SM City Baguio - Noteworthy Events

Noteworthy Events

On September 6, 2007, a mass wedding involving 56 couples was performed within the mall as part of a drive by the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio to promote tourism in the city. At three tons, the cake baked for the event was described as the biggest one ever made in the country.

In 2011 and 2012, controversy has arisen regarding the decision of the management to remove nearly 200 pine trees in order to make way for a parking lot, a move which generated protests online and on the site's premises. On April 10, 2012, the SM Group began removing some of the trees but ceased after receiving a TEPO (Temporary Environmental Protection Order).

On April 16, 2012, a multi-sectoral meeting was held this afternoon in the DILG office in camp crame chaired by DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo to discuss the concerns on the expansion of SM City Baguio, those present from the Government side were DENR Secretary Ramon Paje, Jr., DENR-CAR Clarence Baguilat, Baguio Mayor Mauricio Domogan, Baguio Representative Bernardo Vergara and Mr. Virgilio Bautista of the Baguio Regional Development Council. Mr. Hans T. Sy, President of SM Prime Holdings, Inc., Annie S. Garcia, President of SM Supermalls and Bien C. Mateo VP-Operations were in attendance representing SM City Baguio.

SM presented its expansion program showing the incorporation of environmental sustainability of the project, and the mitigating measures that the mall will do in order to compensate for the effect of transferring the affected trees. SM is not a member of the US Green Building Council, and SM City Baguio expansion project is officially not a LEED registered project, despite what SM says.

It was shared in the meeting that all the trees will be balled out and transferred to areas within the SM property and some to the designated area inside the DENR compound. The earth balling procedure was witnessed and supervised by DENR representatives and a forester from UP Los Banos.

Sec. Robredo proposed a joint inspection of the expansion area of SM by the combined group from the DENR, LGU, UP Los Banos Forestry, SM and the leaders of the opposing group.

UP Los Banos professor on Forestry Dr. Jose Sargento who monitored the procedures confirmed that no tree was cut. The trees were earth balled and replanted in the designated sites. It was done overnight following the directive of DENR foresters to capitalize on the soil moisture.

Secretary Ramon Paje told everyone that earth balling is an accepted procedure where the tree together with its root ball is carefully excavated, wrapped and transferred. There is also a need to prune the tree or cut some of its branches before balling it out to minimize the stress on the roots.

SM reiterated its commitment to comply with all the conditions set forth by the permits issued to them and also assured the body that it will respect any courts decision on the matter.