Mall Hours Get Trimmed as Big Chains Try to Help the Power Grid

The country’s biggest mall operators are shaving off hours from their schedules as the government pushes power-saving measures under the national energy emergency. Starting March 30, more than 190 malls nationwide began running on shorter weekday hours.

Rappler reported that SM Supermalls adjusted most weekday operations to 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., while weekend hours stay longer in many locations. Robinsons Malls, Ayala Land malls, Megaworld Lifestyle Malls, Filinvest Malls, and even Araneta City’s mall cluster also announced their own reduced schedules.

The companies said the move is meant to help ease demand on the national grid while still keeping malls open for shoppers. Several operators framed it as a temporary energy-conservation step rather than a pullback in services, with some advising the public to double-check each branch’s social pages for exact hours.

For some chains, the cut is modest—usually one or two hours—but the scale is huge because these are some of the biggest retail players in the country. Megaworld also adjusted cinema hours in selected malls, while Filinvest said restaurant and supermarket schedules may vary depending on location.

In short, this is one of the clearest signs yet that the energy crunch is already changing day-to-day life beyond gas stations and transport. Hindi lang presyo ang apektado—mall routines, movie schedules, and ordinary errands are getting reshuffled too.

Source: https://www.rappler.com/business/sm-robinsons-ayala-megaworld-shorter-mall-hours-energy-emergency-march-30-2026/