From a city with small, homegrown groceries and department stores
that close at 6:00 p.m., Laoag City in the past couple of years has built a
reputation as a retail mecca, with big stores sprouting faster than you can say
“cheese”... or “Sy.”
In
December 2009, Robinsons Ilocos Norte (San Nicolas technically but is
geographically almost Laoag) was the first national retail chain to open in the
Ilocos Region. It was followed by three others, all located in Laoag: SM SaveMore
in December 2011, SM HyperMart in October 2012, and PureGold in November 2012.
Another SaveMore branch will open in San Nicolas before the end of this year.
Of the five, however, only Robinsons is a full-service mall with a department
store, supermarket, cinemas, a food court, an array of shops, and an activity
area. To many (including myself whose fond memories of SM began during our high
school field trips in Manila), the Ilocos mall scene will never be complete
without a full, honest-to-goodness SM.
Even
before Robinsons IN was built, there have been long-standing rumors that an SM
Mall will rise in Laoag City. It has not, as you know, been realized. The
search for a parcel of land big enough for the mall’s requirements took a long
time. SM apparently wanted to have it in Laoag, not anywhere else, and,
naturally, they wanted the place to be accessible. Conflicting pieces of
information had circulated about SM having finally chosen a lot here and there,
but nothing was credible enough to be believed, or at least for long.
In
2012, however, news spread that a land area along Brgy 51-B Nangalisan West
(south of the river, road leading to Northwestern University) had been
identified by SM Prime Holdings and that negotiations with various families
that own the property were already underway. It was a difficult process, our
informant (a Laoag City elected official) said, because of the usual process of
having heirs of families, some of whom are based abroad, sign documents. SM
also haggled with the families in terms of price. All of these went slowly but well,
our informant said, and groundbreaking rites were expected as early as February
last year, in time for the Laoag City Fiesta month. Alas, there was nothing.
The
project hit a snag, our informant said, when officials of a government agency
allegedly tried to extort P4 million from SM. Of course, this did not make mall
executives happy, and they decided not to pay up. The project was thus
derailed.
But
all seems well now, says the informant. SM executives apparently sought the
help of a top provincial official so they won’t have to lose millions to the
alleged extortionists.
Indeed,
the green light seems to be on and bright. Brgy. Chairman Romulo Bartolome of
51-B Nangalisan in an interview with this columnist said land developers
recently sought his permission for the setting up of fences around the property
where SM will rise. Furthermore, he disclosed that landowners have already
received payments as much as 30 percent. According to Bartolome, the property
measures around 9 hectares, 8 hectares of which is within his barangay while
the rest belongs to nearby Nalbo. As Brgy. 51-B’s land area is only 28
hectares, over one fourth of the entire barangay will be occupied by SM. The
people from the community seem upbeat about this development. Pedro de Lara,
70, a retired firefighter who is now a part-time tricycle driver says he
expects a wave of progress in their barangay once SM City Laoag opens.
In
the absence of another major snag, therefore, groundbreaking could be held in a
few months and by then officials of Laoag City, which is now being increasingly
known more for its malls than its sunshine, may finally sing with great joy, to
the tune of the SM jingle, “We’ve got it all for you.”
*****
For pictures of the SM Laoag
City site, visit herdylayumul.com
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