DAVAO CITY – Davao-based LTS Malls Inc. hopes to finish the construction of NCCC Mall Ma-a by the first quarter next year. Thea S. Padua, LTS Malls public relations manager, said that the mall will generate around 700 to 1,000 jobs once it opens to the public. Padua said these jobs would come from affiliated establishments as well as the mall’s various departments such as accounting, Information and Communications Technology, and human resource. More jobs would be created by their 400 tenants, she said. Engr. Rodolfo Saturos, NCCC Malls assistant vice president for operations, said that the construction of the 28,200.64-square meter mall is 50 percent complete since it resumed in June 2021. He said that they are doing all they can to finish the construction of the mall on schedule, and bring “exceptional shopping destination to the community” as it will feature a mix of “fashion and apparels, jewelry and accessories, kid’s store, footwear and leather goods, food and beverages, sports, health and beauty, gadgets, home furnishings, and services.” In a virtual press conference in December 2021, the company announced that it was investing around P4 billion to rebuild the NCCC Mall Ma-a which was gutted by a fire and killed 38 people on December 23, 2017. Saturos discussed that the latest fire protection and suppression technology would be procured to avoid fire. Mall management assured that the structure would be compliant with the National Building Code and will keep fire trucks, including hydrants, within the mall complex. The new mall would have different sections “to cater to the customer’s interests, including Truly Davao brands, fashion hub, alfresco dining, food snack section, and gizmo hub.” It added that the mall has a roof deck with a “panoramic overlooking view of Davao skyline,” a landscape park called “The Nook” for those who seek a place to relax, a variety of coffee shops and restaurants, and a food hall called “The Nest.”