LIFESTYLE | May 27, 2020
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| Directional arrows on ground inside SM City Batangas serve as shoppers' one-way guide around the mall. (Image Source: Facebook/Barako PH/SM Supermalls) |
The imposition of the enhanced community quarantine across Luzon and other areas in the Philippines due to the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic literally changed the shopping and malling experience of Filipinos since the inception of shopping malls back in the mid-80s. As the lockdown in most areas across the nation began to ease, shopping malls are ensuring the safety and well-being of mallers and shoppers as they are starting to embrace what seems to be the "new normal" for now. Among them are the SM Supermalls in Batangas namely SM City Batangas, SM City Lipa and SM Center Lemery.
Since the start of the Luzon-wide ECQ, SM Supermalls in Batangas have been regularly keeping their customers updated on which stores and banking services are operational daily through their respective Facebook pages and Rakuten Viber communities. These mostly include SM Supermarket, The SM Store, and BDO among others considering that these are essential businesses not covered by the ECQ period. Aside from Foodpanda's fleet of pink food delivery riders serving Lipa City, SM has tapped the services of local riders in assuring that the purchased goods and needs of their shoppers are delivered without the need to go out of their homes.
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| Social distancing is being practiced by shoppers withdrawing cash from their ATM cards inside SM City Lipa. (Image Source: Facebook/Barako PH/SM Supermalls) |
As soon as the province of Batangas is placed under General Community Quarantine (ECQ) by the IATF, SM Supermalls have enforced strict measures on their Batangas malls for a safe and enjoyable malling and shopping experience. These include directional arrows placed on ground throughout the mall, social distancing on escalators and lines in supermarkets and banks, disinfecting floor mats on every entrance and checking the temperature of each maller/shopper going inside. As mandated by the IATF, all SM Supermalls in Batangas have deactivated their free WiFi service and set their air temperature to 26°C to make sure that mallers and shoppers will not have longer periods of bystanding within their corners except if they need to buy essential goods and services for their families and loved ones at home.
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| Safety protocol officers are reminding mallgoers and shoppers inside SM Center Lemery on the measures implemented for the assurance of their well-being. (Image Source: Facebook/Barako PH/SM Supermalls) |
With these measures on hand being practiced by shoppers and mallers during operational hours, SM Supermalls in Batangas will continue to provide a safer malling and shopping experience to customers across the province in these tough and critically hard times. It may take a long time for the pandemic to be completely eased, but it is without question that shopping may remain as one of the most practical ways for people in the province of Batangas to strive and push forward against the challenge awaiting them living by the monicker #BatangasMagiting.
