No earth movement will take place at the proposed site of SM Bohol in Tagbilaran City until the Department of Environment and Natural Resources issues an Environmental Compliance Certificate for the project, a source said.
The source said the ECC issue would gain clarity once a public scoping on the project is completed.
The Environmental Management Bureau is scheduled to hold the public scoping on May 12, 2026 at the Cogon covered court in Tagbilaran City.
Construction at the site has been at a standstill despite SM Prime Holdings having already awarded the project to a contractor several months ago.
The contractor has been unable to break ground as the Office of the Building Official has yet to issue a building permit, with regulatory compliance requirements still pending.
The public scoping is among the mandatory prerequisites before the DENR can issue an ECC.
Proponents are hopeful the project will move forward following the completion of the scoping process.
SM City Tagbilaran, which will be the first SM mall in Bohol, is planned as a three-story development spanning approximately 20,000 square meters of mall space on a roughly 60,000-square-meter property along J.A. Clarin and C.P. Garcia Avenue in Tagbilaran City.
The project had its ceremonial groundbreaking in February 2025 and is expected to open in 2028.
SM Prime Holdings has said the mall’s design will reflect Boholano identity and that the development is expected to generate jobs and expand commercial, dining, and entertainment options in the province.
PHOTO FROM: INTERNET