SM City La Union Opens with “Sandbox” Outdoor Experience

SM Prime Holdings Inc., one of Southeast Asia’s largest integrated property developers, will open SM City La Union, its 89th mall in the Philippines, on October 17.

Located along Diversion Road, Barangay Biday in San Fernando City, SM City La Union spans more than 51,000 square meters of leasable area, over 80% of which has already been taken up.

“This is our ninth mall in Northern Luzon and we designed it to serve as a landmark for both residents and tourists,” said SM Prime President Jeffrey Lim. “As the surfing capital of the region, La Union deserves a retail center that reflects its vibrant lifestyle and rich culture.”

A highlight of SM City La Union is the Sandbox, a 1,348-square meter outdoor venue designed for sports tournaments, mini-concerts, yoga, Zumba and other community activities. Alongside it runs a bike lane parallel to a manmade sandbar, giving cyclists a unique way to enjoy the area’s open-air setting.

SM City La Union will be anchored by major tenants such as SM Store, SM Markets, Ace Hardware, Toy Kingdom, Levi’s, Watsons, Surplus, Pet Express, Adidas, Miniso, Sports Central, SM Appliance Center, Puma, UNIQLO, National Bookstore and BDO.

For dining and leisure, SM City La Union will feature an SM Foodhall offering Ilocano, Filipino and international dishes, while SM Cinema will showcase the first Director’s Club in the province.

“With our diverse and unique offerings, we hope to strengthen La Union’s position as both a tourism and economic hub in Northern Luzon,” said Lim.

In 2024, La Union’s tourism industry generated over P1 billion in revenues, driven by an increase in spending per visitor. The average length of stay also slightly grew year-on-year from 1.33 days to 1.39 days.

With more than 500,000 tourist arrivals in the same year, San Fernando City, San Juan and Bauang municipalities ranked as the top three destinations in the province.