THE SM City Cagayan de Oro Uptown celebrated its 15th year anniversary on Wednesday, November 15.
According to Oliver Tiu, SM vice president for operations-Mindanao, SM’s first mall in Cagayan de Oro is in a "transition stage," hence, the noticably simple and subdued celebration.
"The uptown anniversary is very subdued and simple. This is just a transition stage. We want to keep it low for the meantime so as not to spoil everybody in terms of what will happen," Oliver John Tiu, SM vice president for operations-Mindanao, said.
Tiu said SM City Uptown also has its own redevelopment plan in which mall shoppers will see "a better, a bigger, and a more exciting uptown mall."
"This will come into provision by next year as we see the mall being upgraded and being elevated to a more exciting experience for the shoppers, especially for the uptown market, as we move to the differentiation of the uptown and the downtown markets," Tiu said.
Even with the establishment of the SM Downtown Premier, Tiu said SM Uptown has not been adversely affected and there was no observable decrease in customers.
"Uptown continues to develop its own market. This part of the city is actually in its development stage as well. Most of the businessmen in Cagayan de Oro are also looking into the uptown development as a way to escape the busy, traffic and everything of downtown. And with that, we see that its a clear proof that we have develop our own market," Tiu said.
He added that the uptown and downtown malls are different as community atmosphere is developing in SM uptown, while the upbeat lifestyle kind of concept is being promoted in SM downtown.
The vice president for operations also said they wanted SM Uptown mall to be a second home to its shoppers.
"We want to create a township, therefore the township will have to have a center. And we want SM Cagayan de Oro Uptown to be the center of town," Tiu said.
He said SM uptown remains to be an alternative and not a destination, adding that they want the uptown mall to be the destination of the uptown market.
With this year's theme: "Kinsena Eksena," SM Regional Human Resources Manager for Mindanao Ruby Saño said they want it to convey the meaning of "opportunities seizing" which is putting oneself on the scene.
"Its making yourself grow in terms of your business and your involvement in the community," Saño said.
Now that SM Uptown is on its 15th year, Saño said they are expecting a lot of opportunities for career growth, expansion, and a lot of employment opportunities for the community.
"We are also thinking of technical and professional people to join us," Saño said.
Aside from providing opportunities for employment, the SM group of companies, through its SM Foundation, has given assistance to evacuees from Marawi.
Last October, SM Public Relations Head in Cagayan de Oro Ivy Guantero said the SM Foundation group, the civic arms of SM, conducted relief operations in evacuation centers in Lanao del Norte and gave hygiene kits and mosquito nets to the victims of the Marawi crisis.
The foundation group will also renovate the back building of the Camp Evanghelista Station Hospital which will commnce within this year.
Guantero said the renovation is planned to be finished in December this year.
SM Foundation, which serves as the heart of the SM group of companies, is focused on social inclusion by nurturing and caring for under served communities where SM is present.
SM uptown will also be having a three-day big sale on November 17 to 19 as part of their anniversary.