CityMall: A New Community Mall in Bacolod for Locals and Tourists
CityMall Mandalagan on grand opening day (Image: CityMall PH) Negros Occidental, known as the “Sugar Bowl of the Philippines,” is eyed by investors because it is one of the fastest growing economic centers in the country. Its capital is Bacolod City, also known as The City of Smiles, where development is rising. Bacolod is famous for its specialty dish chicken inasal (chargrilled chicken), the Masskara Festival, and its friendly people. Bacolod City became the new home of the first CityMall in the province as it opened last November 8, 2016. The Bacolod branch is the 10th outlet and the first grand CityMall in the Philippines. CityMall, a subsidiary of Double Dragon Properties, Inc. aims to become the largest independently branded community mall chain in the Philippines by hitting its goal of opening 100 stores nationwide by the year 2020.
Pinoy food, budget eats
CityMall Mandalagan playground (Image: Writer’s Own) Located near the left side of the entrance, one can find an array of alltime favorite Pinoy food chains such as Jollibee, Chowking, and Mang Inasal. There’s also Red Ribbon Bakeshop for those who have a sweet tooth, and Highlands Vietnamese Coffee for those who want a caffeine fix. Read: Cozy Up in Bacolod’s Newly Opened Cafés Alongside Save More Market is a set of food stalls where you can have budgetfriendly food. Among the selections are SM Eats, Mr. Ngo, Nick’s Patatas and Qualitea which have affordable prices ranging from PhP50 to PhP80. Situated at the 2nd floor fronting ACE Hardware is a playground with two play houses open to all children for free. They have benches parallel to each other where parents can wait while their kids enjoy playtime.
On the other hand, fitness enthusiasts can jive and dance to the energetic music of Zumba sessions held at the mall ground floor from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM every Tuesday and Thursday.
Affordable shoes
Simply Shoes carries affordable footwear brands like Parisian Shoes. (Image: Simply Shoes) Simply Shoes, an SM Retail affiliate, opened its first store in the province and their 20th in the country. It is onestop shoe shop that offers wide assortment of footwear for men, women and children. It also carries many different shoe brands ranging from casual to formal at affordable prices such as Parisian, Milanos, Salvatorre and a lot more. Simply Shoes is located at the ground floor of CityMall fronting the local bazaar market.
Local finds
For shoppers looking for homegrown products, Go Lokal stores offer local goods at budgetfriendly prices which also support the livelihood of local entrepreneurs. These stores are the product of a partnership between CityMall Commercial Centers Inc. and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), which aims to provide mainstream market access for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). This project helps small entrepreneurs bring affordable quality products to consumers while keeping down rental costs. Go Lokal bazaars can be found at the mall ground floor near the entrance between Watsons and the food court. Other stores are located in designated areas fronting Simply Shoes store. Read: Live Local: Weekend Market in Negros
Local pasalubong
Napoleones is a popular sweet treat for pasalubong in Bacolod. (Image: BongBong’s Piaya and Barquillos) Locals and tourists in search of pasalubong (takehome items) can head to Bongbong’s Piaya and Barquillos for various sweet treats such as piaya (muscovadofilled unleavened flatbread), barquillos (biscuit roll), napoleones (flaky puff pastry with custard cream), biscocho (baked bread with toppings), barquiron (mini biscuit rolls) and flavored tarts. BongBong’s can be found at the mall ground floor between D’Vintage Vision and Simply Shoes.
Other CityMall Bacolod branches
Aside from CityMall Mandalagan, there are newly opened branches in Kabankalan, Victorias and San Carlos. CityMall Kabankalan opened last February 14, followed by CityMall Victorias on February 15, and CityMall San Carlos last February 16. These branches bring CityMall closer to Bacoleños from different areas, even in those places that were once considered out of reach.
How to get there
To go to CityMall Mandalagan, ride a jeepney coming from Bacolod North Terminal. Travel time takes five to 10 minutes, while regular fare is PhP7 and student fare is PhP6. For private car owners, the large basement parking area can accommodate about 150 vehicles. Have you been to any of the new CityMall branches in Bacolod? Tell us about it in the comments section below! Click the store names to see their exact addresses and contact numbers.