Bohol Governor Aris Aumentado has assured the public that the long-anticipated SM City Tagbilaran mall construction will proceed as planned after SM Group executive Hans Sy personally told him the development would be completed.
Aumentado disclosed Sy’s assurance in a Facebook post, urging Boholanos to set aside any worries about the project’s status.
“There is no need to worry about the SM Bohol project,” the governor wrote.
“According to Mr. Hans Sy, the project will push through and will definitely be realized. This is good news for our province as it will provide many opportunities for jobs, business, and additional economic development in Bohol.”
The governor said the mall is expected to generate employment, attract investments, boost local businesses, and strengthen Bohol’s overall economy.
He closed his post with a rallying call: “Padayon ang kalamboan sa Bohol.”
Sy is a director and senior official of SM Prime Holdings, Inc., the property development arm of the Henry Sy-founded SM Group and one of the largest mall operators in Southeast Asia.
SM Prime’s portfolio includes more than 80 malls in the Philippines under the SM Supermalls brand.
SM City Tagbilaran, when completed, will be the first SM mall in Bohol and among the few in the Visayas outside Cebu.
The project broke ground on Feb. 27, 2025, at a ceremony in Barangay Cogon, Tagbilaran City attended by Aumentado and senior SM Prime Holdings executives.
The mall will occupy a 60,000-square-meter lot and is designed to incorporate elements of Bohol’s cultural identity, with a stated commitment to prioritizing employment of local Boholanos.
Planning for the project dates to September 2022, when SM executives formally met with Tagbilaran City officials to discuss the development.
The announcement of SM’s entry into Bohol was widely welcomed in the province, which has long relied on tourism as a primary economic driver.
Proponents of the mall argued the development would diversify Bohol’s economy and provide stable employment beyond the seasonally dependent tourism sector.
The project has drawn attention in recent weeks amid unspecified public concerns about whether it would continue, prompting Aumentado to issue his reassurance.
PHOTO FROM: INTERNET