The
latest addition to the SM (ShoeMart) chain of malls
is the affectionately called SM Mall of Asia (MOA).
Located at Macapagal Avenue in Pasay City, the 19.5
hectare (48.17 acres) mall features facilities found
nowhere else in the country. The mall is basically
a complex of four, twin-level buildings which house
600 shops and 150 restaurants. Like your typical
SM mall, it has an SM department store and its own
hypermarket, the humongous Hyper Mart. Because of
the massive size of the mall, the operators decided
to provide 20-seater golf carts inside to ferry the
elderly and the disabled around.
R&R
For
starters, the MOA has the IMAX format theater, a first
in the country, and at the moment, is the only
3D cinema in
the Philippines. Located at the complex’s entertainment
wing, it opened in May 21, 2006 with the film Everest after
the first Filipino conquered the world’s tallest
peak.
Aside
from IMAX, the Mall of Asia also features the Director’s
Club Theater, a 30-seater cinema for private viewings and
special functions. Guests in the Director’s Club
can enjoy the comfort of the La-Z-Boy reclining seats.
The
first Olympic-size ice skating rink can also be found inside
the Mall of Asia. Since Henry Sy once said that he enjoyed
skating in Luneta, he decided to build an ice rink in one
of his malls, starting with the first public skating rink
in SM Megamall. The rink was built purely for leisure. But
when Filipinos started to get noticed in figure skating and
ice hockey competitions abroad, the skaters wanted a bigger
and better facility. Mr. Sy happily obliged albeit the long
wait, and so the SM International Ice Skating Rink was born.
Barely a year old, it has already hosted three figure skating
competitions and one international ice hockey tournament.
Those
looking for a place enjoy some quiet time or stroll will
find several interesting spots around MOA. In between the
four buildings are cobblestone walkways with restaurants
and kiosks on either side. Concrete benches also line up
these passages where tired shoppers can rest.
People
can also come in the early hours of the morning to the esplanade
right behind MOA, which overlooks the Manila Bay and is a
mecca for joggers. The esplanade became the perfect viewing
area for the World Pyrolympics last year and again in January
2007.
Is it going to collapse?
When
the MOA opened last year, rumors circulated about the
stability of the mall’s structure since it is built
on reclaimed land. Many people became wary of visiting
MOA because of
fears that its building might collapse. Tenants, on the
other hand, complained that it took SM a while to hand
over their
stalls.
SM,
on the other hand, said that the delay was caused by
the sporadic rains and typhoons which postponed construction.
The owners and operators have categorically denied all
the rumors surrounding the mall’s structural integrity,
and the city’s structural engineer issued has stamped
of approval. SM also said that the company’s budget,
not the weakness of the ground, limited the plan of a seven-story
building to just two. The management also assured its patrons
that it is safe and sound. Others though, complain that some
of the restaurants are too small in proportion to the mall’s
size.
Getting there
Getting
to MOA is easy. One can take the MRT southbound train
up to the final stop in Taft Avenue then board a jeepney
to
MOA. You can also take a bus bound for Baclaran. The
mall is also very close to Heritage Hotel, Hyatt, and
the Manila
Hotel so taxis are plentiful. The mall’s front
parking space was also converted to a shuttle terminal
for jeepneys
and AUVs bound for different destinations across Metro
Manila. |
