The designer toy giant POP MART has strengthened its presence in the Philippines with the opening of its second permanent store, this time at SM Aura Premier in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig City.
Located at Level 2 of the upscale mall, the new 164-square-meter space officially opened its doors to fans and collectors on January 16, 2026.
PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) was among the first to tour the newly opened store, joining several members of the media, celebrities, and influencers.
Here’s a look at what fans can expect inside the latest POP MART location.
INSIDE POP MART IN SM AURA
POP MART Philippines put fan-favorite SKULLPANDA in the spotlight for the store’s grand launch, featuring a massive sculpture inspired by “The Antigravity,” a blind-box figure from SKULLPANDA’s Image of Reality series.
For those unfamiliar with the character’s origins, SKULLPANDA was created by Chinese artist Xiong Miao.
She first introduced the character in late 2018 through her own studio, NORTH STUDIO, crafting it as an alter ego—an artistic reflection of herself expressed in a "freer, bolder, and more boundless form."
Before the SM Aura branch opened, Hirono and Labubu served as the spotlight characters for POP MART’s first-ever store in the Philippines, located at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.
The store also showcases dedicated zones for POP MART’s signature IPs, giving fans a closer look at creations such as Kasing Lung’s The Monsters, Mod-Nisa Srikamdee’s Crybaby, Ayan Deng’s Dimoo, and Lang’s Hirono, among many other beloved art toy lines.
Also on display are blind boxes from other fan-favorite IPs such as Hacipupu, Kubo, Pucky, Twinkle Twinkle, and Peach Riot, along with special collaborations featuring Harry Potter, Disney, and more.
As part of the grand opening, POP MART Philippines also rolled out several of its hottest current releases, including the Year of the Horse “Have A Good Run” plush pendant blind boxes and magnet blind boxes; the Pucky Tap Tap Baby plush pendant blind boxes; the Hirono Road Journal plush pendant and mini bag blind boxes; the Hirono x Child’s Play 200% figure; and the Mega Space Molly 400% figurine.
View this post on Instagram
CELEBRITIES SPOTTED
VIP guests also attended the event, with PEP.ph spotting several celebrities and influencers among the crowd.
Actress Nadine Samonte attended the event with her children. In a brief conversation with PEP.ph, she shared that her personal POP MART collection also includes several Mega-sized SKULLPANDA figures.
Talking about her favorites, she revealed, “My top three SKULLPANDA 1000%—my favorites are the Entangled, Egon Schiele, and Red Crystal.”
She explained why each one stands out: “Si Entangled kasi limited siya, parang 600 lang yata siya worldwide. Tapos si Egon Schiele, I love Egon kasi siya yung SKULLPANDA na naka-open yung eyes. Tapos si Red Crystal, which is my favorite color, red and black.”
Also spotted at the event was Jed Madela, a well-known celebrity collector of POP MART pieces, who was seen checking out some Dimoo blind boxes.
Inah de Belen arrived early as well and picked up a Crybaby phone lanyard during her visit.
Key executives from POP MART and SM Aura who were present at the occasion include Kai Fagara San Diego, SAVP for Leasing at SM Aura; Mishen Samonte, Head of Marketing for POP MART Philippines; Marilen Villamayor, Country Head of POP MART Philippines; and Steph Co, AVP for Operations at SM Aura.
Meanwhile, among the influencers and content creators spotted at the event were celebrity hairstylist Renz Pangilinan, Eli John Sotto, and Richmond Wendell.
READ MORE: