The SM Group, the Philippines' leading mall operator and one of the largest in Asia, marked its 50th anniversary by staging a musical show last January 19, Saturday evening.
The grand event was held at the newly-opened SMX Convention Center, located on SM's sprawling Mall of Asia in Pasay City. There were about 2,000 guests attended the show to witness the staging of “I Dream” musical.
Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc. (CCBPI) joined in the accolades by producing a commemorative 330 mL. Coke can to honor the SM founder. Guests at the event were given a can each as a souvenir.
The one-hour production chronicled the entrepreneurial adventure of SM founder Henry Sy, Sr. Veteran stage actor Audie Gemora played Mr. Sy, while Melanie Ligot played the wife of the retail tycoon. High-ranking officers and rank-and-file employees comprised majority of the cast.
The show begins with Mr. Sy as a young lad in Jinjiang, China who traveled to Manila in the late 1930's to join his father to work in their variety store business. He saw their business growing, just to be ruined severely by the devastating World War II.
Nonetheless, Mr. Sy persevered and latched on to the idea of selling shoes brought in by American GIs. This has led to the opening of Mr. Sy's first shoe store in 1948 located along Echague Street in Quiapo, Manila. After 10 years, he established the first Shoemart located along Rizal Avenue in Manila.
The musical was all about Mr. Sy's success stories, ably captured in the eight-song, one-hour production. Mr. Sy is regarded as the father of Philippine retail. His conglomerate SM Investment Corporation manages about 30 malls at present through its mall development arm SM Prime Holdings (SMPH). Last year, the conglomerate reported a Php100-billion revenue with net income of Php12-billion. SMPH is planning to add three more malls by year-end.
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