Unrelenting quest for excellence

CEBU, Philippines – To open a business at the Mandaue reclamation area in 2008, when the place was not yet the busy commercial site that it is today, was a very bold act. The place was not

accessible by jeepneys, and public transportation drivers didn’t know where exactly in the wide reclamation expanse it was. One had to be either a fool or a visionary to

dare doing business there.

But that's exactly the case with Parkmall. At it now turns out, the people behind the project were visionaries. They are the rare breed that doesn't get cowed by challenges; conversely, they get all the more fired up by difficulties.

Parkmall is proof that fertile opportunities await even in unfamiliar, out-of-the-way spaces. It has not been simple or easy, though, to bring the idea into reality. Truth is, it was very difficult, to start with.

But "No pain, no gain," the saying goes. And in just a short time later, Parkmall has beaten every odd and proven itself to be the catalyst for development in the once bare space. The mall is now past its sixth year of existence.

Excellence is a day-to-day commitment. But while "excellence" may be a big word, Parkmall centers it on simple things. "Parkmall was intended to bring back the simplicity of families spending quality time together," says Neal Carlson Co, General Manager. "It's about the nostalgia of childhood, playing silly games in the park, casual picnics outdoors, weekend family get-togethers over meals."

Architect James Co, Managing Director and the primary designer of Parkmall, created a landscaped garden embracing the mall structure, making it the pioneering hybrid mall in Cebu - one of the first open-air lifestyle centers with a shopping facility and the longest al fresco dining strip in the city. As if by magic, the Parkmall idea breathed new life to an abandoned warehouse in Mandaue, incorporating eco-friendly design elements, blending modernity with the refreshing feeling of free space that the bustling metropolis has inadvertently lost along the way.

During its sixth anniversary celebration on October 4, Mr. Co, the general manager, declared, "Parkmall has found its niche, and we are very happy with what we have accomplished." Most of all, he emphasized, "We are proud that we have stayed true to our core of being a Cebuano mall, with Cebuano values, committed to give a unique experience to our patrons."

That sounds like being more than just a business. True, in fact, "We are consciously aiming to be a relevant part of the Cebuano community - by being a venue for their joys and passions," Mr. Co adds.

Parkmall is a bold decision quite characteristic of the modern business generation. But it is sustained by the good old tradition of family time, friendly conversations, casual shopping or simply relaxing in a place with sparks of greens and the refreshing scent of breeze from the nearby sea. These are the values that this unique mall wants to uphold for good.