Heaptalk, Jakarta — The SM Group sees potential for regional development and targeted high-growth sectors to foster sustainable economic advancement in communities outside the city center.
SM will continue to concentrate on identifying opportunities in various regional markets for its core businesses and portfolio investments. Recognizing the potential for growth outside the National Capital Region, the conglomerate aims to stimulate local economies and contribute to developing many underserved regions in the country.
“We view the regions as a bright spot for growth with the diverse products and services we offer consumers. We believe there are many more opportunities for us to provide better services to the Filipino people in the regions,” SM Investments President and Chief Executive Officer Frederic C. DyBuncio said.
Logistics firm 2GO serves Visayas and Mindanao with routes in key regional cities and through interports and strategic logistical hubs that handle cold chain requirements for food shipments. It has extended its Less than Container Load shipside services to provide MSMEs with opportunities to scale by transporting time- and temperature-sensitive goods nationwide. Its comprehensive end-to-end solutions encompass transportation through a fleet of 3,000 couriers servicing inter-VisMin transfers.
Airspeed strategically positions its Cebu warehouse as a central point for its future growth. The company plans to establish new hubs in key VisMin cities, open more kiosks, and collaborate with service providers.
Bakeshop chain Goldilocks expanded further into the provinces, with 40 percent of its new stores in Visayas and Mindanao.
In retail, SM Investments reported that out of the 419 new retail stores opened in 2023, about 89% are located in provincial areas. Its property arm, SM Prime Holdings, Inc., opened three new malls in 2023 in Bataan, Laguna, and Batangas. SM Development Corp. is building more residential communities with 20 projects in the provinces.
BDO Unibank’s presence in the regions is extensive in banking, with 1,101 branches in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao out of 1,720 branches as of the end of 2023. BDO Network Bank reaches remote communities through provincial branch expansion.
Of China Banking Corporation’s 648 branches, 300 are outside Metro Manila. China Bank Savings has a provincial network of 94 branch sites and lending centers and continues to expand its brick-and-mortar presence in Visayas and Mindanao.
