With Iloilo City placed under General Community Quarantine (GCQ), SM City Iloilo operates with the safety of shoppers in mind.
The region’s biggest mall will have its gradual reopening in line with the local government unit’s decision on adjusted business hours and curfew, with store hours from 11 AM to 7 PM until further notice.
The mall levels up its sanitation efforts in its surroundings to make sure that shoppers feel safe and secure as they access the premises, carrying out strict safety and sanitation measures and complying with safety and sanitation protocols over and above government regulations.
A thorough attention to details like misting and disinfection was initiated with the assistance of Federation Fire Iloilo. SM City Iloilo’s facilities are thoroughly sanitized and personnel are deployed with special instructions to consistently follow through, especially areas and surfaces frequently occupied and touched by customers, such as elevator buttons, ATM machines, handrails, escalators and the likes. The mall is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected prior to the opening and throughout mall hours, especially in areas with heavy customer contact.
In accordance to the directives of the city government and the guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force(IATF), the mall encourages safety distancing by putting floor markings in the entrances. Tenants are likewise given a directive to practice the same and to consistently remind customers to comply. Everyone will be required to wear facemasks at all times.
All stores are set to open, except those disallowed by the city and IATF for areas under GCQ. Food tenants will cater to its aficionados with Take-out and Delivery services. SM City Iloilo has Order and Go services, similar to a drive-thru service where shoppers can call the participating food stores and pick-up at the main mall entrance facing the diversion road.
Entrances are equipped with temperature checks as well as alcohol dispensers that are provided in restrooms as well. Restrooms are sanitized every 30 minutes. Footbath mats are installed in the entrances as well.
In line with the government’s rules that discourage loitering in the mall, WI-FI access will be disabled and leisure establishments will remain closed. Shoppers are requested to limit malling to buying essentials only, such as food and medicine and accessing non-leisure services.
Hallways and common areas will have floor directional arrows to encourage one-way customer traffic to help people avoid coming into close contact with others. Safety Protocol Officers have been deployed to reinforce Safe Malling measures.
Taking safety measures up a notch, SM will run COVID-19 antibody rapid testing for all its employees and agency frontliners, including janitors and security guards. SM tenant partners can avail of this test, at cost, for their respective staff. Protective equipment is also provided including face masks and face shields. Agency personnel working in high customer contact areas are required to wear gloves. Mall employees undergo temperature checks at the start of shift and throughout the day.
SM City Iloilo works with the Iloilo City Government and its partners, in ensuring safe malling for the Ilonggos, as well as extending assistance to the continuing efforts to combat COVID-19.
It can be recalled that SM extended assistance to the Iloilo City government by giving relief food packs to the different transport associations as well as barangays needing the most assistance, and the SM Cares Village in Concepcion, Iloilo.
Medical Supplies such as PPEs, N95 and surgical masks, alcohol, raincoats, protective goggles, hygiene kits, nitrile gloves and shoe covers were given to the Iloilo City Government for various hospitals as well as the Municipality of Concepcion and Iloilo Provincial Hospital.
2 ventilators were turned over to the West Visayas State University Medical Center.
As the city of Iloilo is transitioning to a new normal, SM City Iloilo commits to continuously work with the local government and the community its serves, to provide a safe malling culture for everyone.
And as the country heals and recovers from the crisis, SM, together with its employees and partners, will continue to serve and support communities as its malls make everyone’s safety a priority.
