The all-around Greenhills mall

It used to be that if you wanted to shop for great bargains amid a dense crowd and stifling heat, you go to the Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan, Metro Manila. For anything else – pleasurable shopping, enjoyable moviegoing experience, good food – you go somewhere else.

Well, all that has changed with the Greenhills Theater Mall which had its "soft opening" over the holidays and will be formally launched on Jan. 27 amid much fanfare that will see some of the most recognizable names in the entertainment industry (think Kuh Ledesma, G. Tongi and Nanette Medved, to name just a few) turning up to see what a growing number of people has been talking about with much excitement – and with good reason.

What was once a movie house that had become a pale shadow of its former glorious self has been transformed by the Music Museum Group Inc., led by Precy Florentino, into a gorgeous lifestyle oasis that caters to all kinds of shopping and entertainment whim.

"Actually our original plan was to convert the former Greenhills Theater into another live entertainment venue not unlike the Music Museum because our commitment to supporting Filipino artists remains strong," says Precy. "After we carefully inspected the theater, however, we changed our minds. We didn’t realize it covered such a huge amount of space with possibilities that went beyond that of a live entertainment venue. Ultimately, we came to the conclusion that the area doesn’t need another Music Museum – instead, what it lacked was a first-class theater and the kind of pleasurable shopping experience people enjoy at the mall."

And these, the Greenhills Theater Mall now provides.

Washed in Navajo terracotta and strewn with palm trees cryogenically preserved and imported from the US, the mall now houses two 255-seater theaters equipped with the latest in film and audio projection technologies and luxuriously refurbished with fully upholstered seats and wall-to-wall carpeting. "When we committed ourselves to transforming the place, we wanted to make sure that our theaters would provide the public with the best moviegoing experience possible," says Precy. "And so we spared no expense in ensuring that we have the latest technologies to give our patron just that."

Of course, the Greenhills experience won’t be complete without one coming away with several bags of great bargains, and the theater mall’s more than a hundred specialty boutiques and shops continue that tradition. "Greenhills has always been about finding this great merchandise and bargaining to your heart’s content for the lowest price, and we wanted to remain true to that," says Precy. "And that is what makes shopping at the Greenhills Theater Mall so very unique – it has all the plush amenities of a full-blown mall but unlike in such an establishment, you can haggle over the price until you get to the best bargain."

And for the weary shop-till-you-drop shopper, the Greenhills Theater Mall also offers some of the best names in restaurant business to rest those tired heels while indulging one’s appetite. Already open are Duclinea, Delifrance and Starbucks, plus several other smaller food-and-beverage outlets at the food court, which is stylish appointed for a relaxing sit-down gustatory experience. For kids much too energetic to keep still, however, there is also the amusement haven Time Zone.

"When we were still in the planning stages, what became one of our guiding principles is that there should be something for everyone to enjoy at the Greenhills Theater Mall," says Precy. "And I would like to think that we now offer just that."

Surely, the people who have been frequenting the Greenhills Theater Mall since its soft opening in December will agree.

Benefit concert

The Dr. Jose Rizal Memorial Foundation Hospital and KB Entertainment Unlimited Inc. join together for Spirit of ’67 Beats For Your Heart… A Valentine’s Day Dinner-Dance Concert on Feb.14, 7 p.m. at the Embassy Ballroom, Traders Hotel Manila.

The hottest bands of Manila will be featured in this special show for the benefit of the indigent heart patients of the Dr. Jose Rizal Memorial Foundation Hospital.