SM Prime doubles down on transit to ease Metro commutes
SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SM Prime), the country’s top mall operator, is working with government agencies to leverage the prime locations of its malls for the development of transport infrastructure projects that will ease daily commuting across the Greater Manila Area.
“Urban mobility is central to national development. By working with government, we are able to improve access points that affect commuters every day,” said SM Prime President Jeffrey C. Lim in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) on Wednesday, March 25.
He noted that, “This partnership started during the pandemic, when improving public transport access became a priority. The facilities are now largely in place.”
SM Prime is investing more than ₱300 million to build a direct pedestrian link between Light Rail Transit Line 2’s (LRT-2) Antipolo Station and SM City Masinag in Antipolo City, Rizal province.
The covered connection will provide weather-protected access between the station and the mall, reducing transfer times and eliminating the need for street-level crossings.
The project will include ramps, elevators, lighting, and closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems to improve accessibility and commuter safety.
Construction is set to begin in the second quarter of 2026 and is expected to be completed six months later under a public-private partnership (PPP) with the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA).
The SM North EDSA busway concourse opened to the public in March 2025, featuring covered walkways, elevators, escalators, and direct access to the busway station to improve passenger flow.
SM Prime is replicating the concourse model at SM Megamall, with construction underway and the northbound section expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2026.
Alongside physical infrastructure, SM Prime has also partnered with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to provide commuters with access to real-time traffic information.
Live traffic feeds from the MMDA’s artificial intelligence (AI) traffic management system are available on select mall digital directories, allowing commuters to monitor road conditions and plan routes more efficiently.