St. Francis Square Mall

St. Francis Square Mall is a retail and commercial property in the Ortigas Center central business district of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila. It forms part of the broader St. Francis Square mixed-use development, which also includes the BSA Twin Towers. The complex stands across from SM Megamall and beside The Podium, placing it within one of the Philippines' most concentrated retail, office, transport, and hospitality districts. It is also within walking distance of the Ortigas station of the MRT-3 and the Ortigas stop of the EDSA Carousel. The development occupies approximately 1.30 hectares and has a reported total floor area of about 101,700 square metres. Local architecture firm R. Villarosa Architects designed the project. Construction began in 1998 with an intended completion around 2000, but the project encountered significant delays associated with financing difficulties at the then-ASB Group of Companies, later known as the St. Francis Square Group of Companies, as well as the effects of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Work on the twin towers was particularly affected, while the mall received priority among the group's development projects. The mall topped off in August 2005 and opened on October 21 of that year. Its approximately 23,100-square-metre floor area was arranged across four principal retail levels, with additional basement, mezzanine, and upper-floor areas. The property was separated from the BSA Twin Towers by a driveway and an open parking area that also served vehicles associated with the SM Megamall UV Express terminal and delivery operations. For much of its early identity, St. Francis Square was associated with the Super Tiangge, a large market-style retail zone that reportedly accommodated more than 1,000 stalls and stores. The tiangge format offered low-cost and convenience-oriented merchandise, including mobile-phone accessories, gadget repairs, DVDs, toys, and other small consumer goods. At its peak, the mall was reported to attract roughly 50,000 visitors per day. Other recorded tenants and facilities included Puregold Jr. supermarket, St. Francis Generic Drug Store, St. Francis Bookstore, and St. Francis Department Store. The property also had a major institutional use. Christ's Commission Fellowship operated its St. Francis branch at the mall from 1997 until 2013. The congregation subsequently transferred to the CCF Center in Frontera Verde, now associated with Ortigas East in Pasig. Former upper-floor areas included an auditorium with reported capacity of approximately 3,000 people and related support facilities. In June 2019, the Super Tiangge area and the second and third floors were vacated for renovation. The subsequent redevelopment modernized the building's facade and repurposed portions of the former retail footprint for office and commercial uses, including business-process-outsourcing operations and other local-company offices. The St. Francis Square Group of Companies uses the fourth floor as its headquarters, while reported office occupants have included Highpoint Services Philippines, Eastvantage, and Emapta. Since July 2024, part of the ground floor has been occupied by the Ortigas campus of Makati Hope Christian School. The mall's current role is therefore broader than that of a conventional shopping center. It combines residual neighborhood and value-oriented retail with office, education, transport-support, and mixed-use functions. Its identity remains tied to its location beside major Ortigas landmarks and to the transformation of its former high-volume tiangge format into a more varied commercial and office property.

St. Francis Square is a mixed-use development in Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong, composed principally of St. Francis Square Mall and the BSA Twin Towers. The site is positioned across from SM Megamall and next to The Podium, giving it direct exposure to one of Metro Manila's major commercial districts. Public transport access includes proximity to the Ortigas MRT-3 station and the Ortigas EDSA Carousel stop. Groundbreaking and construction began in 1998, with completion initially targeted for 2000. The project was developed at a reported construction cost of approximately 550 million Philippine pesos at the time. Progress was disrupted by financing controversies and rising debt associated with the ASB Group of Companies, which later became known as the St. Francis Square Group of Companies. The wider economic impact of the 1997 Asian financial crisis compounded the funding problems. Interior work on the twin towers was suspended, and the developer prioritized other assets, including the mall and residential projects. The mall advanced ahead of the towers. It topped off in August 2005 and opened on October 21, 2005. The mall has a reported floor area of about 23,100 square metres and was designed as a four-storey retail property with a basement, mezzanine, upper levels, driveway, and open parking. Its early commercial proposition centered on the Super Tiangge, a large market-style area said to contain more than 1,000 stalls. The format supported small merchants and low-cost retail, particularly mobile accessories, electronics-related services, DVDs, toys, and other everyday merchandise. The property also recorded supermarket, pharmacy, bookstore, and department-store tenants. The mall had an important religious and community use during its first years. Christ's Commission Fellowship occupied substantial upper-floor areas, including a large auditorium and supporting facilities, from 1997 through 2013. After the church relocated to the CCF Center in Frontera Verde, the former institutional areas became available for other uses. Construction of the BSA Twin Towers, which had been delayed for approximately nine years, resumed in 2009. The towers were completed in 2011, bringing the principal elements of the St. Francis Square development to completion. The towers include hotel, office, amenity, and broadcasting functions, while the mall remains the development's main retail and lower-rise commercial component. The property's commercial model changed after June 2019, when the Super Tiangge zone and the second and third mall levels were cleared for renovation. Redevelopment produced a more modern exterior and converted portions of the previous retail areas into office and commercial premises. The St. Francis Square Group of Companies established its headquarters on the fourth floor. Other reported occupants include Highpoint Services Philippines, Eastvantage, and Emapta, reflecting the property's shift toward a combination of retail, business-process outsourcing, and local corporate occupancy. In July 2024, Makati Hope Christian School began using part of the ground floor for its Ortigas campus. This further demonstrates the mall's evolution from a predominantly market-style shopping venue into a mixed-use urban property serving retail, offices, education, transport-related activity, and nearby residents and workers.

• 2024

  Education tenant occupies ground-floor space

  [1]St. Francis Squareen.wikipedia.org

  Makati Hope Christian School began operating its Ortigas campus from part of the mall's ground floor in July.

• 2019

  Major mall redevelopment begins

  [1]St. Francis Squareen.wikipedia.org

  The Super Tiangge and selected upper floors were vacated for renovation and conversion to modern retail, commercial, and office uses.

• 2013

  CCF relocates

  [1]St. Francis Squareen.wikipedia.org

  Christ's Commission Fellowship moved from its St. Francis branch to a new facility in Frontera Verde.

• 2011

  Mixed-use complex is completed

  [1]St. Francis Squareen.wikipedia.org

  The BSA Twin Towers were completed, completing the principal components of the St. Francis Square development.

• 2009

  Twin-tower construction resumes

  [1]St. Francis Squareen.wikipedia.org

  After a prolonged construction stoppage, work on the BSA Twin Towers resumed.

• 2005

  Mall tops out and opens

  [1]St. Francis Squareen.wikipedia.org

  The mall topped off in August and opened to the public on October 21, establishing the site's principal retail component.

• 2000

  Original completion target is missed

  [1]St. Francis Squareen.wikipedia.org

  Financing problems, rising debt, and the effects of the Asian financial crisis delayed construction, particularly the interior finishing of the twin towers.

• 1998

  Construction begins

  [1]St. Francis Squareen.wikipedia.org

  Groundbreaking and construction of the St. Francis Square mixed-use complex began in Ortigas Center, with completion initially planned for 2000.

A centrally located, value-oriented mixed-use mall that historically combined tiangge-style retail with everyday services and has increasingly incorporated office, institutional, and education uses.

• Shopping mall · 2005

  St. Francis Square Mall

  The mall is a four-storey retail and commercial property within the St. Francis Square complex. Its historical tenant mix included market stalls, a supermarket, pharmacy, bookstore, department store, gadget services, and small specialty merchants. Following the 2019 redevelopment, portions of the former retail footprint were converted to office and institutional space while other commercial uses remained.

• Market-style retail zone

  Super Tiangge

  The Super Tiangge was the mall's signature market-style retail area and reportedly hosted more than 1,000 stalls and stores at its peak. It was known for affordable mobile-phone accessories, gadget repairs, DVDs, toys, and other small consumer goods. The area was vacated in 2019 as part of the mall's redevelopment.

• 2019

  Shift from tiangge-led retail toward mixed commercial useStrategy

  Background

  The mall's market-style retail model occupied substantial areas, but the property later required modernization and a broader tenant mix.

  Action taken

  The Super Tiangge area and the second and third levels were vacated for renovation. Parts of the former retail space were converted into offices and other commercial premises.

  Aftermath

  The property gained a modernized facade and a more diversified role combining retail, business-process outsourcing, corporate offices, and institutional occupancy.

  Source

1. 1St. Francis Squareen.wikipedia.org