henry sy story

Dream… it’s free… anyone can dream… but only a few can make their dreams a reality.

On May 20th 2006, I’m a witness to the realization of one of the dreams of a visionary, Mr. Henry Sy Sr. Tagged as one of the richest man in the world and shopping mall magnate in the Philippines.

‘Twas the soft opening of Mall of Asia, the dream of a man who was once a poor boy who moved to the Philippines from China when he was 13 years old, hoping for better life. His hope was rocked by the onset of world war 2. But this did not affect him from pursuing his dream, he believed that there is opportunity from every tragedy–

After the war, he started selling shoes along the streets of Azcarraga (CM Recto) and soon he got an opportunity to have a shoe store along Avenida Rizal in 1958.

The Shoe Store expanded and have several outlets and became a soft goods Department Store in 1972, the year martial law was declared. 3 years after, it became a full line dept. store– made known as SM ShoeMart, We’ve Got It All For You!

In the 80’s, when Ninoy Aquino was assassinated, and the Phils. is rocked by political and economic crisis, SM ventured into another unknown and spearheaded the “malling phenomena” — The birth of the first SM Mall (though not the first mall in the Philippines), SM City North EDSA. Taunted and predicted to fail, SM City became and still one of the strongest SM Mall in terms of foot traffic and revenues.

Again, when the Philippines is in the midst of another crisis brought by high fuel prices and political problems, SM opened Mall of Asia. Undaunted by negative publicity, it was inaugurated on May 20, 2006 and opens its doors to the public on May 21, 2006.