done by various disaster units and fire departments a few years ago found many buildings did not comply with construction standards and that these are prone not only to fires but also to damage by earthquakes of any scale.

One of the reports gathered by Bulatlat, the Metropolitan Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study (MMEIRS), cites “many research studies (indicating) that active phases of the (West) Valley Faults (formerly the Marikina Valley Faults) are approaching and that the estimated magnitude will be around 7 or more.” But MMEIRS also raised the possible intensity from 7 to even 9, which could be “devastating.”

The study projected the “big earthquake” to be “unlike any tragedy seen or imagined in Metro Manila.”

Asked for comment, however, a scientist-environmentalist theorized that such studies could be pressing the panic button now just to allow certain insurance companies to profit from a sudden surge of building insurance orders and the like.

Largest impact
MMEIRS, a Japan-funded study that was begun in August 2002, identified the West Valley Fault, which lies just northeast of Manila, as “the fault expected to cause the largest impact in the metropolis.” The West Valley Fault traverses Marikina town, Pasig going to Muntinlupa up to the south.

The Fault, other studies showed, caused at least two major earthquakes within the last 1,400 years. No earthquake is known to have taken place along the West Valley Fault after the 16th century. But based on the estimated return period of less than 500 years, the Fault is due to exhibit dangers this century – or even within the next few years, if the estimates of an official of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) are valid.

Dr. Norman Tungol of Phivolcs’ Geology, Geophysics, Research and Development Division (GGRDD) estimated the Fault’s movement of recurrence at 200-400 years and based on this, he told Bulatlat, it is due for another movement.

Tungol said however that since studies have a big margin of error, this projection “could be within the next few years, (or) few tens of years.” He also said that even if there is no need for the people to panic because there is no timetable yet, “dapat mag-prepare because it’s inevitable.”

He confirmed that an earthquake with intensity 8 or 9 could be expected in the Valley Fault with a possible magnitude of 7.2 because of the lengthy fault.

Another Phivolcs scientist, Dr. Elena Bautista, noted however that the MMEIRS study found no pattern for the frequency of earthquakes occurring in the West Valley Fault.

A noted engineer, Dr. Arthur Saldivar-Sali, saw MMEIRS’ assertion that “active phases of the Valley Faults are approaching” as vague. He noted that the study, which he admits he has never seen, was apparently based on “deterministic analysis” which focuses on the characteristics of the movement of a fault and can be a prejudgment based on studies done or merely on gut feel that has no scientific basis at all.

Saldivar-Sali is a member of the Council of Engineering Consultants of the Philippines (Cecophil), a group of corporations and companies doing civil engineering designs and foundations.

Probability theory
Saldivar-Sali, a former UP professor who is also now with the Geo-Technica Consultancy Group, told Bulatlat that he tends to believe in the “probability analysis” of former Phivolcs Director Raymundo Punongbayan. Shortly after the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991, Punongbayan told of a higher probability of a major earthquake on the Valley Fault based on its rare movements. Since lesser energy is released in the friction of rocks, more energy is stored, like a rubber band, preparing for a big snap.

The higher the percentage of the probability of an earthquake, the dangerous it would be, Saldivar-Sali said.

Punongbayan also cited the danger of building anything five kms near the fault. The director’s warning caused alarm among the business community and Marikina local officials asked that the fault be renamed “West Valley Fault” instead.

In layman’s terms, a magnitude of 7.2 can be compared to a bomb explosion, Saldivar-Sali said. In exponential form of 10, a magnitude of 1 is equivalent to one ton (1 x 100), magnitude 2 to 10 tons (2 x 101), 3 to 300 tons (3 x 102), and so on. A 7.2 magnitude if multiplied to 106 is equivalent to 7.2 million tons of bomb explosion.

MMEIRS actually aimed to design a master plan for earthquake impact reduction in Metro Manila leading to the holding of training seminars on earthquake preparedness. Funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA-Philippines), the study was supported by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the Department of Science and Technology (DoST), Phivolcs and JICA contractors Pacific Consultants International, Oyo Corporation, and Pasco Corporation.

Scientists from Phivolcs, the University of the Philippines as well as from Japan participated in the study. Due for completion last March, the report is being finalized in Japan, according to Cora Macasieb, Special Operations Officer II and acting division chief of the Directorate for Special Operations of the Metropolitan Manila Disaster Coordinating Council (MMDCC).

Separate studies on earthquake are also being done in cooperation with China, Japan and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

Among others, three areas were tested under the MMEIRS study: Mataas na Lupa in Malate, Manila; Ugong, Pasig; and Cupang, Marikina. Studied were Metro Manila’s three fault lines, namely, the West Valley Fault, the Manila Trench and Manila Bay.

Analyzed were the areas’ earthquake history, length of the fault and vulnerability to earthquake. Damage scenarios and estimates of costs of destruction were also done.

Impact
The seismic intensity generated by the West Valley Fault earthquake and the damage felt in an area varied from place to place. The intensity may range from 7 in Quezon City, almost 8 and 9 alongside Marikina River and Manila Bay, and 8 at west of Metropolitan Manila and 7 at other areas. Based on the Phivolcs Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS), intensity 7 is “destructive,” while 8 and 9 are “very destructive” and “devastating,” respectively.

Aside from the estimated death toll, the West Valley Fault earthquake would cause injuries to 118,200 persons, the study reveals. MMDC’s Macasieb said that the death toll would rise if the earthquake occurs during office hours where most of the people are working inside buildings including those who would come from the province to process various papers in the metropolis.

The number of buildings expected to be destroyed by the Manila Trench earthquake would reach about 5,000 while 16,000 for the Manila Bay fault. The West Valley Fault earthquake will cause the collapse of buildings in northeastern Quezon City, western Marikina, eastern Pasig, Muntinlupa-Laguna Bay and Mandaluyong-Makati. Evacuation can be difficult in the metropolis’ fringes particularly in the north and east portions of Las Piñas and Taguig, the MMEIRS study also found.

Residential buildings around the Malacañang in Manila and the House of Representatives in Quezon City would be severely damaged. Other infrastructures such as bridges and power posts will also be destroyed.

The danger of spreading fire to the Malacañang presidential office is not ruled. Liquefaction around the House area might take place. Even the MMDA building would be severely damaged, the study adds.

Collapses would lead to electricity short circuit, petroleum and LPG leakages from storage tanks, among others, that would cause fire. Areas highly vulnerable to fire would be Valenzuela, Caloocan, and south of Quezon City west intersection.

Damages to the Angat reservoir and water purification plant would likely happen, causing a long-term stoppage in water supply. Public transportation facilities such as airport runways would be closed, leaving only helicopters available for operations. Ports in the North and South harbors would be damaged and tilted by liquefaction, making these inaccessible for loading and unloading. Damages would likely be expected on roads and bridges.

Including victims of fires and liquefaction caused by the earthquake, the study estimates the number of refugees or evacuees at three million. The figure would include 1.3 million persons who would be uprooted from their homes if the aftershock would last about seven days.

After liquefaction, there would be a possible regional separation. The western part of Metro Manila would be isolated from other parts of the metropolis. The same thing would happen to the northern and southern parts due to building collapse especially in the area intersecting Makati and Mandaluyong. Meanwhile, all road networks running east-west that are on the fault would be broken.

amras

June 13th, 2006, 09:29 AM

grabe naman ang mga predictions na to. talagang siguradong-sigurado siya sa mga mangyayari. di man lang gumamit ng "might" or "could"

kevinb

June 13th, 2006, 09:48 AM

nakakaintriga pinag-uusapan ni (((myx))) at thomasian ah!! :lol: :jk:

_zner_

June 13th, 2006, 12:24 PM

nakakaintriga pinag-uusapan ni (((myx))) at thomasian ah!! :lol: :jk:

talagang iniintriga ha? :lol:

_zner_

June 13th, 2006, 12:32 PM

http://i5.tinypic.com/149xst2.jpg

http://i6.tinypic.com/149xvg9.jpg

junex

June 13th, 2006, 01:23 PM

Wow! love that shots @myx.....

_zner_

June 13th, 2006, 01:34 PM

^^ thank you. :D

JAMAICUS

June 13th, 2006, 02:53 PM

06.04.06

Golden Bay Condominiums
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b210/ofngol/Golden-Bay-Condos_06-04-06.jpg

Neo Chinatown (Lifestyle Center) and Shell Powerstation on the left
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b210/ofngol/Neo-Chinatown_Shell-Powerstation_06.jpg

Nice updates... hopefully more projects in the pipeline for Bay City... like Maitrade...

JustHorace

June 13th, 2006, 02:55 PM

sana we see fast track development kasi imo, this is the most prime location among the metro cbds.

thomasian

June 13th, 2006, 03:18 PM

OneE-ComCenter update please! :)

O ayan ha, dinayo ko pa 'yan kanina sa MoA...

OneE-ComCenter - 06.13.06

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b210/ofngol/OneE-ComCenter_6-13-06.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b210/ofngol/OneE-ComCenter2_6-13-06.jpg

JAMAICUS

June 13th, 2006, 03:24 PM

^^ OH THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE!!! TRULY APPRECIATE IT!!! :) :) :)
WAIT.... ARE THEY NOT DIGGING?JUST PUTTING THOSE COLUMNS ON?

thomasian

June 13th, 2006, 03:32 PM

^^ I also noticed that, they're using those piles as foundation. Parang ang iksi-iksi nga eh. Yung iba nga diba abot sa bedrock yung mga piles? Let's wait what the resident engineers in SSC have to say, they know this stuff better.

JAMAICUS

June 13th, 2006, 04:01 PM

SM unit mulls more housing projects

After selling 50% of the units for its most recent project within three months after the launch, SM Development Corp. (SMDC) is eyeing more housing projects on properties beside SM malls.

The publicly listed firm is also looking at more joint-venture projects with other members of the SM group of companies.

To "catch up" with other major property developers, SMDC is also earmarking capital expenditures of P800 million this year as it gears up the construction of its housing project.

The amount, which is higher than last year’s P500 million, will be used for existing projects and for a new project -- a joint venture with the International Development Corp., which is also part of the SM group, for the development of a new phase of Susana Heights, SMDC President Rogelio Cabunag said.

This project will be the first horizontal development of SMDC, he added.

SMDC is the housing arm of the SM group. Started as an investment company, SMDC launched its first housing project, Chateau Elysee in 2003. In March this year, the firm launched the first tower for Mezza Residences, a high-rise condominium project beside SM City Sta. Mesa. Mr. Cabunag said that the firm has sold 420 of the 825 units that are placed on the market in March.

"We’ve sold close to 50% since we launched it in March. We didn’t go to the US yet, but we’ve been receiving inquiries over the Net and there have been some sales," Mr. Cabunag said.

He also said that the firm will be going to Europe on a government-arranged road show to market both Mezza and the third phase of Chateau Elysee.

SM MALLS

With the success of Mezza, Mr. Cabunag said that SMDC is now eyeing residential projects beside the newly opened SM Mall of Asia and other SM malls.

"We still have a number of land in the land bank especially those that are adjacent to the malls and these are owned by the members of the group. They still have packets of land in the periphery," he said.

For Mall of Asia, Mr. Cabunag said that the group wants SMDC to handle the high-rise condominiums that will be placed in the residential cluster.

"This will probably happen next year. We have not done anything yet. It has to be high-rise to recover the cost of the land," he said.

He also said that besides these, the firm will also be looking at areas outside Metro Manila. "We still have some properties even outside Manila, we should consider those [properties] where the malls are. Pampanga is also a growing area. They were telling us we should look into it. They’ve been expanding in that area," he said.

For this year, however, the firm will be concentrating on two other projects besides Mezza and Chateau Elysee, one of which will be a new phase of Susana Heights.

SUBDIVISION

"We are working on our Dakota South at Susana Heights. This will be a land development, a subdivision. It’s an old village, but there’s another place we want to develop. The ownership is under one of our affiliates, IDC. There’s a partnership with Madrigals," he said.

The 24-hectare development will cater to the middle-income market and will have cuts of 300 to 400 square meters, Mr. Cabunag said.

Prices in the area are at P8,000 to P12,000 per square meter, he added. "We should be able to respect that range," he said.

Development costs, meanwhile, will be over P1,000 per square meter, Mr. Cabunag said.

"Hopefully, this will be launched by the third quarter," he said.

The second project that the group will be starting on is the joint-venture project with the Government Service Insurance System in Baguio.

"That should commence already. That’s been delayed," he said.

SMDC is aggressively developing projects as it shifts its revenue stream from investments in equities and securities to sales of housing projects, Mr. Cabunag said.

http://www.bworldonline.com/BW061406/content.php?id=041

thomasian

June 13th, 2006, 05:44 PM

Stairwell ng parking building (sa west-stairwell ng North Parking Building yan, pero eksaktong ganyan din ang itsura nung sa dalawang hagdan ng South Parking Building pati na rin dun sa east-stairwell ng North Parking Building) ng MoA, sobrang un-inspired nung design walang kadating-dating.
Tapos kung sa 3rd floor (kahit 4th floor pa nga eh) ka lang naman nag-park, mapipilitan ka nang maghagdan sa tagal ng elevator, badtrip ka na nga sa tagal ng elevator kaya ka napilitang maghagdan tapos nakaka-depress pa yung itsura nung hagdan. :mad: Buti na lang maganda yung North at South Wing na lalabasan nung lahat ng stairs ng parking, pwede nang pampalubag-loob dun sa pangit na hagdan.

Syempre tagalog 'tong post ko para mga Pinoy lang ang makakabasa. :D

06.13.06
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b210/ofngol/Photo_061306_003x.jpg

Psychonaut

June 13th, 2006, 06:05 PM

yun nga mali ng moa, dapat may escalator sa parking lot. 2 lng elevator puno pa lagi nakakainis. ang hirap tuloy mag akyat ng groceries lalo na pag may cart grabe kawawa ka di kana makakasakay ng elevator.

DaimosLA

June 13th, 2006, 07:13 PM

http://www.leisureentertainmentconsultancy.com/LEC_projects/EcoCent.jpg

http://www.leisureentertainmentconsultancy.com/LEC_projects/EcoCentPlan.jpg

Science Discovery Center:
http://www.worldleisurejobs.com/newsdetail.cfm?codeID=15401

Found this news on the net and not sure if this has been posted.

3cr

June 13th, 2006, 07:33 PM

Here's the article from the link DaimosLA has posted.

Science Discovery Center to open in Manila

Leisure Entertainment Consultancy (LEC) in Long Beach, California, US, has teamed up with local mall operator SM Prime Holdings to develop a US$7m (£3.7m, 5.5m euro) SM Science Discovery Center in the Mall of Asia in Manila, the Philippines.

The 4,000sq m (43,000sq ft) SM Science Center will comprise three zones on two levels – Technoverse, Modern Marvels and What’s Next. Each zone will feature four innovative exhibits based on technological and science-based themes.

The exhibits will include Media City, Transportation Nation, City Science, Bio Voyager, Bot Inc and Virtual Aquarium.

An E&S Digitstar Planetarium housed inside a 16m (170ft) sphere will be the centrepiece.

Targeted as a family educational centre, the attraction will provide multi-user interactive and multimedia experiences as well as an hourly light and laser show.

LEC plans and designs theme parks, waterparks, museums and attractions. Details: www.lecworldwide.com or www.smprime.com

Photograph: Bot Inc exhibit

raphael478

June 14th, 2006, 06:57 AM

[/QUOTE] Originally Posted by cosmoManila

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h117/O29/Untitled-1.jpg

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h117/O29/Untitled-2.jpg

These ads are still a mystery...What are these for? [/QUOTE]

:) Aha!!! Pagkatapos ng matinding research, ang THE BLOCK na sinasabi sa quote sa ibabaw eh ung sa SM North Edsa! Bagong pangalan ng SM NoE siguro.

Nabasa ko lang sa brochure ng Bugaloo Burgurs ng Citibank..

Soon To Open Stores: ..... Robinsons Galleria and The Block, SM North Edsa.

geebeng

June 14th, 2006, 07:20 AM

thanks for the updates aaron, really really appreciated very much :)

richard24

June 14th, 2006, 07:53 AM

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h117/O29/Untitled-1.jpg

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h117/O29/Untitled-2.jpg

These ads are still a mystery...What are these for?

:) Aha!!! Pagkatapos ng matinding research, ang THE BLOCK na sinasabi sa quote sa ibabaw eh ung sa SM North Edsa! Bagong pangalan ng SM NoE siguro.

Nabasa ko lang sa brochure ng Bugaloo Burgurs ng Citibank..

Soon To Open Stores: ..... Robinsons Galleria and The Block, SM North Edsa.

maybe the block is annex three, or a part of it..

OtAkAw

June 14th, 2006, 10:31 AM

^^Dati shoebox, ngayon "BLOCK", ibang klase talaga SM, ang hilig sa rectangle and square! hehehe...

JAMAICUS

June 14th, 2006, 11:44 AM

" Originally Posted by cosmoManila

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h117/O29/Untitled-1.jpg

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h117/O29/Untitled-2.jpg

These ads are still a mystery...What are these for? [/QUOTE]

:) Aha!!! Pagkatapos ng matinding research, ang THE BLOCK na sinasabi sa quote sa ibabaw eh ung sa SM North Edsa! Bagong pangalan ng SM NoE siguro.

Nabasa ko lang sa brochure ng Bugaloo Burgurs ng Citibank..

Soon To Open Stores: ..... Robinsons Galleria and The Block, SM North Edsa.[/QUOTE]"

The Block is SM NOE new name??? "SHOCKED"!!!
I don't if I'm inspired or I'm angry....

c0kelitr0

June 14th, 2006, 12:11 PM

^^Dati shoebox, ngayon "BLOCK", ibang klase talaga SM, ang hilig sa rectangle and square! hehehe...

hahaha fetish kasi ng mga Sys yan :lol:

O29

June 15th, 2006, 06:59 PM

exciting to ah..is this something connected with NoE?or another "superduper mall"??heheh..

Hehehehehe, just wait because before the end of the month you will find out soon. There will be another reason to go NORTH! =)

OPEN YOUR EYES TO THE NEWEST BLOCK IN THE CITY...

O29

June 15th, 2006, 07:06 PM

I always passby the ccp complex when I go to MoA. Napansin ko lang yung Design Center of the Philippines look so odd. Doesnt look design center at all so ironic. It looks more like a abandoned bodega. And you call that a DESIGN CENTER! Goodness whatever happened to the word architecture? It just gets into my nerves everytime I see it and CCP is just as boring as PICC at yung mosoleo na film center. Those buildings doesnt show the colorful and exciting art & culture of the Philippines at all!
They are DULL, BORING and not very Interesting at all.

Danny19

June 15th, 2006, 11:41 PM

Oh the mall of asia seems to be very nice!!!! I can't wait to see it in the near future! Are all shops already open???? What kind of shops are in the SM MAll of ASIA?`?????????

richard24

June 16th, 2006, 08:45 AM

The Block is SM NOE new name??? "SHOCKED"!!!
I don't if I'm inspired or I'm angry....

maybe they're going to re-introduce north edsa (or a part of it) to the public as 'high end' mala 'the podium'.... sa north edsa 'the block' medyo sosyalan din ang dating..

jbkayaker12

June 16th, 2006, 08:50 AM

^^ The church is fine for me, it's also nice to have some architectural variations in the area.

Anyway, how come it seems like they're not digging for MAITRADE?
Will those piles be the foundation for the structure?
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b210/ofngol/MAITRADE2_06-04-06.jpg

It would be a lot nicer if they build a park or a plaza by the church instead of a convention center.

oz.fil

June 16th, 2006, 04:02 PM

imagine if we had an airport as good as sm moa lol :jk: cant wait to go there myself! i was there checking the mall out when it was still closed. didnt stay there long, the searing tropical sun was on my back lol, but i cant wait to go there !!! shoppers paradise!

thomasian

June 17th, 2006, 04:33 AM

It would be a lot nicer if they build a park or a plaza by the church instead of a convention center.

I think they're just making full use of the 'expensive' reclaimed land. They already have the expansive 2km-long Promenade by the bay anyway, I think that's more than enough for a park within SM-CBD. Next thing they'll want to do is make sure that they make productive use of every square meter of land there.

kevinb

June 17th, 2006, 05:01 AM

i was at MoA yesterday..
ang ganda nya at the start..
pero ng magtagal ako dun, medyo boring na..
but i really liked the SM ISR!
im going there again today..
i'm gonna go skatin'!!! :lol:

_zner_

June 17th, 2006, 05:06 AM

kevinb

June 17th, 2006, 05:07 AM

korek! :lol:
gusto mo 'ko samahan ngayon sa MoA?heheh..

_zner_

June 17th, 2006, 05:19 AM

^^ wala akong balak umalis ngayon... gusto ko lang magrelax.. haha... pagod na pagod kasi ako sa kakalakad kahapon sa UST eh.. tapos laging kulang pa yung tulog ko.. :D
sorry OT! :D

thomasian

June 17th, 2006, 07:24 AM

i was at MoA yesterday..
ang ganda nya at the start..
pero ng magtagal ako dun, medyo boring na..
but i really liked the SM ISR!
im going there again today..
i'm gonna go skatin'!!! :lol:

Yup, masaya sa Olympic Sized ISR ng MoA, di siya crowded saka ang luwag saka may part pa na may sunshine, tunaw yung ice dun kaya pwedeng maglaro ng basaan. :D

Tapos memorable din yun kasi dun ko na-meet si kuya Neil este Neil na lang, medyo istorbo lang yung mga pamilya namin kaya di kami makadiskarte, kasama niya kasi yung dalawang kapatid niya tapos kasama ko naman yung mga pinsan ko saka mga tito at tita ko, kaya ayun, exchange numbers na lang kami. :colgate: Sana magkaroon na ako ng phone para ma-text ko siya.

Kita mo ba yung pic ko na may fake snowfall dun sa ISR?
May video rin ako nung snowfall pero di ko alam kung pano i-upload sa youtube.

jbkayaker12

June 17th, 2006, 08:52 AM

I think they're just making full use of the 'expensive' reclaimed land. They already have the expansive 2km-long Promenade by the bay anyway, I think that's more than enough for a park within SM-CBD. Next thing they'll want to do is make sure that they make productive use of every square meter of land there.

If they're thinking about money then SM should have never built a church there. They wont make any money from the catholic church. :)

thomasian

June 17th, 2006, 09:19 AM

^^ They will definitely make money out of it (although I think that's not really their intention for building the church kasi alam ko devout Catholic ang wife ni Mr. Sy), by making the SM-CBP complete (i.e. church, mall, office, residences, hotel, etc.) they increase the land value and the attractiveness of the whole property, besides, the church is an integral component of the SM Central Business Park. Ever wonder why most self-contained communities like Eastwood have churches/chapels in them? That's it. Saka try to think about this, after going to the church where do most pinoys go? You guessed it, in the mall, which means after going to the Shrine of Jesus Church, people will most likely go to, obviously, MoA, now there's no arguing that they're not making money out of it.

LhexiMont

June 17th, 2006, 09:25 AM

If they're thinking about money then SM should have never built a church there. They wont make any money from the catholic
church. :)

Okay na okay nga yung church doon , its one of the first structures there . At least we just dont go there malling or staring at the sunset by the sea . We can also reflect and hear mass whenever there is.

jbkayaker12

June 17th, 2006, 10:57 AM

Convention Centers will make money only if it is booked year through, even here in Las Vegas, our biggest convention center does not hold conventions on a weekly basis. I work across from it.

SM could have raised the quality of life for the people who will be residing in the area if only they built a park or plaza next to the church which is better in my opinion than a convention center. They could build a huge convention center away from the church, Im sure they have enough land over there. It's just a matter of better planning.

I dont think they built the church so that SM can make money from the people attending mass. If that was their intention, that church would have been next to MOA.

OtAkAw

June 17th, 2006, 04:58 PM

At first I was freaked out by the church there but now I know. Since many Pinoys are religious, and they go hear Mass usually with relatives, family, close friends and affiliates, it's always nice to indulge yourself in a recreational activity after the Mass, that's very traditional to Pinoys eh. I could still remember as a child being excited to go to Mass every Sunday kasi Jolibee or McDo kami afterwards hehehe. Even now, Robinson's Starmills here offers Eucharistic Celebrations at 9AM and we attend that Mass couple of times a month so the enjoyment of being in a mall is strengthened kasi may spiritual excursion pa pryor dun.:)

Area51

June 18th, 2006, 08:07 AM

Again, let me repeat, the Church was NOT built by Henry Sy/SM.

jbkayaker12

June 18th, 2006, 10:57 AM

From what I have read in the past, the church was built by the Sy's family in appreciation of the Filipinos unwavering support of SM malls/stores.

Now if you believe otherwise, then who built it? Honestly speaking, I really don't care who built it. Sy's or otherwise.

Onionz

June 19th, 2006, 12:46 AM

thomasian

June 19th, 2006, 03:13 AM

Again, let me repeat, the Church was NOT built by Henry Sy/SM.

Quoted from the SM Foundation part of the SM Hypermarket website - http://www.smhypermarket.com/smfoundation.php :
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b210/ofngol/SM-Foundation.jpg

thomasian

June 19th, 2006, 04:06 AM

Hi, has anyone ever really timed how long it takes to go through around SM MOA?
I read somewhere before SM claimed it takes 3 hours to walk through everything in the mall without going in the stores...and about 2 days to go through the entire MOA visiting every stores. Then I read somewhere I don't remember that it takes 90 mins of brisk walking through the entire MOA.
Can someone confirm me on these if they are true or plausible? I'm just curious, maybe it'll be fun or boring to someone who would really time and track their stay at the MOA.
Thanks let me know aight :)

I can!!! My last MoA trip was just 2 hours and 30 minutes, but I was able to go through almost every part of MoA including checking-out the stores that I find interesting.

I think the 90 minutes of brisk walking through MoA is true (that 3 hours is too much!!! para yatang naglalakad sa buwan yung speed ng lakad ng nagsulat niyan, ako nga 2hrs. 30 mins. tapos may napasok pa akong 22 stores), my trip took a little longer because it also includes checking out (yes, checked-out lang po, kasi wala naman akong dalang pera except pamasahe at pangkain, walang pang-shopping except dun sa binili kong 300-watt floodlight sa Ace Hardware :D ) Ace Hardware, All Flip Flops, Bench, Blue Soda, Celio, Diego, Folded and Hung, Fila, Filbars, Human, Kultura Filipino, Mossimo, Our Home, Oxygen, Penshoppe, People are People, Q Powerstation (may P39 pa ako na credits, enough for two Air-Hockey games, eh kaso mag-isa lang ako kaya hindi ako makapag-Air-Hockey kasi wala akong kalaro, I almost wanted to ask some random guy to play with me kaso nahiya ako eh :colgate: ), Regalong Pambahay, Shoe Salon, The Big Chill (for a Banana Smoothie, plus a scoop of Strawberry Whey-Protein), Topman, Wade.

So my verdict, 90 minutes lang talaga ang paglilibot sa MoA, ako inabot ng 2hrs. 30 minutes kasi I checked-out 22 stores for almost 3 minutes each. Kaya pag kinompute mo, talagang 90 minutes lang ang paglalakad sa buong MoA.

Onionz

June 19th, 2006, 07:57 AM

Will SM ever create a dedicated website just for the SM Mall of Asia and not through the smprime.com website?... If they plan in boosting the tourism in the Philippines then they've gotta do that, people in other countries will see it and get to know more about it
and see the entire map of the MOA, directories, lists of all the stores, up coming events, trivia, pictures etc. Is this going to be in the works very soon? can someone let me know
if there will be dedicated websites for it instead of searching for it at google or wikipedia.

It should be www.mallofasia.com just like the Mall of America has its own dedicated website and also its brother the ex-largest mall in the world West Edmonton Mall.

kevinb

June 19th, 2006, 12:41 PM

Yup, masaya sa Olympic Sized ISR ng MoA, di siya crowded saka ang luwag saka may part pa na may sunshine, tunaw yung ice dun kaya pwedeng maglaro ng basaan. :D

ayoko dun..
slippery masyado! :lol:
it's been a while since i last skated kaya medyo nag-adjust ako ng mag-skate ako sa MoA.. :)

Tapos memorable din yun kasi dun ko na-meet si kuya Neil..

sino un?instructor ba sya dun?

Kita mo ba yung pic ko na may fake snowfall dun sa ISR?

yup..parang mga engot ung mga tao dun..everytime na maghuhulog ng fake snow, takbuhan agad sa gitna!halata tuloy na sabik sa snow! :hahaha:
basta, gusto ko pa bumalik..ang saya..hehe..gusto ko din ulit makita ung cute na instructor..hweheheh.. :D

3cr

June 20th, 2006, 10:12 AM

I hope environmental studies have been made to assess the probable impact the proposed ship terminal by MOA will have on Manila Bay and its ecosystem.

UN study says Manila Bay an P8 billion asset

June 20, 2006
By Blanche S. Rivera
Inquirer

BELIEVE it or not, Manila Bay is worth much more than its famous sunset.

Manila Bay, with its mudflats, mangroves, coral reefs and thriving ecosystem, has an annual economic value of P8 billion, according to a study carried out by the United Nations Development Program last year.

“This amount represents a partial assessment of the total economic value of Manila Bay. The actual total economic value is, to all accounts, larger,” the UNDP Regional Programme on Building Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (Pemsea) said its May 2006 policy brief released last week.

Pemsea’s Maricor Baustista, a member of the group that conducted the economic study, said they did not include the economic value of the bay as a recreational area, a habitat of migratory birds and juvenile fish and as a source of shoreline protection, among others.

“The P8 billion is the lowest valuation (of Manila Bay). We were not able to survey the corals, the mangroves in areas where there is the New People’s Army. The (determination of) other values would need different methods that would take more time and resources,” she added.

Around 30 percent of the county’s population resides in the bay’s watershed which covers nine provinces across three regions, contributing up to 52.5 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, the Pemsea said.

This represents the total contributions of Regions 3, 4 and Metro Manila which form part of the Manila Bay watershed. The contribution took into account the services, industry, agriculture and forestry sectors’ factor in the GDP.

“We don’t look at the bay as a water area but as a whole watershed,” Bautista said.

The Manila Bay has a coastline measuring 190 sq km. and a watershed area of 17,000 sq km.

Aquaculture and mariculture account for 59 percent of the bay’s economic value; tourism, 23 percent; ports and harbors, 10 percent and offshore fisheries, 8 percent.

The bad news is that the ecosystem of the bay is also being damaged at an alarming rate, resulting in socio-economic losses estimated at an average of P4 billion yearly or half the bay’s economic value.

Fishermen are losing P1.92 billion in income due to red tide, accounting for the biggest chunk of the P4-billion damage to the bay, the study showed.

Export losses from shrimps, meanwhile, accounted for P1.6 billion while the mortality cost of water pollution, or the lost income due to premature death caused by water-borne diseases, was pegged at around P309.375 million.

The over-extraction of groundwater that causes salt water intrusion and a decline in the value of irrigation water led to P81.61 million in losses.

Losses due to mangrove depletion has been estimated at P18.588 million and the effects of harmful algal blooms at P2.819 million. On the other hand, morbidity due to water pollution or income.

O29

June 20th, 2006, 07:13 PM

What's with this arguements about the biggest malls?
When it comes to number alone SM is the mother of all SUPERMALLS!!!
Just because it is named Mall of Asia it doesn't really mean its the biggest in Asia, like Mr. Henry Sy said "its just a name". I'm not really amazed with all these new structures coming like a mall in a skyscraper? I don't think so. I cant even work in a tall building, Im afraid of heights.

O29

June 20th, 2006, 07:17 PM

Open your eyes to the newest BLOCK in the CITY...

You're welcome to THE BLOCK on JULY 29.
See you there. =)

thomasian

June 21st, 2006, 06:02 AM

^^ Ah, yun pala yun. So does THE BLOCK refer to the whole of Annex-3 or just a section of it?

kevinb

June 21st, 2006, 09:25 AM

yung The Block is part of SM NoE?kala ko high-end store ung The Block na yun eh! :lol:

kyle@1008

June 21st, 2006, 02:36 PM

I wish MOA would fix it's mall map,.... I really didn't understood which place is which...

kevinb

June 21st, 2006, 03:59 PM

malinaw naman ung map ng MoA ah..
alin ba dun ung nalito ka?

apiong

June 21st, 2006, 06:10 PM

It should be www.mallofasia.com just like the Mall of America has its own dedicated website and also its brother the ex-largest mall in the world West Edmonton Mall.

unfortunately, that domain name is already taken and redirects to http://www.vcfirm.com/main.html

http://www.smmallofasia.com is parked by GoDaddy

while

http://www.mallofasia.com.ph/ is still available

thomasian

June 22nd, 2006, 05:53 AM

malinaw naman ung map ng MoA ah..
alin ba dun ung nalito ka?

Sakin din naman malinaw ang dating nung map, hindi nga lang updated yung cuts nung ibang spaces lalo na yung sa SSI na mukhang lumiit yung space dahil binack-out nila yung Debenhams nila, di na tuloy abot hanggang sa likod yung space nila pero dun sa map isang malaking space pa rin yung sa kanila na abot hanggang sa likod kahit may iba nang stores doon. May isa pang mali dun sa map, yung part na opposite (mirror-image niya sa kabilang dulo) ng IMAX, wala pa namang nakatayo dun eh pero may drawing na sa map.

renell

June 22nd, 2006, 07:57 AM

hey thomasian. can you check the moderator forums, i can't PM you. full box.

I was reading that Manila Bay article, it has coral reefs?:?

kevinb

June 22nd, 2006, 08:50 AM

May isa pang mali dun sa map, yung part na opposite (mirror-image niya sa kabilang dulo) ng IMAX, wala pa namang nakatayo dun eh pero may drawing na sa map.

nahalata ko din un..kaya medyo nalito ako eh..pero nung naglakad lakad na ako, ayun!mali ung map..pero lahat ok naman..
__________
ui aaron, mag-delete ka nga ng messages mo sa PM..hindi din kita ma-PM eh..

Æsahættr

June 23rd, 2006, 07:20 AM

Other than AUDI, what other car companies have shop in MoA

kevinb

June 23rd, 2006, 08:24 AM

^^i didn't see all..
but i think toyota has one..

adverg

June 23rd, 2006, 12:28 PM

Can request, is there anyone in the rendering of MOA yung parang may escalator sa labas ng mall and a bridge with glass covering, natuloy ba yan as proposal. Secondly, besides all the picture you post about MOA, is there any other place that havent been posted if you have it, like focus shots of retail shops, dining areas and others, can request to post, tq

thomasian

June 23rd, 2006, 12:39 PM

^^ Oh, that 'colored drawing' type of rendering that was released when MoA was still in the works? Malayo yun sa finished product, all the outdoor parts that look like in-between-buildings of that rendering (including the escalator sa labas nung mall tapos may bridge na may glass covering...) didn't came into fruition, the closest part of MoA that would resemble that would be the North Wing and South Wing.

The interior drawings of that rendering though is quite similar to what MoA has right now.

OtAkAw

June 23rd, 2006, 01:54 PM

^^The rendering had a PRADA and A/X Store and they did not even appear!

c0kelitr0

June 25th, 2006, 12:39 PM

WAAAAAHHHHH SOLD OUT NA ANG SUPERMAN TICKETS SA IMAX for one week!!!! :cry:

rustyboi

June 25th, 2006, 01:06 PM

WAAAAAHHHHH SOLD OUT NA ANG SUPERMAN TICKETS SA IMAX for one week!!!! :cry:

u serious? :shocked: we're thinking of going there tomorrow to buy sana advanced tickets. damn, sa gateway nalang siguro.

JustHorace

June 25th, 2006, 01:27 PM

^^YUng sa diario nga puro 12am lang halos ang available and two days ang completely sold-out.

Toyota has a dealer in MoA? Isn't Toyota Manila Bay just a walk awaY?

and 'The BLOCK' pala was SM NoE Annex 3. Sounds very classy :)

rustyboi

June 25th, 2006, 01:52 PM

^^YUng sa diario nga puro 12am lang halos ang available and two days ang completely sold-out.

u mean 12pm siguro? does IMAX have an online reservation ticket facility? we'll settle with greenbelt nalang on the opening day. but i'd still definitely watch superman in Imax siguro after two weeks pa.

BoNduRanT

June 25th, 2006, 03:54 PM

I got my tickets kanina for July 8! Almost full na till July 9. Halos Sold out na June 28-July 2 screening. No refunding ang tickets nila for superman.

Rusty18: I suggest you should reserve your tickets na this early for its 2nd week of screening to get good seats. :)

tigidig14

June 25th, 2006, 07:51 PM

san pala kayo manonood
sa san miguel coca cola IMAX theatre, haba ng pangalan :lol:

2nd largest Imax in the world
largest in asia

Dvorak

June 26th, 2006, 04:32 AM

kailan magbubukas ang Krispy Kreme sa MOA??

a friend of mine emailed me and said that the first KK opened in Melbourne.. nag camp pa raw mga tao on the opening day.. hanggang ngayon.. 3 hours ang waiting time.. maximum of 2 boxes lang daw pwedeng bilhin per customer..

_zner_

June 26th, 2006, 11:50 AM

u mean 12pm siguro? does IMAX have an online reservation ticket facility? we'll settle with greenbelt nalang on the opening day. but i'd still definitely watch superman in Imax siguro after two weeks pa.

alam ko meron talagang 12am.. siguro sa 4th week ako magpapareserve sa IMAX para hindi sold out.. :D

JustHorace

June 26th, 2006, 12:21 PM

^^Yup, may 12am. Grabe, I'll ask na lang my friends if it's worth watching on IMAX.

Dvorak

June 26th, 2006, 12:36 PM

150.00 pa rin ba tix for Superman?? mas ok na sa IMAX kesa sa GPC sa Gateway.. 350.00 bucks na walk-in! ang liit pa nang screen..

we're schedule to watch sa GB3 din on Weds night..

^^Yup, may 12am. Grabe, I'll ask na lang my friends if it's worth watching on IMAX.

JustHorace

June 26th, 2006, 12:47 PM

Not sure but it's much, much cheaper to watch it on IMAX kaysa sa GPC.

Dvorak

June 26th, 2006, 01:52 PM

may seat number ba sa IMAX?? as in reserved seating?

OT: just noticed it today.. there's a "Welcome Krispy Kreme USA" at the lobby of our building.. they're doing the renovation now..

rustyboi

June 26th, 2006, 07:23 PM

150.00 pa rin ba tix for Superman?? mas ok na sa IMAX kesa sa GPC sa Gateway.. 350.00 bucks na walk-in! ang liit pa nang screen..
my dad has tickets for gateway globe platinum cinema. i dunno if those are for superman movie though. hehe

we're schedule to watch sa GB3 din on Weds night..

OT: sold out na lahat ng night skeds in GB3 since last weekend. buti ka pa. we're goin to skip work this wednesday to watch superman. 12.30pm nalang kse available in GB3 cinemas as of yesterday.

Dvorak

June 27th, 2006, 01:11 AM

well ka che check ko lang sa sureseats.com.. hindi pa sold out for june 28 screening sa GB3.. may 5.30pm at 4.50 pm on cinema 1 and 2.

my dad has tickets for gateway globe platinum cinema. i dunno if those are for superman movie though. hehe

OT: sold out na lahat ng night skeds in GB3 since last weekend. buti ka pa. we're goin to skip work this wednesday to watch superman. 12.30pm nalang kse available in GB3 cinemas as of yesterday.

c0kelitr0

June 27th, 2006, 04:28 AM

may seat number ba sa IMAX?? as in reserved seating?

OT: just noticed it today.. there's a "Welcome Krispy Kreme USA" at the lobby of our building.. they're doing the renovation now..

what do you mean? bakit may welcome sign? dyan ba HQ ng Krispy Kreme sa building nyo?

Dvorak

June 27th, 2006, 04:38 AM

di ko pa nakakausap building admin.. pero from the looks of the sign.. mukhang dito nga..

what do you mean? bakit may welcome sign? dyan ba HQ ng Krispy Kreme sa building nyo?

c0kelitr0

June 27th, 2006, 04:52 AM

saang building yan pare?

3cr

June 27th, 2006, 05:14 AM

OT: just noticed it today.. there's a "Welcome Krispy Kreme USA" at the lobby of our building.. they're doing the renovation now.. Dvorak sa GA mo ba nakita yung sign ng Krispey Kreme and will it be an office (HQ) or store front kaya. Atlast sa wakas may Krispey Kreme donuts na rin sa Pinas. Sarap nito (original glazed) with Starbucks coffee/frap. This franchise will surely give Go Nuts Donuts a run for its money. :)

Dvorak

June 27th, 2006, 05:16 AM

nope.. dito sa opis..

hint: where OZ embassy used to hold office..

Dvorak sa GA mo ba nakita yung sign ng Krispey Kreme and will it be an office (HQ) or store front kaya. Atlast sa wakas may Krispey Kreme donuts na rin sa Pinas. Sarap nito (original glazed) with Starbucks coffee/frap. This franchise will surely give Go Nuts Donuts a run for its money. :)

3cr

June 27th, 2006, 05:45 AM

nope.. dito sa opis.. hint: where OZ embassy used to hold office.. Hehehe...salamat sa hint Dvorak pero nakaw wala pa rin akong clue kung saan ito (old OZ embassy location) kasi hindi pa naman ako nakatira sa Pinas eh. If I were to guess sa Ortigas/Mandaluyong or Makati area ba itong building na ito since I would think these cities are the typical embassy row locations sa Metro Manila? :)

Dvorak

June 27th, 2006, 05:57 AM

Makati, Paseo De Roxas, Legaspi Village side..

Hehehe...salamat sa hint Dvorak pero nakaw wala pa rin akong clue kung saan ito (old OZ embassy location) kasi hindi pa naman ako nakatira sa Pinas eh. If I were to guess sa Ortigas/Mandaluyong or Makati area ba itong building na ito since I would think these cities are the typical embassy row locations sa Metro Manila? :)

marites4

June 27th, 2006, 06:10 AM

go nuts donuts starting to suck. the only good about them are the nice flavors.

tigidig14

June 27th, 2006, 06:39 AM

im not a big fan of donuts only their coffee :(

Psychonaut

June 27th, 2006, 11:15 AM

panood ko na superman kagabi (premier powerplant c/o studio23). asteg ung plane scene!! nagland off sa ????ball field (hehe secret kung anong field).

thomasian

June 27th, 2006, 02:28 PM

^^ Sana nagdistribute ka ng extra tickets if any. :jk:

Anyway, scan ko...

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b210/ofngol/MoA-Map.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b210/ofngol/MoA_Directory.jpg

3cr

June 27th, 2006, 06:58 PM

Makati, Paseo De Roxas, Legaspi Village side..
Ahhh now I have a good idea where it is na. Thanks for the Kripey Creme update Dvorak! :)

LhexiMont

June 28th, 2006, 03:07 AM

^^ Sana nagdistribute ka ng extra tickets if any. :jk:

Anyway, scan ko...

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b210/ofngol/MoA-Map.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b210/ofngol/MoA_Directory.jpg

Nakakuha din ako dati nung mall guide na ito kaso na -misplace ko , balak ko nga rin sana i-post .. buti na lang may nag post here...

kevinb

June 28th, 2006, 09:29 AM

^^bakit hindi ako nabigyan ng ganyan ng pumunta ako?binibigay ba yan o hinhingi?

jbkayaker12

June 28th, 2006, 09:52 AM

Sebago and Florsheim, a couple of stores I might check and Ted's La Paz Batchoy as well.

thomasian

June 28th, 2006, 11:26 AM

^^bakit hindi ako nabigyan ng ganyan ng pumunta ako?binibigay ba yan o hinhingi?

Hiningi ko 'yan sa Concierge/CS Counter nila.

Sa Razon's (of Guagua) masarap yung halo-halo, sa 2/F south side (labas) nung Main Mall, try mo. :okay:

kevinb

June 28th, 2006, 11:39 AM

eh hindi ko naman alam un..samahan mo ako.. ;)

JustHorace

June 28th, 2006, 12:10 PM

Wow, complete store listing. I thought there was going to be a Fully Booked in MoA? May Apple Center na pala. There's no new SSI store. Oh well, wala pa siguro.

JAMAICUS

June 28th, 2006, 12:42 PM

^^ There was a Fully Booked store... I saw it with my very own eyes......

JustHorace

June 28th, 2006, 01:26 PM

Nasa Main Mall ground floor pala (according to the list ni thomasian)...bulag ko talaga!

thomasian

June 28th, 2006, 02:19 PM

Wow, complete store listing. I thought there was going to be a Fully Booked in MoA? May Apple Center na pala. There's no new SSI store. Oh well, wala pa siguro.

I saw in one of their maps the area where SSI stores are located, checked the area and there's a Zara, Marks and Spencer, Kenneth Cole, may iba pa yata. Kaso lumiit yung SSI area, siguro dahil binackout nila yung Debenhams nila.

When I looked at the MoA map on the entertainment mall, I noticed ISS on one of the biggest space in the center of the Main Mall's 2nd level, I realized na baligtad pala lahat-lahat ng map nila sa buong mall kaya pala nasa taas yung shadow, so I figured out that ISS is actually SSI na nakabaliktad. Pero may mali pa rin kasi yung space na may label na ISS eh hindi na siya talaga ganun kalaki pag tiningnan mo, bawas na yung space... my conclusion, yung space na nabawas eh para dapat sa Debenhams. You'll find the space of SSI on the center of the Main Mall 2/f between numbers 14, 12, and 11.

^^ There was a Fully Booked store... I saw it with my very own eyes......

Me too, and I also felt its presence with my 6th-sense (the shopping sense :D )

likely

June 28th, 2006, 04:11 PM

what does SSI stand for? :(

Dvorak

June 28th, 2006, 04:46 PM

SSI = Stores Specialist Inc.

which carry the most exclusive signature apparel brands (Armani Exchange, Calvin Klein Jeans, Polo Jeans Co., Kenneth Cole, Colour 18, Nine West, Diesel, Springfield) and cosmetics (Beauty Bar and Lush), Fossil timepieces, G-Force and T-102 (both under Meera Enterprises—the exclusive distributor of Oakley in the Philippines), Quicksilver, and Surf World.

O29

June 28th, 2006, 05:47 PM

WELCOME TO THE BLOCK
SM City North EDSA Annex 3
More Shopping, More Dining, More Fun!

SM HYPERMARKET NOW OPEN!

kevinb

June 29th, 2006, 03:00 AM

Wow, complete store listing. I thought there was going to be a Fully Booked in MoA? May Apple Center na pala. There's no new SSI store. Oh well, wala pa siguro.

i saw that apple center..pero hindi ako pumasok..wala lang..nakakita din pala ako ng foosil watch store..nagbabakasakali na may magandang relo..unfortunately wala..meron bang technomarine sa MoA?

ishtefh_03

June 29th, 2006, 05:17 AM

di ko pa nalibot ang buong MOA... and once pa lng ako nakapunta... walang time kase and malayo sa bahay...

LhexiMont

June 29th, 2006, 05:54 AM

Very typical lang ang SM Department Store sa MoA at dun sa Hypermart naman , wala ba silang cold section para sa mga drinks ( C2 et al .. ) ..napilitan tuloy ako mag soft drinks . I was expecting a department store as beautiful as their Makati store since MoA is their flagship mall .

Æsahættr

June 29th, 2006, 06:10 AM

I was a picture of an AUDI dealership in MoA on the PH forums!!! Wheree???

Dvorak

June 29th, 2006, 06:20 AM

tapos yung OUR HOME.. naku napakaliit.. ala pa yatang 1,000 sqm yun..

Very typical lang ang SM Department Store sa MoA at dun sa Hypermart naman , wala ba silang cold section para sa mga drinks ( C2 et al .. ) ..napilitan tuloy ako mag soft drinks . I was expecting a department store as beautiful as their Makati store since MoA is their flagship mall .

thomasian

June 29th, 2006, 08:05 AM

di ko pa nalibot ang buong MOA... and once pa lng ako nakapunta... walang time kase and malayo sa bahay...
Dun kaya sa isang punta mo pwede mo nang libutin ang buong MoA, ako nga nalibot ko ang buong MoA in 2.5 hrs., tapos I was also able to check out my fave stores pa.
Kung tutuusin mas matagal pa nga yung paglilibot ko sa Glorietta kanina kaysa sa MoA. I'll post some Makati pics later.

Very typical lang ang SM Department Store sa MoA at dun sa Hypermart naman , wala ba silang cold section para sa mga drinks ( C2 et al .. ) ..napilitan tuloy ako mag soft drinks . I was expecting a department store as beautiful as their Makati store since MoA is their flagship mall .
Dapat kasi dinagdagan nila yung Dept. Store levels nung South Parking Building, kulang yung dalawa para sa Dept. Store eh. Tapos yung kabilang side naman, dun sa North Parking Building, sobra naman, kasi isang level lang ang occupied nung Hypermarket tapos yung 2nd floor eh Dell Call Center na, sayang yung space eh hindi naman retail yung Dell Center ano.

tapos yung OUR HOME.. naku napakaliit.. ala pa yatang 1,000 sqm yun..
Oo nga, I was also expecting that their anchor stores would be big pero mas maliit karamihan compared dun sa Megamall, yung sa Megamall nga dalawa pa yung Surplus Shop eh, saka yung Jollibee sa MoA dalawa lang, mas marami pa rin yung sa Mega, pati yung foodcourt parang kapiraso lang ng foodcourt ng Mega.

------------------------

Hindi na ako naniniwala dun sa tagline nila na "No other mall comes close", mas kumpleto pa nga sa kanila yung Glorietta eh, tapos isama mo pa yung kapitbahay na Greenbelt, talong talo dun sa dalawang yun ang MoA. Pero at least meron something sa MoA na wala sa iba, Manila Bay and its infamous sunset, saka IMAX.

Sinjin P.

June 29th, 2006, 12:58 PM

Sa Razon's (of Guagua) masarap yung halo-halo, sa 2/F south side (labas) nung Main Mall, try mo. :okay:

Is that the original? Talagang masarap nga siya, simple yet fulfilling. :lol:

Hindi na ako naniniwala dun sa tagline nila na "No other mall comes close", mas kumpleto pa nga sa kanila yung Glorietta eh, tapos isama mo pa yung kapitbahay na Greenbelt, talong talo dun sa dalawang yun ang MoA

Correct! :D Iba talaga ang Ayala Malls. :lol:

JAMAICUS

July 1st, 2006, 01:25 PM

SM to focus on 4 property projects
By
Source: Malaya

SM Investments Corp.’s newly formed will focus in developing the central business park along Roxas Blvd, its Tagaytay properties, Hamilo Coast, a new residential resort complex in Batangas, and the mall-anchored residential projects.

SM Investments Property group will set the direction of the company’s ventures in residential and condominium development, commercial development, and leisure and tourism.

The property Group is headed by SM Investments Vice-Chairman Henry T. Sy, Jr., who will serve as its managing director.

“While remaining anchored in the retail and shopping mall business, we a lot of growth potential in the property sector, which is recovering from the 1997 Asian crisis. This opportunity is partly an offshoot of our commitment to create value in the areas we develop, which, in turn, draws the buyers who appreciate convenience, improved quality of life and value for money.” He said.

SM Investments is using its landbank to lay the ground the groundwork for various real estate projects. The conglomerate is targeting key market segments, including the overseas Filipino workers, the booming business process outsourcing sector, and the rising number of tourist, both domestic and foreign.

SM Investments plans to take advantage of the growing number of SM Shopping malls – numbering 25 to date – which may serve as the anchor for the conglomerate’s other property ventures.

The value of properties surrounding the malls always increase whenever we put up a new SM mall so we would like to participate in that,” Sy said.

This is certainly the case for SM Investment’s direct venture into office and commercial development. SM Prime Holding’s Mall of Asia, touted as the region’s biggest shopping and leisure destination, outside of China, serves as the anchor for the conglomerate’s Central Business Park (CBP) along scenic Manila Bay.

The CBP is a 60-hectare contiguous piece of land in Bay City, Pasay owned by SM Investments subsidiary Shoemart, Inc. It has been masterplanned and developed by SM Investments to become one of the prime real estate destinations for retail operators, commercial and office headquarters, BPOs and financial institutions. It is the most scenic business district in Metro Manila enjoying the view of Manila Bay and its spectacular sunset. It is also the closest business district to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The 386,000-square meter Mall of Asia is the centerpiece of the CBP.

Adjacent to the Mall of Asia will be the 10-story OneEcom-Center Complex, and the MAITRAIDE Expo and Convention Center, both of which broke ground in March. SM Investments is spending 2.4 billion pesos for the two projects. A sports arena is also in the pipeline of anchor projects in the CBP for sporting events and entertainment shows.

http://www.smprime.com/News.php?BlurbID=94

anonymous_filipino

July 1st, 2006, 04:56 PM

sabi ng uncle ko who works as the property manager of greenhills( he's a mall expert), yung mall of asia is not targeted for the masses... targeted class ng mall of asia according to my uncle is Class ABC.. which means it's targeted for the upper income class to middle-middle income class :)

Lightspeed

July 2nd, 2006, 02:10 AM

After two visits, medyo hirap pa rin ako sa Directions.

When inside the Main Mall, it seems hard to determine kung saan 'yung Manila Bay side, 'yung Big Globe side, 'yung Church side at 'yung PICC side.

Louman

July 2nd, 2006, 08:19 AM

Screen grab of MoA from the Pacquiao fight.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/louman84/Pacquiao_07_01_06/MoA.jpg

JAMAICUS

July 2nd, 2006, 08:20 AM

Question : have the crowds in SMOA subsided yet?

marites4

July 2nd, 2006, 09:34 AM

Screen grab of MoA from the Pacquiao fight.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/louman84/Pacquiao_07_01_06/MoA.jpg
wow they even took a picture of that. i missed all that.
what about shanties did they show shanties. these foreigners are always fond of showing the shanties.

tigidig14

July 2nd, 2006, 08:17 PM

marites tal'ga oh :lol:

thomasian

July 3rd, 2006, 08:33 AM

HK Sun Plaza:

The white lot on the center is where it was built...
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b210/ofngol/HK-Sun-Plaza_aerial.jpg

marites4

July 3rd, 2006, 08:54 AM

^^ At san naman nanggaling 'yan? :D Batukan kaya kita, kahit girl ka papatulan kita. :jk:
thomasian hindi ako nakikipagsabunutan ha. :jk:
:lol:
cutie mod joke lang po yon.

cruizer333444

July 3rd, 2006, 10:08 AM

they like showing the shanties to make them selfs look upscale even they are hard up like us pinoys.

kennethologist

July 4th, 2006, 10:16 AM

wow they even took a picture of that. i missed all that.
what about shanties did they show shanties. these foreigners are always fond of showing the shanties.

locally produced siya...so todo pabango... they even cut out the ugly parts of cubao... they also used the Wow philippines theme music... ung "woooowoaoaehhhh" basta un :colgate:

kevinb

July 4th, 2006, 11:03 AM

they like showing the shanties to make them selfs look upscale even they are hard up like us pinoys.

korek..mga matapobre..hmpf! OT na..hehe..

thomasian

July 4th, 2006, 01:19 PM

Yung latest commercial ng Milo... they shot it in MoA's Ice Skating Rink, madilim lang yung buong paligid pero kita mo yung ceiling na MoA talaga siya.

kevinb

July 5th, 2006, 10:12 AM

^^halata ko din..kahit ung skaters' lounge na may bluish na sahig, ganun na ganun eh..pati ung walls ng rink pag nasa loob ka,pareho..
_____
gusto ko tuloy bumalik.. :D

thomasian

July 6th, 2006, 04:10 AM

06.13.06

From MoA...

Hobbies Center of Asia
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b210/ofngol/HoA_Hobbies-Center-of-Asia_06-13-1.jpg

HK Sun Plaza >>>>>>>>>>>>>
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b210/ofngol/HK-Sun-Plaza_06-13-06-1.jpg

@ ate Maritess - :hilarious

Sinjin P.

July 6th, 2006, 08:12 AM

The reason why the SM Department Store branch in the Mall of Asia is not that impressive is because SM Makati remains to be the flagship outlet of SM Department Store nationwide

kevinb

July 6th, 2006, 09:20 AM

ngayon ko lang nalaman na SM dept store in makati is the flagship store..i've never been to SM makati..what's it like?

Sinjin P.

July 6th, 2006, 09:33 AM

Somehow classy (compared to other SM stores)... Imagine, it's a department store with a few tenants and it's over 90,000 square meters. :)

kevinb

July 6th, 2006, 10:51 AM

weh?!it's quite huge..

JAMAICUS

July 6th, 2006, 12:55 PM

Are there anymore projects within the Bay City CBD besides Bay City Gardens, SM Business Park and that Neo-Chinatown...

LhexiMont

July 6th, 2006, 05:22 PM

dober

July 7th, 2006, 06:38 AM

Usually before doing the ceiling works, hydro test for piping must implement kung mayleak yung mga pipe, this is normal project implementation procedures, unless otherwise, it was intentional, but 100% construction compliance cannot be observed after handover by the contractor of the complete project, thats why there is a retention budget as stipulated in the contract to be used for any damage occured during the retention period.

hi my first post, obviously a newbie...before anything else, been looking for a forum for construction/ engineering/ architecture/ forum...real glad to have finally found this forum...

just to add some clarity a bit, no harm intended...on retention, the client usually or normally witholds 10 percent of the total contract sum for retention purposes...this "retained amount" is usually witheld as a guarantee that the contractor would attend to all workmanship as well as materials defects during the "defects and liability period" which is usually one year upon the project's completion and acceptance by the client...

but in some contracts, the retention money can already be claimed by the contractor, usually a month after the final completion and replaced by a guarantee bond issued by the contractor to the client in lieu of the retention money....this guarantee bond is equivalent to the same amount of the rentention...the guarantee bond is usually valid for a year or during the "defects and liability" period as agreed in the contract...

anyway...congrats to the forum and more power to all...

JAMAICUS

July 7th, 2006, 09:09 AM

^^ Welcome... hope you like it here... though the official theme of SSC is urbanity.... anyway, welcome once gain!!! :) :) :)

dober

July 7th, 2006, 09:22 AM

thanks for the welcome...and yes will really enjoy my stay...

cheers

anonymous_filipino

July 8th, 2006, 04:46 PM

tanong ko lang sa mga nakapunta na sa MoA, ok na ba yung crowd? tsaka baduy ba talaga MoA like all the SMs? balak namin pumunta dun tomorrow pero nanay ko lang may ayaw kasi sabi nya katulad lang daw ng other SMs, baduy mga stores...

richpol

July 8th, 2006, 06:49 PM

speaking of Superman, Manila was actually mentioned in the film! woohoo!

BoNduRanT

July 8th, 2006, 07:29 PM

Culiat

July 8th, 2006, 08:19 PM

speaking of Superman, Manila was actually mentioned in the film! woohoo!

yeah!!! "he was sighted in Manila at 10:15" ata ung pagkakasabi, tama nga ba?

thomasian

July 9th, 2006, 06:04 AM

anonymous_filipino: mixed crowd.

I watched superman today, the IMAX theater is huge! The movie was great. Medyo nakakahilo nga lang yung ilang scenes on 3D. Parang di alam ng mata ko kung san titingin :laugh:

Is it really worth your P350? I heard they only have a couple of scenes where you'd have to wear the 3D glasses and the rest is 2d?

richpol

July 9th, 2006, 06:55 AM

yeah!!! "he was sighted in Manila at 10:15" ata ung pagkakasabi, tama nga ba?

ganun ata. hehe. which only means that Manila is a crime capital :D

anonymous_filipino

July 9th, 2006, 06:56 AM

worth daw according to my cousin. it's better to watch superman in imax than in regular cinemas according to him.

amras

July 9th, 2006, 07:02 AM

yeah!!! "he was sighted in Manila at 10:15" ata ung pagkakasabi, tama nga ba?

it was 10.55pm hehehe

Ydlar

July 9th, 2006, 07:35 AM

^ try naming manood ng Superman mamaya sa IMAX.......mukhang ok 'yung movie a.

(sorry, off-topic)

OtAkAw

July 9th, 2006, 08:44 AM

The movie grossed about 2.5 million dollars in the country during its first week of showing, nasa Box Office Mojo, highest in SEA.

Gusto ko rin manuod ng IMAX!

mygz14

July 9th, 2006, 04:49 PM

I saw this SM Ad at youtube...Its the first time I saw it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU5TQZd0uKo

BoNduRanT

July 9th, 2006, 05:11 PM

Is it really worth your P350? I heard they only have a couple of scenes where you'd have to wear the 3D glasses and the rest is 2d?

Yup its worth it :) There are 4 scenes in 3D. I was trying to touch yung mga ballpens and PDA's? na nagfo-float dun sa scene ng airplane crash :laugh: Yung friend ko was trying to squeeze yung penguin sa trailer ng Happy Feet. May magbiblink na goggle icon sa lower screen an green pag isusuot mo na. Red icon naman sa upper screen pag tatanggalin na. I watched it last Saturday and Sunday, both on IMAX :okay: TREX trailer was cool.

BoNduRanT

July 12th, 2006, 06:41 AM

Here's a pic I took inside using my phone.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3/abercromb24/HPan_000.jpg

ergit222

July 14th, 2006, 06:50 AM

BULL MARKET, BULL SHEET By Wilson Lee Flores
The Philippine STAR 06/05/2006

I am optimistic that we can achieve a better future.
It's not true that the Philippines is a hopeless
case," 82-year-old SM Group and Banco de Oro founder
Henry Sy recently told The Philippine STAR. "I'm an
immigrant who came here at 12 years old, spoke no
English or Tagalog, but I came to appreciate the
natural beauty and many economic advantages of the
Philippines more than many other people do, and I kept
working and investing with positive thinking."
The exclusive three-hour interview took place at his
simple but elegant bungalow in North Forbes Park,
Makati City , and at Tanabe Japanese Restaurant in his
SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

In the over two decades I have known the legendary
rags-to-riches taipan and shopping-mall pioneer, Henry
Sy has become more mentally sharp and energetic than
ever before. He is strong despite his weak knees,
which occasionally forced him to use the wheelchair
when we briefly toured his newest pride and passion -
the SM Mall of Asia.

PHILIPPINE STAR: Congratulations on the success of
the SM Mall of Asia. What did your competitors say
about your biggest shopping-mall project yet?

HENRY SY: I called Robinsons mall boss John Gokongwei
Jr. to personally invite him to the blessing of the SM
Mall of Asia, but he said he couldn't make it. Even
though we are competitors, I don't think Gokongwei has
any complaints about me.

Your executives tell me that one million people came
to the SM Mall of Asia on your first day, May 21, then
400,000 came the next day, Monday. Why are people
coming here, when this location is not along a highway
like SM Megamall or at a crossroads like SM North
Edsa?

A lot of the customers to this mall came from the
provinces - they enjoy touring the place. It's not
only constructing the place that creates a good mall,
we at SM create destinations using continuous
research, studies and new ideas to match the needs and
wants of the people. Doing a mall is not only
construction of the physical place, what's important
is the merchandising mix. We strive to serve the
convenience of the public. We want shopping at our
malls to be a unique and an enjoyable experience.
Why did you build an Olympic-size ice-skating rink in
this mall?

Very few people know this: I love skating and bowling.
I used to roller skate a lot in my youth on Taft
Avenue, Manila. That's the reason there's always a
skating area in all my SM malls. I want more people to
share my love for skating.

When you were a kid, what was your original ambition?
I've always wanted to be a businessman. No other
ambitions, I just wanted to be in business, even when
I was a child in Fujian province, south China.

Why did you invest P7 billion in Mall of Asia's 500
outlets, 180 restaurants and other facilities, at a
time when the Philippine economy is not that strong?

It's investment that manifests my strong confidence in
the Philippine future. I hope this biggest mall
project will have a positive impact on the Philippine
economy and I hope to encourage other business people
to invest, too. Not everything I do is purely for
money. Of course, as a businessman and as head of
publicly listed companies, we have to earn, but at
this point in my life, there are other considerations
more important besides just money. I took a risk and
invested in SM Mall of Asia because I wanted to create
something that could contribute to Philippine tourism
growth. If I am only after profits, the easiest way is
for me to construct high-rise condominiums here along
the seashore facing Manila Bay, or I could just
develop high-end subdivisions here and subdivide the
lots to cash in quickly with big profits. But
constructing this mall is a long-term investment; it
is proof of my faith in the future of the Philippine
economy. I wanted to build a beautiful destination for
shopping, wholesome family-oriented entertainment and
leisure. That church outside this mall, I donated it -
everything from the structure, the land, to the
interior furnishings and decor - it's not for profit.

What else do you wish to achieve after the SM Mall of
Asia? What other big projects can we expect from you?

My biggest wish is for government, the private sector
and all of us to work together to make the Philippines
the best tourism destination in Southeast Asia. This
is the reason I am always optimistic that the
Philippines is not a hopeless case, contrary to what a
lot of cynics claim. What Thailand can offer in
tourism places and services, we in the Philippines can
match, except for our past reputation in
peace-and-order problems. That's what has held back
our tourism growth. Philippine economic prospects are
very good; we just have some problems in the
investment environment which the government is now
rectifying. Other export industries often rely on
imported raw materials and the Philippines often only
earns the labor input, but in the tourism industry,
the Philippines can earn as much as 80 percent for
every dollar spent here on food, shopping,
entertainment, hotels, transport, etc., while 20
percent probably goes to imported liquor and other
luxury goods. I'm into tourism with Tagaytay
Highlands, Taal Vista Hotel. We shall keep investing
in new tourist-friendly malls, we are now
master-planning a new 5,700-hectare seaside tourism
project called Hamilo Coast in Batangas, and
many others.

Why do you think the Philippines is ideal for tourism?

First, there's the location: we are just two to three
hours from all the major Asian cities like Singapore,
Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and others. Second,
our people are famous for the best service in
Southeast Asia. Third, people here are proficient in
English. Fourth, the Philippines has many naturally
beautiful tourist destinations, beaches, thousands of
islands, unique flora and fauna, vast fishery
resources, and others. Fifth, the Philippines is
excellent in entertainment, which is important in
tourism. Look at the singers and bands in top hotels,
from Shanghai to Seoul to Tokyo, many of them are
Filipino entertainers. Sixth, you don't need much
capital or foreign investments for tourism
development. Seventh, Philippine hospitality is better
than others in ASEAN - just look at the people's
smiling faces. In our Chinese language, we call this
ho khe chieng, or people who are warm and hospitable
in welcoming clients and guests. There are many more
advantages. I could spend all day and all night
talking to you about the tourism potentials of this
country.

What are your suggestions on how to build up
Philippine tourism?

I have a very simple formula based on common sense
that will help accelerate Philippine tourism growth:
the government should improve the peace-and-order
situation as well as the international image of the
Philippines on this crucial issue. The government
should upgrade infrastructure, there should be a
strong information campaign worldwide to promote the
Philippines as an ideal tourism destination. In a
recent event of HSBC, a TV talk show host of CNN asked
for my advice to politicians and I shared only a few
words of advice: work more, talk less.

Government every year claims over two million tourist
arrivals. What do you think should be the ideal number
of tourists coming to the Philippines annually?
Our target should first be to attract five million
tourists in the first five years, then go for over 10
million in 10 years. Every time I meet President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, I always tell her this dream
of mine and my excitement about Philippine tourism
potentials because I know she really wants a better
Philippine economy.

In this era of globalization, SM is also going
international like the western multinationals Walmart,
Carrefour, Metro and others. What are your plans in
China?

We have four major projects in China. In August or
September this year, we shall inaugurate our new mall
in Chengdu City, the capital of the 100-million-people
Sichuan province. China is a dynamic place, it is
amazing in progress.

Why is it that your children didn't grow up spoiled,
and seem to have imbibed your work ethic and business
acumen? How did you train them?

I think it's their innate natural drive. I also
trained them in the importance of hard work. Even
while they were in high school, my children used to
spend their free time working at our SM Department
Store in Makati.

Who among your six children - Tessie, Elizabeth, Henry
Jr., Hans, Herbert and Harley - will become your
future successor and the leader of the SM Group's next
generation?

I cannot for now ascertain who will be the leader. We
are organized as corporations, publicly listed firms.
Whoever becomes the leader of the next generation
shall rise based on merits and abilities. Unlike other
top Chinese business families in Asia, which favor
male sons over daughters, all my six children are
treated equally. My eldest child Tessie is hardworking
and very capable; it doesn't matter that she's a
woman. She always wants to learn and she is a fast
learner.

A billionaire asked me recently who is richer, you or
Lucio Tan?

How can I know for sure who is bigger in net worth
when each person has his own strengths that not
everyone fully appreciates? I don't like to say this
guy is the biggest in wealth, because some people have
wealth which is hidden - isn't that a fair point of
view?

John Gokongwei Jr. told me that when he first applied
for a loan with PBCom it was not approved, and it was
China Bank's Dee K. Chiong and Dr. Albino SyCip who
approved his first loan of P500,000 in 1950. What
about your first loan?

I don't usually like to get loans. In fact, the reason
why we did well and completed our first mall project,
SM North Edsa, even after the 1983 economic crisis and
after the Ninoy Aquino assassination, was because we
had very little loans then. I got my first credit line
in 1949, it was from China Bank and they lent me P1
million. My credit line was approved by Mr. Yap Tian
Siang in their head office before at Juan Luna Street,
corner Dasmarinas Street.

Did you ever imagine in 1949 that you would someday
own more than 70 percent of China Bank, and that you
would have Banco de Oro and soon, possibly, Equitable
PCIBank?

No, I never imagined then that I would own banks. You
know, despite our many shareholdings in China Bank,
the Dee family of the original founder has managed the
institution so professionally and profitably, we never
attempted to change the incumbent chairman Gilbert Dee
or president Peter Dee. We are not that greedy, it's
not good. I don't believe in wanting both power and
financial gain. Even those executives who have been
with China Bank for many years, they are still there.
If a venerable institution like China Bank is doing so
well, why make changes?

Is it true you already own 11 percent of San Miguel
Corporation?

I have invested a lot in that well-managed company,
but I don't want to mention figures.

What are the business principles or strategies that
made you successful?

I wouldn't classify this as a secret to success, but
one of my lifelong practices is to pay my obligations
on time, especially my suppliers. Even in my early
years as retailer, I didn't delay my payments to
suppliers, because I tell my kids that we have to be
considerate to suppliers and think of their own
hinyong or how they have to protect their sense of
trustworthiness with others. If it's time to pay
others on Monday, we would already deposit the money
in their bank accounts on Friday, so they need not
even come to our office to collect.

Your SM Cinemas do not allow R-18 or For Adults Only
movies, including The Da Vinci Code. Are you a
Catholic or is it just your wife?

I am Catholic, but yes, it's my wife Felicidad Tan Sy
who is the most devout among us in the family. She
devotes almost all her time and money to the Catholic
Church.

Your SM Group leases out or has retail businesses in
millions of square meters of prime commercial space.
When you came to the Philippines as a 12-year-old boy,
how big was the sari-sari store of your father and
what was its name?

It was a small ha-ya-tiam, it had no name. It was
located on Echague St., which is now Carlos Palanca
Sr. St. in Quiapo, Manila. It was only about 30 square
meters in floor area.

Why did you cry when you first saw your father in his
store?

I cried because I saw how hard the life of my father
was as a small shopkeeper. He worked from early
morning to late at night every day. He would go to
chay-chi-khaw area or Divisoria to buy goods, carrying
them himself on his back in order to resell in the
store. I learned the importance of honest hard work,
frugality and discipline from his example.

Where did you and your father sleep at night, on the
second floor or at the back of the store?

Our sari-sari store was so small it had no back or
second floor, we just slept on the counter late at
night after the store was closed.

When you were a kid and you saw your father struggling
with his sari-sari store, did that motivate you to
aspire to become Southeast Asia's Shopping Mall King?
As a kid, I had the will to strive for excellence and
to overcome the hard environment, but I never imagined
attaining big success.

Whatever I have achieved did
not happen overnight; ever since my teen years I've
devoted many, many years of my life to non-stop
studying, diligent work and dreaming of a better future.

FrancisXavier

July 14th, 2006, 07:17 AM

we need more Henry Sys in the Philippines.

Francis20

July 14th, 2006, 07:32 AM

it was 10.55pm hehehe

i think it's 10:45. hehehe...
@ Bondurant, you watched Superman twice? I also watched it twice din. First at WalterMart Makati, then at ImaX. :D Can't really get enough of this superman eh? Hahaha...By the way, from your photos, looks like you are seated on the rear? But you just said you can't figure out where to look at. Kasi nasa likod din kami. Like the last row. And it's the most strategic seat I'd guess - P19 yata ako. And there are 45 in a row. I was trying to count how many rows are there...Nakalimutan ko bilangin na lang ang ABCD hanggang P. :D

It was really once in a lifetime experience. Sabi kasi ng workmate ko sobrang OK daw, pero di nman daw mukang 8 storey high. to confirm this, nanuod nga ako kasama ng kaibgan na di pa nakapanood. Full and Imax. And that was a Monday. Approximately there are 600++ seats. And with the price of P350, that would be over P2 million in a day!!! Galing! This must be a huge contribution to the gross of the movie.

@ Thomasian, there are 4 3D scenes, totalling to 20 minutes.
Pero yung T-rex ata 3D and whole movie. I would like to see that too. :D

Dvorak

July 14th, 2006, 08:30 AM

so can you choose your sits when you buy the ticket?

i think it's 10:45. hehehe...
@ Bondurant, you watched Superman twice? I also watched it twice din. First at WalterMart Makati, then at ImaX. :D Can't really get enough of this superman eh? Hahaha...By the way, from your photos, looks like you are seated on the rear? But you just said you can't figure out where to look at. Kasi nasa likod din kami. Like the last row. And it's the most strategic seat I'd guess - P19 yata ako. And there are 45 in a row. I was trying to count how many rows are there...Nakalimutan ko bilangin na lang ang ABCD hanggang P. :D

It was really once in a lifetime experience. Sabi kasi ng workmate ko sobrang OK daw, pero di nman daw mukang 8 storey high. to confirm this, nanuod nga ako kasama ng kaibgan na di pa nakapanood. Full and Imax. And that was a Monday. Approximately there are 600++ seats. And with the price of P350, that would be over P2 million in a day!!! Galing! This must be a huge contribution to the gross of the movie.

@ Thomasian, there are 4 3D scenes, totalling to 20 minutes.
Pero yung T-rex ata 3D and whole movie. I would like to see that too. :D

BoNduRanT

July 14th, 2006, 10:20 AM

i think it's 10:45. hehehe...
@ Bondurant, you watched Superman twice? I also watched it twice din. First at WalterMart Makati, then at ImaX. :D Can't really get enough of this superman eh? Hahaha...By the way, from your photos, looks like you are seated on the rear? But you just said you can't figure out where to look at. Kasi nasa likod din kami. Like the last row. And it's the most strategic seat I'd guess - P19 yata ako. And there are 45 in a row. I was trying to count how many rows are there...Nakalimutan ko bilangin na lang ang ABCD hanggang P. :D

It was really once in a lifetime experience. Sabi kasi ng workmate ko sobrang OK daw, pero di nman daw mukang 8 storey high. to confirm this, nanuod nga ako kasama ng kaibgan na di pa nakapanood. Full and Imax. And that was a Monday. Approximately there are 600++ seats. And with the price of P350, that would be over P2 million in a day!!! Galing! This must be a huge contribution to the gross of the movie.

We were seated sa Row N42 and N43 that Saturday. M41-44 naman nun Sunday. I think the good seats are from J-P Rows. Regardless kung san ka umupo from those rows. Youll get a fair view of the screen. :) Sana meron hangin saka water effects sa loob na parang sa 3d theater ng Enchanted Kingdom.

I think yung 8 storeys ay yung length/haba nun screen. The screen is big. Pagpasok ko nga nun...I was in awe sa size. One more thing that amazed me was the volume of people inside. Di mo napansin..pag nakaslouch ka sa seat mo..parang normal theater lang like sa Greenbelt ang view pero if youll look down sa lower rows, golly, sobrang laki at dami. Para kang nasa stadium. :) Sana nga whole movie ang 3D sa T-REX saka Happy Feet. :)

kevinb

July 14th, 2006, 10:56 AM

@ergit222: this is a good find..as francisxavier said, we need more henry sys..maybe i could be one in the future..hehe.. :D

ergit222

July 15th, 2006, 10:01 AM

off topic: SM is really invading China with malls :)

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h319/ergit222/slide0052_image144.jpg
Familiar "boxy" SM exterior design
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h319/ergit222/slide0051_image142.jpg
looks like sm megamall interior
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h319/ergit222/slide0051_image140.jpg
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h319/ergit222/slide0049_image136.jpg
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h319/ergit222/slide0050_image138.jpg
SM Xiamen directory guide (the only characters I can understand are 1, 2, 3, S and M) :)

JAMAICUS

July 15th, 2006, 11:01 AM

^^ The interior looks like Megamall's interior :sleepy:

Ydlar

July 15th, 2006, 11:27 AM

@ ergit222

At first glance, I thought that pics are Megamall. =/. Shame on those people who designed the interior of it. That is, if the Megamall was built first.

JAMAICUS

July 15th, 2006, 11:32 AM

^^ Of course MEgamall was built first... recent lamang iyang SM Mall in China... it is really a shame to copy the interiors...

kevinb

July 15th, 2006, 12:35 PM

^^plus the exteriors..juskoo, pati yung boxy-structures gayang-gaya..that exterior thingy is the one i hate most about SM malls..

c0kelitr0

July 15th, 2006, 12:36 PM

OT: kagabi sa news central, Max's pala may-ari ng Krispy Kreme Franchise!

kevinb

July 15th, 2006, 12:46 PM

^^ui coke nabuhay ka ulit..hehe..Max's ang may-ari ng franchise dito sa pinas?parang hindi pwede pero nangyari..hehe..wala lang..

Ydlar

July 15th, 2006, 12:56 PM

i-rephrase ko lang 'yung last reply ko.

"...shame on those people who COPIED Megamall's interior..."

c0kelitr0

July 15th, 2006, 01:01 PM

@kevinb, at the KK at MoA will open december 2006 daw. and they will open 29 more outlets.

OtAkAw

July 15th, 2006, 03:44 PM

^^29 outlets? That's more than GoNuts DOnuts! I hope Pinoys still back their kababayan brand when KK enters the market, stiff competition, I can foresee. Kawawa naman Mr. Donut and Dunkin Donut.

Onionz

July 16th, 2006, 05:08 AM

Mostly all SM mall are box shaped...Henry Sy is a simple man... he started in the shoe business...Shoe Mart and shoes go in the box as simple as that, that's why his malls are boxy shaped :) hehehe

Onionz

July 16th, 2006, 05:11 AM

Will someone ever create a dedicated website for this SM Mall of Asia? so people around the world won't have to search for forums likes to get more info or pics... SM prime website is not enough

JustHorace

July 16th, 2006, 05:15 AM

^^Oo nga.
@SM Xiamen: It was once featured on TV. Nakakatuwa kasi may Philippine flag sa main entrance ng mall alongside the Chinese and the SM flags.

kevinb

July 16th, 2006, 12:36 PM

@coke: 29 outlets?do you have any idea where these stores will be put?

@otakaw: i dont think mr.D and dunkin will go bankrupt..they still have the filipino's tastebuds..hehe.. :D and besides, it's much cheaper than KK.. :)

c0kelitr0

July 16th, 2006, 12:44 PM

a total of 30 stores...isa lang lang sigurado tayo...sa MoA hehehe

kevinb

July 16th, 2006, 12:53 PM

oo nga naman..haha..saan ba dun ung KK?hindi ko nakita ng last akong pumunta eh..

JustHorace

July 16th, 2006, 01:18 PM

^^It was on the newspaper a few days ago. The Philippines is Krispy Kreme's third expansion site in Asia (the first is China then Korea yata...). They plan to open 30 stores in the next two years, I think. They're looking into Asia as a potential market since medyo nalulugi na sila sa US. They closed 25 stores daw dun.

kennethologist

July 16th, 2006, 01:40 PM

erald™']@ ergit222

At first glance, I thought that pics are Megamall. =/. Shame on those people who designed the interior of it. That is, if the Megamall was built first.

come to think of it... natural na sa SM ung may redundant interior... ex: SM MoA and SM NE's the block, SM Fairview's Annex and SM San Lazaro, SM Bacoor and SM Fairview...

cruizer333444

July 16th, 2006, 04:51 PM

krispy kreme is really good . hope they open one store in zamboanga also.

ergit222

July 17th, 2006, 08:40 AM

come to think of it... natural na sa SM ung may redundant interior... ex: SM MoA and SM NE's the block, SM Fairview's Annex and SM San Lazaro, SM Bacoor and SM Fairview...
That's true and look at this another SM in China (Qingyang City)
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h319/ergit222/sm1.jpg
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h319/ergit222/sm2.jpg
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h319/ergit222/sm3.jpg
Philippine flag side by side with China's flag
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h319/ergit222/sm4.jpg
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h319/ergit222/sm7.jpg
SM Qingyan, another "megamall or north edsa" interior look alike

Sinjin P.

July 17th, 2006, 08:57 AM

^^ The SMs in China are not managed by SM Prime but there are plans of having it managed by SM Prime though.

SM group to conclude talks with hotel investors by yearend

Source: Business World

Sy-led holding firm SM Investments Corp. expects to conclude by yearend talks with international hotel chains for possible investments at the SM Central Business Park, chief financial officer Jose T. Sio told BusinessWorld.

In an interview, Mr. Sio said the listed company is in talks with European and American investors for the SM Central Business Park, the SM group’s latest property development at a 60-hectare reclaimed area off the coastal area in Pasay City.

Expected to be set up in the business park are commercial, residential, office, tourism and entertainment components.

A central attraction of the area is the newly opened SM Mall of Asia, SM Prime’s biggest shopping mall so far at 380,000 square meters.

Other developments being planned include corporate headquarters for one or two conglomerates, hotels, office and residential clusters, a coliseum for sporting events and entertainment shows as well as a ferry terminal.

Corazon P. Guidote, vice-president for investor relations, said the master plan of the business park calls for four hotels with the view of the Manila Bay sunset.

"These are hotel investors who will put up the building and manage it. Hopefully, within the year, there will be some negotiations that can be finalized. We will lease the land to hotel investors who will build and operate. It can be different hotel investors in one row," she added.

Ms. Guidote said several options were made available to the investors depending on how the negotiations go.

"These are just options being considered. They may or may not materialize depending on the negotiation and kind of services the hotel may provide. It can be a stand-alone project," she added.

Prospective investors are also given options to manage the Sy group’s hotel in Cebu and 5,700-hectare integrated resort and tourism development in Hamilo Coast in Nasugbu, Batangas.

"We need international tourists. Whoever will manage that hotel [in the Central Business Park] will also manage our building in Cebu. There is a hotel structure in Cebu. We are just waiting for the right timing to open. Right now, the tourism industry in Cebu is rather weak," Mr. Sio added.

Being developed into a world-class resort, Hamilo Coats is positioned to become a premier leisure destination. The masterplan for the project is already in the advanced stage of preparation. The main access road from the Ternate-Nasugbu Road to the Hamilo cove has already been completed as of January.

"Hotel operations are not our core competency. These hotel operators have a client base they can bring here. They have their network they can bring in to our own development," Ms. Guidote said.

Hans Sy, first executive vice-president of SM Investments, earlier said that it is in serious negotiations with two foreign companies for the possible operation of a hotel within the SM City Cebu complex. Mr. Sy said they were looking for a partner that could put in equity into the project as well as manage the hotel.

SM Investments has earmarked P2.4 billion for two projects located at SM Central Business Park near the site of the Mall of Asia.

Last March, construction of two projects, namely One eComCenter, and the MAITRADE Expo and Convention Center were started.

OneE-comCenter is 10-storey multipurpose building that will accommodate mostly technology-based companies engaged in software development and business process outsourcing (BPO) such as contact centers, animation, and medical transcription. It will also house financial services, consulting, and even tourism-related offices.

The MAITRADE Expo and Convention Center will become the country’s largest privately run exhibition and convention center. The 46,647-square meter building will have three floors and basement parking with a total leasable area of 19,800 square meters.

MyNameIsJonathan

July 17th, 2006, 06:33 PM

is Bench in China popular? they have quite a few billboards in those China Malls...

kevinb

July 18th, 2006, 02:49 AM

^^bench is building its name in china since ben chan, the owner of bench, is chinese..and besides, he thinks that china is a good market for his apparel..

thomasian

July 18th, 2006, 06:32 AM

^^ Made in China nga yung ibang items ng Bench eh, pati yung mga models dun sa billboards nila sa mga SM sa China yung isa Singaporean, tapos yung nandyan sa latest pic, mukhang di rin pinoy.

MarkiiBoi

July 18th, 2006, 06:36 AM

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h319/ergit222/slide0051_image140.jpg
[/I]

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h319/ergit222/sm7.jpg

Galing ng mga SM dun, hindi crowded, walang katao-tao. :D

thomasian

July 18th, 2006, 07:00 AM

^^ Parang di yata good news 'yan para sa kanila. :D

pau_p1

July 18th, 2006, 07:12 AM

is Bench in China popular? they have quite a few billboards in those China Malls...

It is only Bench's underfashion which has shops in the SM malls in China or at least in Xiamen... There is no Bench shirt and jeans there only underwears.. That is my observation when I was in Xiamen last year...

and yeah.. SM Xiamen was not as crowded too.. specially the upper floors...

kevinb

July 18th, 2006, 08:25 AM

^^ Made in China nga yung ibang items ng Bench eh, pati yung mga models dun sa billboards nila sa mga SM sa China yung isa Singaporean, tapos yung nandyan sa latest pic, mukhang di rin pinoy.

tapos Chinese din ung kinuha nilang models for their China invasion..hindi ko lang maalala kung ano name..he's a guy..

thomasian

July 18th, 2006, 08:33 PM

kevinb

July 19th, 2006, 03:15 AM

^^ Ayan, di ka na confused, you feel hot na again. :D

ikaw OT ka na naman.. :tongue2: hayaan mo lang yan.. :D

Naisip ko lang, kung pinagsama-sama sana ng MoA yung mall, hotel, office, at convention center na dikit-dikit at halos iisang structure lang silang lahat, mas malaki sana ang chance na hindi lang sa pangalan ang pagiging "Mall of Asia" kundi pati na rin sa floor area.

correct..pero okay na din ung hiwa-hiwalay para tama ung tawag na SM Cntral Business Park 'di ba?

Sinjin P.

July 20th, 2006, 09:05 AM

Just reposting with reading aids:

BULL MARKET, BULL SHEET
By Wilson Lee Flores
The Philippine STAR 06/05/2006

I am optimistic that we can achieve a better future.
It's not true that the Philippines is a hopeless
case," 82-year-old SM Group and Banco de Oro founder
Henry Sy recently told The Philippine STAR. "I'm an
immigrant who came here at 12 years old, spoke no
English or Tagalog, but I came to appreciate the
natural beauty and many economic advantages of the
Philippines more than many other people do, and I kept
working and investing with positive thinking."
The exclusive three-hour interview took place at his
simple but elegant bungalow in North Forbes Park,
Makati City , and at Tanabe Japanese Restaurant in his
SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

In the over two decades I have known the legendary
rags-to-riches taipan and shopping-mall pioneer, Henry
Sy has become more mentally sharp and energetic than
ever before. He is strong despite his weak knees,
which occasionally forced him to use the wheelchair
when we briefly toured his newest pride and passion -
the SM Mall of Asia.

PHILIPPINE STAR: Congratulations on the success of
the SM Mall of Asia. What did your competitors say
about your biggest shopping-mall project yet?

HENRY SY: I called Robinsons mall boss John Gokongwei
Jr. to personally invite him to the blessing of the SM
Mall of Asia, but he said he couldn't make it. Even
though we are competitors, I don't think Gokongwei has
any complaints about me.

Your executives tell me that one million people came
to the SM Mall of Asia on your first day, May 21, then
400,000 came the next day, Monday. Why are people
coming here, when this location is not along a highway
like SM Megamall or at a crossroads like SM North
Edsa?

A lot of the customers to this mall came from the
provinces - they enjoy touring the place. It's not
only constructing the place that creates a good mall,
we at SM create destinations using continuous
research, studies and new ideas to match the needs and
wants of the people. Doing a mall is not only
construction of the physical place, what's important
is the merchandising mix. We strive to serve the
convenience of the public. We want shopping at our
malls to be a unique and an enjoyable experience.

Why did you build an Olympic-size ice-skating rink in
this mall?

Very few people know this: I love skating and bowling.
I used to roller skate a lot in my youth on Taft
Avenue, Manila. That's the reason there's always a
skating area in all my SM malls. I want more people to
share my love for skating.

When you were a kid, what was your original ambition?
I've always wanted to be a businessman. No other
ambitions, I just wanted to be in business, even when
I was a child in Fujian province, south China.

Why did you invest P7 billion in Mall of Asia's 500
outlets, 180 restaurants and other facilities, at a
time when the Philippine economy is not that strong?

It's investment that manifests my strong confidence in
the Philippine future. I hope this biggest mall
project will have a positive impact on the Philippine
economy and I hope to encourage other business people
to invest, too. Not everything I do is purely for
money. Of course, as a businessman and as head of
publicly listed companies, we have to earn, but at
this point in my life, there are other considerations
more important besides just money. I took a risk and
invested in SM Mall of Asia because I wanted to create
something that could contribute to Philippine tourism
growth. If I am only after profits, the easiest way is
for me to construct high-rise condominiums here along
the seashore facing Manila Bay, or I could just
develop high-end subdivisions here and subdivide the
lots to cash in quickly with big profits. But
constructing this mall is a long-term investment; it
is proof of my faith in the future of the Philippine
economy. I wanted to build a beautiful destination for
shopping, wholesome family-oriented entertainment and
leisure. That church outside this mall, I donated it -
everything from the structure, the land, to the
interior furnishings and decor - it's not for profit.

What else do you wish to achieve after the SM Mall of
Asia? What other big projects can we expect from you?

My biggest wish is for government, the private sector
and all of us to work together to make the Philippines
the best tourism destination in Southeast Asia. This
is the reason I am always optimistic that the
Philippines is not a hopeless case, contrary to what a
lot of cynics claim. What Thailand can offer in
tourism places and services, we in the Philippines can
match, except for our past reputation in
peace-and-order problems. That's what has held back
our tourism growth. Philippine economic prospects are
very good; we just have some problems in the
investment environment which the government is now
rectifying. Other export industries often rely on
imported raw materials and the Philippines often only
earns the labor input, but in the tourism industry,
the Philippines can earn as much as 80 percent for
every dollar spent here on food, shopping,
entertainment, hotels, transport, etc., while 20
percent probably goes to imported liquor and other
luxury goods. I'm into tourism with Tagaytay
Highlands, Taal Vista Hotel. We shall keep investing
in new tourist-friendly malls, we are now
master-planning a new 5,700-hectare seaside tourism
project called Hamilo Coast in Batangas, and
many others.

Why do you think the Philippines is ideal for tourism?

First, there's the location: we are just two to three
hours from all the major Asian cities like Singapore,
Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and others. Second,
our people are famous for the best service in
Southeast Asia. Third, people here are proficient in
English. Fourth, the Philippines has many naturally
beautiful tourist destinations, beaches, thousands of
islands, unique flora and fauna, vast fishery
resources, and others. Fifth, the Philippines is
excellent in entertainment, which is important in
tourism. Look at the singers and bands in top hotels,
from Shanghai to Seoul to Tokyo, many of them are
Filipino entertainers. Sixth, you don't need much
capital or foreign investments for tourism
development. Seventh, Philippine hospitality is better
than others in ASEAN - just look at the people's
smiling faces. In our Chinese language, we call this
ho khe chieng, or people who are warm and hospitable
in welcoming clients and guests. There are many more
advantages. I could spend all day and all night
talking to you about the tourism potentials of this
country.

What are your suggestions on how to build up
Philippine tourism?

I have a very simple formula based on common sense
that will help accelerate Philippine tourism growth:
the government should improve the peace-and-order
situation as well as the international image of the
Philippines on this crucial issue. The government
should upgrade infrastructure, there should be a
strong information campaign worldwide to promote the
Philippines as an ideal tourism destination. In a
recent event of HSBC, a TV talk show host of CNN asked
for my advice to politicians and I shared only a few
words of advice: work more, talk less.

Government every year claims over two million tourist
arrivals. What do you think should be the ideal number
of tourists coming to the Philippines annually?
Our target should first be to attract five million
tourists in the first five years, then go for over 10
million in 10 years. Every time I meet President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, I always tell her this dream
of mine and my excitement about Philippine tourism
potentials because I know she really wants a better
Philippine economy.

In this era of globalization, SM is also going
international like the western multinationals Walmart,
Carrefour, Metro and others. What are your plans in
China?

We have four major projects in China. In August or
September this year, we shall inaugurate our new mall
in Chengdu City, the capital of the 100-million-people
Sichuan province. China is a dynamic place, it is
amazing in progress.

Why is it that your children didn't grow up spoiled,
and seem to have imbibed your work ethic and business
acumen? How did you train them?

I think it's their innate natural drive. I also
trained them in the importance of hard work. Even
while they were in high school, my children used to
spend their free time working at our SM Department
Store in Makati.

Who among your six children - Tessie, Elizabeth, Henry
Jr., Hans, Herbert and Harley - will become your
future successor and the leader of the SM Group's next
generation?

I cannot for now ascertain who will be the leader. We
are organized as corporations, publicly listed firms.
Whoever becomes the leader of the next generation
shall rise based on merits and abilities. Unlike other
top Chinese business families in Asia, which favor
male sons over daughters, all my six children are
treated equally. My eldest child Tessie is hardworking
and very capable; it doesn't matter that she's a
woman. She always wants to learn and she is a fast
learner.

A billionaire asked me recently who is richer, you or
Lucio Tan?

How can I know for sure who is bigger in net worth
when each person has his own strengths that not
everyone fully appreciates? I don't like to say this
guy is the biggest in wealth, because some people have
wealth which is hidden - isn't that a fair point of
view?

John Gokongwei Jr. told me that when he first applied
for a loan with PBCom it was not approved, and it was
China Bank's Dee K. Chiong and Dr. Albino SyCip who
approved his first loan of P500,000 in 1950. What
about your first loan?

I don't usually like to get loans. In fact, the reason
why we did well and completed our first mall project,
SM North Edsa, even after the 1983 economic crisis and
after the Ninoy Aquino assassination, was because we
had very little loans then. I got my first credit line
in 1949, it was from China Bank and they lent me P1
million. My credit line was approved by Mr. Yap Tian
Siang in their head office before at Juan Luna Street,
corner Dasmarinas Street.

Did you ever imagine in 1949 that you would someday
own more than 70 percent of China Bank, and that you
would have Banco de Oro and soon, possibly, Equitable
PCIBank?

No, I never imagined then that I would own banks. You
know, despite our many shareholdings in China Bank,
the Dee family of the original founder has managed the
institution so professionally and profitably, we never
attempted to change the incumbent chairman Gilbert Dee
or president Peter Dee. We are not that greedy, it's
not good. I don't believe in wanting both power and
financial gain. Even those executives who have been
with China Bank for many years, they are still there.
If a venerable institution like China Bank is doing so
well, why make changes?

Is it true you already own 11 percent of San Miguel
Corporation?

I have invested a lot in that well-managed company,
but I don't want to mention figures.

What are the business principles or strategies that
made you successful?

I wouldn't classify this as a secret to success, but
one of my lifelong practices is to pay my obligations
on time, especially my suppliers. Even in my early
years as retailer, I didn't delay my payments to
suppliers, because I tell my kids that we have to be
considerate to suppliers and think of their own
hinyong or how they have to protect their sense of
trustworthiness with others. If it's time to pay
others on Monday, we would already deposit the money
in their bank accounts on Friday, so they need not
even come to our office to collect.

Your SM Cinemas do not allow R-18 or For Adults Only
movies, including The Da Vinci Code. Are you a
Catholic or is it just your wife?

I am Catholic, but yes, it's my wife Felicidad Tan Sy
who is the most devout among us in the family. She
devotes almost all her time and money to the Catholic
Church.

Your SM Group leases out or has retail businesses in
millions of square meters of prime commercial space.
When you came to the Philippines as a 12-year-old boy,
how big was the sari-sari store of your father and
what was its name?

It was a small ha-ya-tiam, it had no name. It was
located on Echague St., which is now Carlos Palanca
Sr. St. in Quiapo, Manila. It was only about 30 square
meters in floor area.

Why did you cry when you first saw your father in his
store?

I cried because I saw how hard the life of my father
was as a small shopkeeper. He worked from early
morning to late at night every day. He would go to
chay-chi-khaw area or Divisoria to buy goods, carrying
them himself on his back in order to resell in the
store. I learned the importance of honest hard work,
frugality and discipline from his example.

Where did you and your father sleep at night, on the
second floor or at the back of the store?

Our sari-sari store was so small it had no back or
second floor, we just slept on the counter late at
night after the store was closed.

When you were a kid and you saw your father struggling
with his sari-sari store, did that motivate you to
aspire to become Southeast Asia's Shopping Mall King?

As a kid, I had the will to strive for excellence and
to overcome the hard environment, but I never imagined
attaining big success.

Whatever I have achieved did
not happen overnight; ever since my teen years I've
devoted many, many years of my life to non-stop
studying, diligent work and dreaming of a better future.

[dx]

July 20th, 2006, 09:22 AM

^^ that's nice.

BoNduRanT

July 20th, 2006, 02:10 PM

Hmmmm.....maalala ko lang. La atang Bowling area sa Mall of Asia?

BoNduRanT

July 20th, 2006, 02:14 PM

^^ Ayan, di ka na confused, you feel hot na again. :D

Naisip ko lang, kung pinagsama-sama sana ng MoA yung mall, hotel, office, at convention center na dikit-dikit at halos iisang structure lang silang lahat, mas malaki sana ang chance na hindi lang sa pangalan ang pagiging "Mall of Asia" kundi pati na rin sa floor area.

They could still do that naman in a few years pag fully developed na yung area. Like what they're planning to do with Araneta Center. Malay natin :)

Sinjin P.

July 20th, 2006, 02:25 PM

Hmmmm.....maalala ko lang. La atang Bowling area sa Mall of Asia?

Yeah, as far as I know, wala. ;)

KiBeN

July 20th, 2006, 02:27 PM

Yeah, as far as I know, wala. ;)

oongah nu, sayang... pero feel ko magkakaroon den ng bowling. :)

_zner_

July 20th, 2006, 02:28 PM

hmmm... wild thoughts lang. may balak kayang tapatan ng robinsons ang MoA sa SM business park? :lol: pero hindi naman siguro. :lol:

KiBeN

July 20th, 2006, 02:39 PM

^^ that's so impossible. hahaha :D hanap sila na lugar na kabaliktaran sa manila bay... sa anu kaya, sa bandang laguna de bay. hahaha :jk:

Sinjin P.

July 20th, 2006, 02:44 PM

^^ Pwede sa Nasugbu, Batangas.... I love the chocolate sand beaches there at ang taas ng mga alon. :lol:

jadebench

July 22nd, 2006, 02:43 AM

sana may roller coaster sa paligid ng MOA parang mga hotels sa las vegas!!!

ergit222

July 22nd, 2006, 03:20 AM

sana may roller coaster sa paligid ng MOA parang mga hotels sa las vegas!!!
^^Magandang attraction iyan pero iiyak naman si Star City
Eto pa lang kasi ang expansion plans ng MOA at this time:
A 16,000-capacity multi-purpose coliseum.
A Convention center
Two hotel developments
SM i-City
A mix of single and multi-storey buildings
OneE-comCenter

_zner_

July 22nd, 2006, 08:27 AM

sana may roller coaster sa paligid ng MOA parang mga hotels sa las vegas!!!

honga astig yun.. natry ko na rin yung roller coaster sa sahara hotel pati yung tower sa las vegas. :lol:

JAMAICUS

July 24th, 2006, 05:18 PM

SM BPO building to rise by 2007

The P1.5-billion OneEcom-Center is on track for its completion scheduled by July 2007 to respond to the burgeoning demand of the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, Sy-led holding company SM Investments Corp. (SM Investments) said.

"BPO companies are looking for office space with technologically advanced facilities to serve their needs. We will provide that type of space with a building that has open floor plans, advanced telecom facilities and 24/7 power supply," SM Investments vice-chairman Henry Sy, Jr. said in a disclosure.

The 105,857-square meter One-EcomCenter is a 10-storey building that will rise on a 1.17-hectare lot inside the SM Central Business Park off the coastal area in Pasay City. It broke ground last March and is positioned as the "country’s foremost next-generation hub" for BPO firms.

Tenants of OneEcomCenter will enjoy tax incentives as SM has completed its registration with the Philippine Export Zone Authority (PEZA).

Mr. Sy, who is also the managing director of the Property Group, said its strategic location and proximity to the airport will ensure a strong market response for One-EcomCenter.

OneEcomCenter will accommodate not only BPOs but also various types of office tenants as well. It will equip cutting-edge facilities to meet the needs of technology-based companies engaged in software development and BPOs such as contact centers, animation, and medical transcription. OneEcomCenter will also serve financial services, consulting, and even tourism-related offices.

The building will have a total of 71,934 square meters available for lease. Seven floors will be allotted for office space, and the ground floor for commercial use. The average floor plate will be 9,000 square meters. There will be two-and-a-half levels for parking with 600 slots.

"OneEcomCenter is one of four anchor projects at the SM Central Business Park, which is envisioned to be an integrated urban center along the Manila Bay. It will be comparable with notable waterfront business districts of Asia," Mr. Sy said. -- Ruby Anne M. Rubio

http://www.itmatters.com.ph/news.php?id=072506b

rockwell baller

July 25th, 2006, 04:32 AM

the interview with mr. sy is fantastic. i admire him more because of his vision for the shoppint tourism in the philippines. by the way when is the groundbreaking of that coliseum expansion in SMCBP?

richpol

July 25th, 2006, 03:24 PM

hmmm... wild thoughts lang. may balak kayang tapatan ng robinsons ang MoA sa SM business park? :lol: pero hindi naman siguro. :lol:

actually meron na silang parang SM CBP, yung sa Pioneer. lalakihan pa daw nila ang (sobrang pangit) na Rob Pioneer

nayki

July 25th, 2006, 04:24 PM

the interview with mr. sy is fantastic. i admire him more because of his vision for the shoppint tourism in the philippines. by the way when is the groundbreaking of that coliseum expansion in SMCBP?

kagagaling ko lang dun last saturday nakita ko nilalagayan nila ng blocks ung sahig ng site nung coliseum....eh kung my plans sila na lagyan un ng coliseum bakit ganon nilalagay nila...

jadebench

July 25th, 2006, 05:34 PM

kagagaling ko lang dun last saturday nakita ko nilalagayan nila ng blocks ung sahig ng site nung coliseum....eh kung my plans sila na lagyan un ng coliseum bakit ganon nilalagay nila...
..san ba yung coliseum? got pics?

amras

July 25th, 2006, 09:37 PM

thomasian

July 26th, 2006, 07:35 AM

actually meron na silang parang SM CBP, yung sa Pioneer. lalakihan pa daw nila ang (sobrang pangit) na Rob Pioneer

Not only the Robinsons Pioneer Complex, the Robinsons Galleria Complex is also similar to the SM-CBP because it has a Mall, Robinsons Galleria; Hotels, Crowne Plaza Galleria, and Holiday Inn Galleria; and office towers, Robinsons-Equitable Tower and Galleria Corporate Center.

Dvorak

July 26th, 2006, 08:53 AM

speaking of Rob Pioneer.. Accenture is moving on the 3rd floor of Rob Pioneer..

Not only the Robinsons Pioneer Complex, the Robinsons Galleria Complex is also similar to the SM-CBP because it has a Mall, Robinsons Galleria; Hotels, Crowne Plaza Galleria, and Holiday Inn Galleria; and office towers, Robinsons-Equitable Tower and Galleria Corporate Center.

MarkiiBoi

July 29th, 2006, 03:25 AM

jadebench

July 29th, 2006, 04:14 AM

may 900 000 sqm shopping complex na project ang manhattan gardens sa araneta center...matatalo ba nito ang MOA?

Sinjin P.

July 29th, 2006, 04:20 AM

may 900 000 sqm shopping complex na project ang manhattan gardens sa araneta center...matatalo ba nito ang MOA?

Probably but the development of the Araneta Center is a long term plan for 20 years so SM Mall of Asia could have also been expanded by then ;)

kevinb

July 29th, 2006, 10:50 AM

^^i think jadebench is just talking about the shopping complex at the Araneta Center, and that the said shopping complex is not the whole of Araneta Center per se which has the 20-year development scheme..if by the time the 900 000 sq. m.-mall in Araneta will have began its construction, and SM prime has not yet planned about SM MOAs expansion, there's a big possibility that SM MOAs title will be taken..especially that SM MOAs GLA is only almost 400 000 sq m, it will take a long time for them to expand to more than 900 000 sq. m. for them to take over once again the title.. ;)

Sinjin P.

July 29th, 2006, 10:53 AM

^^ I know that he's referring to that... Yes, anything is possible, Trinoma, SM Megamall and SM North EDSA might even overtake the Mall of Asia. ;

MarkiiBoi

July 30th, 2006, 08:22 PM

SMIC to build ferry terminal near Mall of Asia

SM Investments Corporation is building a ferry terminal in its bayside SM Central Business Park that will have mall features similar to Hong Kong’s Ocean Terminal as part of its strategy continue diversifying into the tourism industry.

SMIC chairman Henry Sy Sr. said it makes sense for them to invest in tourism since the margins are much higher than what they get from their main retail business. He added that SM malls are also considered tourist attractions.

SM Prime Holdings president Hans Sy said the ferry terminal will be state-of-the-art and will have a lot of commercial space to complement the nearby SM Mall of Asia.

He added that the ferry terminal will serve ferries going to SMIC’s masterplanned tourism estate, the Hamilo Coast, in Batangas which is across the bay from the SM Business Park.

Sy said the terminal will also serve ferries plying the Manila Bay to Bataan-Corregidor and Subic Bay.

He said the terminal is already part of the SM Business Park’s masterplan although the details are still on the drawing board. Sy noted that the commercial space in the terminal should come when there is excess demand for space in the Mall of Asia.

He said all of this is part of plans to transform the 60-hectare reclaimed land into a premier business and leisure destination.

Aside from housing the country’s biggest mall, the SM Business Park will also have hotels as well as commercial and residential buildings, an exhibit center and a business process outsourcing hub.

SMIC has already begun construction of the P900-million MAITRADE Expo and Convention Center and the P1.5 billion 10-story e-commerce building.

MAITRADE will become the country’s largest privately-run exhibition and convention center. The 46,647-square meter building will have three floors and basement parking with a total leasable area of 19,800 square meters featuring large exhibition areas and function rooms.

"MAITRADE is envisioned to become a preferred venue for major conferences and trade exhibits as it will offer more modern facilities and larger floor areas for international and local exhibitions, conferences, events and functions," said SMIC Executive Vice President Jess Lucas.

This early, organizers of both local and international events have already signified their interest in using MAITRADE as their venue.

Meanwhile, SMIC’s OneEcomCenter, designed to be the country’s foremost next-generation hub for business process outsourcing (BPO) firms, is well on its way to being completed by July next year.

SMIC chief financial officer Jose Sio said it is very timely to respond to the strong demand for the appropriate office space of BPO’s seeking to establish their Philippine operations, if not to expand their existing ones.

"BPO companies are looking for office space with technologically advanced facilities to serve their needs. We will provide that type of space with a building that has open floor plans, advanced telecom facilities and 24/7 power supply," said Mr. Henry Sy, Jr., SMIC Vice Chairman and Managing Director of the Property Group.

The 105,857 square meter OneEcomCenter will sit on a 1.17 hectare lot inside the SM Central Business Park. With its large floor plate configuration, OneEcomCenter will be able to accommodate not just BPO’s but various types of office tenants as well.

OneEcomCenter will also accommodate financial services, consulting, and even tourism-related offices.(JAL)