Embassies closed; malls open

MANILA, Philippines - The embassies of the United States and the United Kingdom were forced to close their offices yesterday amid heavy rains.

In its advisory, the US embassy in Manila said consular services were suspended to ensure the safety of its employees and the public.

Those with scheduled visa interviews yesterday may visit the embassy’s website or call the visa information service to re-schedule their appointments.

Consular appointments at the British embassy were cancelled due to floods, UK Ambassador-designate Asif Ahmad said in his Twitter account.

The embassy also advised British nationals in the country to call the embassy for assistance if they were affected by floods.

Meanwhile, shopping malls continued to operate yesterday despite disruptions caused by torrential rains.

Commercial centers of SM Prime Holdings Inc., Robinsons Land Corp. and Ayala Land Inc. were able to serve the needs of communities and even stranded customers.

“All Robinsons malls were operational despite the heavy rains,” Roseann Coscollulea-Villegas, corporate public relations manager of Robinsons Land, said in a text message.

Ayala malls also maintained regular operating hours, said Jorge Miguel Marco, head of Ayala Land’s Corporate Communications department.

“All malls opened except Bacoor,” SM Investments Corp. investor relations chief Corazon Guidote said in a text message.

“It’s during times like these when we try to stay open to serve the communities we are in,” Guidote said.

SM Prime, the country’s largest mall developer, assisted several customers, said Annie Garcia, president of SM’s subsidiary Shopping Center Management Corp.

“We had 230 overnight parkers free of charge in Sta. Mesa and another 60 parkers in Manila and two in Marikina,” she said.

Garcia said SM malls also provided snacks and access to wash rooms and power outlets for the stranded customers.