Chaos, health protocols violations mar opening of SM City Mindpro in Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Chaos marred the soft opening Tuesday of SM City Mindpro here after curious residents and shoppers nearly stormed the mall’s entrance and threatened to overpower security guards.

 

With the disorderly situation, members of the specialized police unit S.W.A.T. or Special Weapons and Tactics and cops were called in to help control the huge crowd lined up outside the mall along La Purisima Street. 

It was unclear why the mall failed to implement health protocols as shoppers pushed each others in an attempt to get inside the SM City Mindpro. There was also a long line of shoppers waiting for their turn to get inside the mall. 

Videos posted by Netizens on social media showed shoppers breaking health protocols and security guards having a hard time controlling the crowd. It was like a scene from department stores in the U.S. during Black Friday. The videos quickly went viral, raising questions on the safety of everybody amid the Covid-19 pandemic. 

There was no immediate statement from mall executives on the chaos that broke out on its opening day. But on its Facebook page, SM City Mindpro said: “Today, we unwrapped the gift of fun shopping and safe malling in Zamboanga.” 

“Thank you so much for the awesome welcome, Zamboanga! Here’s to more safe and fun malling moments together as we continue to serve your community. Muchisimas gracias and enjoy the wonderful world of SM, loves!” 

Ironically, the mall also failed to implement its much trumpeted digital Covid-19 contact tracing application called Trace Together.

In its previous press release, SM City Mindpro said it uses Trace Together, which is an end-to-end contact tracing solution to fight the spread of coronavirus disease. Mall-goers are required to download the Trace Together application and must scan the QR code at all entrances using their mobile device and declare information like name, address, mobile phone number, and health condition status. 

The mall is not big as residents thought it to be with department store occupying several levels and shops littered in all five floors. Its opening was cancelled several times since October. 

It first cancelled its grand opening in October and moved it to November 27, but postponed this again for a still unknown reason. It then announced a soft opening on November 29 only to cancel it anew. SM City Mindpro did not say why it cancelled the soft opening. 

Mall executives also cancelled the VIP invitations it sent on November 26, eve of the grand opening, for reasons unclear. Those invited had to cancel their busy schedules just to attend the VIP event only to be told later that it had been cancelled. 

Its Facebook account was flooded with comments from Netizens criticizing the mall for its confusing decisions on whether to open or not, or the reason behind it. But there were reports the mall did not push through with the grand opening after two of its employees contracted Covid-19.

It was unknown whether the duo had infected the others that forced the SM City Mindpro to cancel the opening of the mall.

KCC Mall de Zamboanga, which opened on December 2015, is the biggest mall so far in Zamboanga City. (Zamboanga Post)

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