By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
SAN JUAN CITY — 49 days before Christmas, the Christmas Tree Lighting and Market Event on Wednesday (Nov. 6) at the East Wing Atrium GH Mall ushered in the Yuletide Season in this city.
Greenhills is the heart of San Juan City.
The Christmas Season was really just around the corner with Christmas Hymns, and back-to-back performances of The Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra under the baton of Prof. Jeffrey Solares.
Present during the event were Mayor Francis Zamora and First Lady Cherry Zamora, Vice Mayor Angelo Agcaoili, Congresswoman Bel Zamora, Jose Emmanuel “Junie” Jalandoni, Ortigas Land President and CEO, and James Candelaria, Ortigas Malls AVP for Operations.
Jalandoni thanked Prof. Solares and the Symphony Orchestra for the wonderful performance.
He thanked Mayor Zamora for being active in opening stores in Greenhills such that “600 stores on our way to open more than 900 stores this year.”
“5 to 6 employees for every store that opens. 6,000 employees employed last year and we are on our way to 12,000 workers. 12,000 families ang makikinabang ngayong Taon.”
Ayala Malls and SM were responsible for the establishment of Greenhills Mall.
Last year, 80,000 visitors on a daily basis and this year, 120,000 daily visitors in the Mall.
New Tiangge stores to start by this month.
By next year, an Annex Mall will be established.
He thanked all the mall tenants for without them, there would be no Mall.
Zamora expressed his gratitude to the Ortigas group and the local government officials and the children from White Cross.
He lived all his life in Barangay Greenhills, San Juan City.
Zamora cited that the Ortigas company is now seeing the fruits of their labor.
He noted that the Greenhis Mall is now a level up Mall with international brands and stores.
Zamora noted that the tenants told him that it took them only one day to process their business permit.
He stressed that the Greenhills Mall is generating income for the city and providing employment to thousands of residents of San Juan.
Mayor Zamora vowed full support to Ortigas land and Ortigas family.
Los Cantantes de Manila under the baton of Prof. Edwin Vargas rendered popular Christmas songs of all time such as Joy to the World, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, among other.
The Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra and the Los Cantantes de Manila synchronized their performances in the rendition of famous classical Christmas songs of all time.
The first Christmas Tree in the GH Mall was lit by Zamora and family and the Ortigas family officially opening the Christmas Season in the Mall and the City.
