The Mall of Asia

The SM Mall of Asia in the Philippines, considered as a very ambitious shopping mall, owned by Filipino- Chinese tycoon, Henry Sy was opened in May 20, 2006 with no less than the President of the Philippines, Her Excellency, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as guest. Security was very tight weeks before the grand opening of the largest mall in the Philippines because of bomb threats by rebel groups. The Mall of Asia located in the Bay Boulevard, Pasay City is the third largest mall in the world, the first being in China (Golden Resources Mall) and the second in Canada (West Edmonton Mall). This enormous structure occupies 19.5 hectares of land that used to be a reclamation area and a floor area of 386,224 square meters.

Amidst rumors of construction mishaps and cracks found underneath the structure, the public opening of the Mall of Asia in May 21, 2006 was a success. A popular afternoon Philippine variety show (SOP) was the first to perform on a Sunday in the huge Entertainment Plaza 2 days after the soft opening. The Mall's front boasts of a huge bronze globe located in the center of the roundabout for passing cars. This globe has the map of the Philippines and its changing colors of blue, red, orange, green and purple is a sight to see at night. The Mall is like a huge park by the sea because of the strategic placing of palm trees, plants and lights. There is even a place near the Manila bay where a fireworks display is held every Saturday and Sunday.

The Mall is divided into four buildings connected by a walkway. The Main Mall houses various boutiques, the food court and various dining establishments. One can find on the ground floor a large space lined with restaurants on both sides. If the diner prefers to dine outside, there are tables with umbrellas provided outside the establishments. But if it is too humid, you could always opt to dine inside and be refreshed by the air conditioning system. For the tight of budget, you can choose the food court. This is a place where you can choose different kinds of food, from Filipino to Chinese to American or Italian at very affordable prices. There are also food carts all around for those who want a quick bite. While dining in the food court, you would be able to snatch a view of the Olympic sized skating rink right below that has a backdrop of the Mt. Everest. For the shopping enthusiast, boutiques here are mostly by international brands and give a "Beverly Hills" ambience.

The Entertainment Mall is where you can find the first IMAX theatre in the Philippines. The IMAX features films in 3D, giving the viewer a feel of being in the actual movie itself. The new Superman movie that was showed in IMAX was sold on the first two weeks of it's run. There are several cinemas here including a Director's Club that features 30 lazy boy seats, a premiere cinema and six regular cinemas. There is also an entertainment hall where shows and concerts are held regularly.

The North Carpark building houses 2,500 of the 5,000 car park spaces and also the SM department store while the South Carpark building houses the SM Hypermarket, which is the largest of all the SM Hypermarkets in the country with the most number of payment counters and two customer service stations. Some of the baggers here also use a trolley-like vehicle to help them get around faster.

The best place to unwind and satisfy your gastronomic needs would be at the Taste Asia. Taste Asia is a long stretch of restaurants facing the Manila Bay and specializes in freshly cooked seafood. You get to choose what you wish to eat from the wide array of fresh live seafood and have it cooked in the different stalls there. There are stalls that cook Korean, Filipino, Japanese, Chinese and Thai food. They also have ready cooked meals whether grilled, fried, steamed or poached. Taste Asia also serves beer, which makes it an ideal hang- out after work. There are also acoustic artists who perform every Saturdays and Sundays to complete the ambience. If you were lucky enough to be here before sunset, you would be enthralled with a magnificent view of the famous Manila sunset.

Although there are a lot of malls in the Philippines, no mall comes close to the Mall of Asia. So if you wish to visit, don't fret; there are two concierges here, one in the main mall and one in the Entertainment Mall that gives out a map. This way you will not get lost and you will be able to go to all the places you wish to visit. And if you grow tired, there's always the 20-seater tram that you can ride for free to see the whole Mall of Asia. Another good thing is, they have provided golf carts for senior citizens, the disabled and children to help them get around. Just be ready to wear your most comfortable shoes so you would be able to explore every nook and cranny of this gigantic shopping, entertaining and dining mecca.