Proposed multipurpose SM MOA Arena
Even with just the prospect of having a huge world-class arena that can accommodate big international events excites me. Now, it seems that SM will make everything happen with the construction of the SM Mall of Asia Arena aka SM Arena. According to some details I found online, the state-of-the-art venue is expected to hold a seating capacity of 16,000 to 20,000 people. This will compete with the largest indoor arena in the Philippines, the Araneta Coliseum, which can hold 25,000 people.
The Araneta Coliseum is old. It was constructed in 1960. The last biggest arena built in the country was in 1993, the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City, which has a capacity of 10,000. It is, indeed, high time to construct a new one and, surely, the SM Arena will put the Philippines back in the world map. We need world-class arenas to attract big international acts to come to the country, don’t we?
Here are additional computer-rendered pictures of the Mall of Asia Arena. The construction is on-going and target of completion is October 2012. Its location is east of the SMX Convention Center, directly south of the South Parking Building.
The Proposed SM Arena
There was once a plan to construct a huge sporting venue in Cebu City in the early 2000. The project was called “The Cebu MegaDome” — a 20,000 seating-capacity arena. It has been a decade and the plan seems not going anywhere. It looks like the Cebuanos will have to keep wishing until the plan goes out of the drawing board.
Never-ending wish of having the Cebu Megadome.
The big arenas are all in the northern Philippines. Cebu should rethink of the Megadome plan and help boost the central Philippines capacity to host mega events. Aren’t the Cebuanos tired of the Cebu Coliseum?
