There was only one instance in her life that Josephine Gotianun-Yap, president and chief executive officer of Filinvest Development Corporation, felt restless and could hardly sleep.

And that was on the eve of the opening of Festival Mall in Alabang, Muntinlupa — 25 years ago.

“Normally, I’m a businesswoman who’s always in control,” claimed Gotianun-Yap. “But I have to say this was different. I always remember the one night that I could not sleep and that was the night before we opened the mall. We only had 30 stalls and most of them were in the food court. We didn’t have supermarket or any anchor stores.”

She added: “But we had cinemas and theme parks. We had a beautiful mall that many of our competitors literally would come and take notes to see the way the mall was designed because this was really ahead of its time.”

Because of the amusement experience the mall offered, Gotianun-Yap said, about 30,000 people came on the opening day.

“And the numbers doubled and kept adding up,” she said. “Seeing the foot traffic was there, stores started to come in.”

Since opening its doors in 1998, Festival Mall has become the premier go-to lifestyle and recreational destination in the south of Metro Manila. It has also become an iconic development in the south offering diverse shopping, dining and leisure experiences.

“Festival Mall is very close to my heart,” stated Gotianun-Yap. “We would not be where we are today without the unwavering support of our customers, merchants, suppliers and employees who have journeyed with us through the years.”

Now, the mall has 800 tenants and eight leading anchor stores.

“We value our collaboration with major retailers, which has enabled us to bring together SaveMore, Ace Hardware, Robinson’s Department Store, Handyman, Shopwise, H&M, Decathlon and Landmark all under one roof. As we build on its strong foundations for the future, we see Festival Mall continuing to serve as a place where time stops for making memories with family and friends,” Gotianun-Yap added.

Leisure experience

Through the years, Festival Mall has undergone a lot of renovations having new stores and attractions to provide a better shopping, dining and leisure experience.

From local and foreign brands to family-focused amusement centers and choice restaurants and generous outdoor, indoor spaces, Festival Mall brings together a new lifestyle of safety, comfort and ease for its loyal customers.

“Festival Mall has achieved many milestones over the past 25 years, but what makes me very proud is the way it has become a cherished part of the community in the south,” said Gotianun-Yap added.

Working with a leading architectural firm, Festival Mall was designed to have not just one, but two large theme parks inside the mall. True to its name, they brought the fun and exciting elements of a carnival inside the mall. Today, it has become a hub where customers can conveniently shop, dine and bond with their loved ones.

Festival Mall is the fifth largest mall in the Philippines housing two indoor amusement centers and eight cinemas. It has two wings: East and West.

The West Wing, also known as the main mall, is where you will find basic necessities — specialty stores, food stores and entertainment center.

The East Wing, commonly called the expansion wing, was designed to integrate an organic river and natural contour of the land through the Water Garden and the River Park that initially opened in 2014. It completes the mall’s offerings promoting an active lifestyle like WiiJUMP Trampoline Park, Surge Fitness and the newly-opened amusement arcade Timezone, to name a few.

Festival Mall also takes pride in the 99-year old Art Deco building that was restored and incorporated into the mall in 2009, and is now home to renowned Spanish restaurant, Las Flores. The near century-old space welcomes guests with timeless features that resonate with the rich history of the building and its design-driven architecture. Not to be missed is the replica statue of Jose Rizal’s The Triumph of Science Over Death clay sculpture by Genaro Sy-Changco, located adjacent to the building.

“After 25 years, Festival Mall remains committed to its vision of a complete and balanced lifestyle mall with amenities and options for the whole family,” concluded Gotianun-Yap.