Ninoy Aquino Day Marked by Shoppers

The Philippines was on a non-working holiday on Friday, to observe the anniversary of the death of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., the husband of former president and the world’s democracy icon Corazon Aquino.

In a country that is often considered “mall-crazy”, shoppers are expected to flood the malls throughout the coming three-day long weekend in Manila.

SM Megamall, the world’s 7th largest mall, told ABS-CBN News that they are expecting their daily foot traffic to increase by as much as 300,000 due to the long weekend. On regular days, their average foot traffic is 200,000. SM Megamall is one the malls of SM Prime, the holding firm of one of the country’s richest, Henry Sy. SM Prime has about 36 malls in total in the Philippines, and three in China.

Shoppers donned shirts in yellow, the favorite color of President Aquino. The Mandaluyong-based mall is located near the portion of historic EDSA, a major city thoroughfare, where Filipinos flocked to unseat government leadrs in the past. The 1986 People Power catapulted President Aquino to national power—and to international fame.

With the climate being what it is – tropical heat or strong, frequent typhoons – shopping in air-conditioned malls as become an integral part of the Filipino lifestyle.