SM Mall of Asia Expansion

December 17, 2019

The old skylight is gone (2006-2019) 

New Escalators! 

At the 3rd Floor 

East Quadrant is ready for expansion 

January 26, 2020

Possible bridgeway between South Parking Building (SPB) and IKEA? 

Northwest Bridgeway

Valet area has been spruced up

 Entertainment Mall

South Entertainment Mall

New Tiles Spotted

Bridgeway to North Parking Building (NPB)?

From Hans Sy:

- Expansion will still be completed by 2022

- 24/7 Construction work suggested to him, but declined due to quality reasons

February 13, 2020

The new South Entertainment Mall Sports & Active Zone - Go Sport, Palladium, Speedo, Fila, etc will open soon.

MoA FOOD HALL

More tenants opening soon at the GL Atrium (Muji, Champion, Monki)

South Main Mall L3 on-going construction

February 28, 2020

° Main entrance (facing South Parking) is now boarded up in preparation for vertical expansion.

Inside and MOA Food Hall

The newly enclosed South Entertainment Mall

Commune Hall feels. Like a more restrained but refined version of Commune Hall with less visual clutter.

I wonder though, if Megamall can house both a Food Hall and a Food Court, why not MoA? Does anyone think (or know for sure if) a food court for plebeians will open elsewhere in the mall, one where tenants also offer dining choices at two-digit prices? Does Taste Asia food hall at the North Entertainment Mall counts? I think that they can put the Food Court brand at the Entertainment Mall near the music hall.

Does this mean, it will be enclosed? Certainly feels like it

February 15, 2020

Other updates:

Surplus will be relocated to a new location on Feb. 17, at the former site of Director's Club Cinema in the South Main Mall L2.

Fish & Co. and Italianni's have closed at the South Entertainment Mall to give way for the expansion works at that side (Burger King, SMDC and Cabalen are still open)

Din Tai Fung and Krispy Kreme will open at the new indoor section of the South Entertainment Mall, at the Ground Level.

BBX (Bad Bird), Frankie's, Sushi Nori, Easy Tiger, Dynasty Noodle Bar (Paradise Dynasty) will open soon at MoA Food Hall

Charriol will be opening soon at the 2F North Main Mall.

Doughnut, Malongo and Motoworld are opening soon at the L2 South Entertainment Mall.

> Another Penshoppe (since there's a new store?) will open at the 2nd Floor, North Main Mall, near Aldo.

> Ben's Cookies will open at the Ground Level West Atrium (south stairs)

> Pretzelmaker will open at the indoor section of the South Entertainment Mall (hilera ng Adidas at Nike)

> Forever 21 now has a tarp

> Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf will open at Level 2 West Atrium.

New SM Supermalls president Tan led shift to premium

SM Prime Holdings said Tuesday it appointed a new president of SM Supermalls, Steven Tan, previously its chief operating officer.

Tan's new role as president of Shopping Center Management Corp or SCMC is a "step up" from his former COO role, SM Prime told the stock exchange.

He led expansion of the SM brand, founded by the late tycoon Henry Sy, to premium malls like SM Mall of Asia and SM Aura Premier, according to the disclosure.

"His new position underscores the rapid and dynamic changes in the Filipino consumer behavior," according to the disclosure.

Tan also pushed for robot-powered concierge services at SM Megamall as part of a broader push to incorporate artificial intelligence into retail.

Tan acquired his master’s in business administration from Paris School of Management. He worked in Taipei and Shanghai before returning to the Philippines to pursue marketing and communications.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/01/28/20/new-sm-supermalls-president-tan-led-shift-to-premium

House bloc bats for ABS-CBN permit renewal

The Makabayan Bloc in the House of Representatives on Monday filed a bill renewing the franchise of broadcast network ABS-CBN.

ABS-CBN’s franchise to operate is set to expire in March 2020. Under Republic Act 3846, radio and television broadcast stations are required to seek a franchise from Congress before being allowed to operate.

The group, led by Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate, filed House Bill 6052 as few session days are left for the House to deliberate on the proposed measures that pertain to the franchise renewal of the broadcasting network.

“One of the largest and oldest networks in the Philippines is on the verge of a shutdown pending legislative approval of the renewal of its congressional franchise, which expires on March 30, 2020,” the group said in the bill filed Monday morning.

Zarate said the non-renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise will cost the jobs of some 6,730 regular employees, 900 non-regular workers and more than 3,325 talents, as per the number of employees listed under the media corporation’s report to the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Philippine Stock Exchange.

“Yet, an even bigger ripple of the ABS-CBN shutdown is its cost to freedom of the press, in particular,  and to democracy in the country,” the bill said.

Earlier, the House leadership assured broadcast network ABS-CBN that it would be fair and objective in reviewing its application for the renewal of its franchise.

HB 6052 has to be referred to the House Committee on Rules before it could actually be referred to the Alvarez’s panel for deliberation.

Congress will adjourn on March 15.

https://manilastandard.net/news/national/315939/house-bloc-bats-for-abs-cbn-permit-renewal.html

Makabayan bloc files 9th bill for ABS-CBN franchise

The Makabayan bloc filed House Bill 6052 to renew the franchise of ABS-CBN, “ in defense of press freedom and the rights of their workers.” Source: Makabayan bloc pic.twitter.com/EV8og74GgT

— RG Cruz (@R_G_Cruz888) January 27, 2020

The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives filed on Monday the 9th bill seeking to grant a fresh 25-year franchise to ABS-CBN Corporation for its radio and television businesses, saying there is broad support for the company's continued operations.

House Bill 6052 was authored by Representatives Carlos Zarate, Ferdinand Gaite and Eufemia Cullamat of Bayan Muna, France Castro of ACT Teachers, Arlene Brosas of Gabriela and Sarah Elago of Kabataan.

In their explanatory note, the lawmakers said that aside from affecting the jobs of people working for the company, "an even bigger ripple of the ABS-CBN shutdown is its cost to freedom of the press, in particular, and to democracy in the country, in general."

"The refusal to grant franchise to ABS-CBN could be construed as an act against the Constitutionally-protected freedoms, especially of the right to a free and independent press," they said.

The current broadcast franchise of ABS-CBN expires at the end of March 2020. Eight other bills aimed at renewing the company's franchise have yet to be tackled by Congress, which is set to adjourn on March 14.

The lawmakers noted President Rodrigo Duterte's "personal ire on the network" and described it as "a miniscule reason in the face of the thousands that will be out of jobs if the network will be out of the airwaves and its dire implications on press freedom, particularly on those critical of the present administration."

They said that aside from "employees, talents, media workers, actors and actresses," "millions of televiewers all over the country have expressed their concern on the imminent shutdown of ABS-CBN, if it cannot secure a renewal of its franchise."

The bill proponents recalled the broadcast network's fate during the Marcos era and said that "the shutdown of ABS-CBN due to a mere personal grudge by the Chief Executive is evocative of the forced shutdown of radio and TV stations during the Marcos martial rule in 1972."

House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said last week there is enough time for Congress to tackle the various franchise bills.

President Duterte has repeatedly stated that he will block the renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise, accusing the network of being biased against him in its news coverage and not airing a 2016 presidential campaign advertisement. He recently advised the owners to just sell the company.

There are also other bills seeking to grant fresh franchises to ABS-CBN's Cable TV, UHF Free TV Operations and Data Services, which are set to expire in March 2020, July 2020 and June 2022, respectively.

Malacañang insists ABS-CBN's franchise is not about press freedom but on possible violations of the company's franchise, which is a privilege granted and regulated by the state.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/27/20/makabayan-bloc-files-9th-bill-for-abs-cbn-franchise