SM is implementing five major projects in Bacolod City, including the development of the old airport into a multi-use township and the conversion of Sta. Fe Resort in Barangay Granada into a subdivision, SM Supermalls president Steven Tan said on Sunday, October 22.
The other SM projects underway include the National University, the Manokan Country Development Project, and the expansion of the SM City south wing, he said.
SM is implementing multiple projects in Bacolod City because the vision and the plans of Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez for the city are very encouraging, Tan, who was in the city during the weekend, said.
“We are actually quite gung ho…He is very pro-business, he makes it very easy to conduct business here in Bacolod,” Tan said.
Tan said he is very happy that SM is in Bacolod because its business is really bustling, he said.
“We have seen our occupancy at an all-time high, it is slightly better than the pre pandemic days,” he said, adding that he is thankful to the Bacolodnons for their support for SM.
Tan said their Manokan Country Development Project will also become a major tourism destination in Bacolod.
Aside from the sale of chicken inasal its shops will feature Bacolod and Negros products, he said.
He said the development of SM’s property at the old Bacolod airport will be done in phases starting in 2026, which will change the landscape of the southern part of the city.
They will start with the construction of a mall, Tan said.
Among the other projects eyed for the area are BPO and residential buildings, and they might include a hotel and a convention area, he said.
There will also be park in the middle of the development, he added.
SM will also convert the area of that Sta. Fe Resort into a subdivision, Tan said.
The National University next to the north wing of SM City will also open next year, he said.
It will provide quality and affordable education, Tan said.
The university is the legacy project of Hans Sy to the country, because he believes that education in the great equalizer, Tan said.
The expansion of SM City in Bacolod will be construction of a second story at the south wing of the mall, he added.*