It's Me, Daddy Ryan!

  1700 children celebrate Earth Day at SM malls nationwide. SM Supermalls, in collaboration with its corporate social responsibility arm, SM Cares, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), local government units, and partner schools and organizations joined the rest of the world in celebrating Earth Day at SM malls nationwide on April 22, 2023. With the theme “Invest In Our Planet, Invest In Our Youth,” SM Supermalls and SM Cares lined up various activities that aimed to raise awareness among children and their families about the importance of coming together across various sectors to take care of the environment. SM malls nationwide simultaneously held relevant and impactful celebrations with activities such as Children’s Storytelling, Coloring, and Sustainability Tours, gathering 1700 children and 350 employee volunteers. These activities aimed to encourage everyone in the family, particularly the young ones, to protect and respect Mother Earth. Earth Day is an...

  Metro Manila is comprised of 16 cities and 1 municipality – is the economic, political, and cultural capital. Metro Manila’s forecast of becoming a global power city is challenged by the consequences of rapid urbanization. The UN-Habitat lists the effects of climate change, natural disasters that hamper urban infrastructures and city competitiveness, unequal livability, job creation, and poverty reduction. Is there a way out of Metro Manila’s challenges? Architect and urban designer Chintan Raveshia, and urban planner and sustainability consultant Tony Chan of Singapore-based Arup emphasize urban development should also consider people’s  aspirations, it's changing needs and expectations, and the national identity of the residents. Finding the identity of the city Raveshia inspires responsible stakeholders to ask themselves first the most fundamental question: “What’s the identity of the city and how do we make its residents proud?” He quips, “Singapore, a city that is high ...

SM Prime Holdings Inc.   (SM Prime) has partnered with the  University of the Philippines Los Baños   (UPLB) to further promote the country’s pursuit of sustainable development. Through a scholarship grant, SM Prime aims to assist select students pursue undergraduate degrees in Bachelor of Science in Human Ecology (BSHE) and Bachelor of Science in Forestry (BSF) – courses geared towards sustainability. The scholarship will be awarded to students from low-income households in Pasay City intended to provide better employment prospects and help reduce poverty and inequality, which are major obstacles to sustainable development. Members of the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) and SM Prime Holdings Inc ink partnership to create scholarships geared towards sustainable development. Present during the signing are (From left) UPLB College of Forestry and Natural Resources Dean Marlo Mendoza, UPLB College of Human Ecology Dean Dr. Ricardo Sandalo, SM Prime AVP and Hea...

While access to quality healthcare continues to be hampered by challenges, medical missions have become an increasingly vital source of support for low-income communities. Through time, they have gone beyond providing medical care and have taken up a new role: transforming the lives of individuals and communities. The SM Foundation, Inc.  (SMFI) recognizes just this, so it has made its mission to travel from Luzon to Mindanao to provide free medical care and services to thousands of patients from various hard-pressed communities. Just recently, the medical mission team headed to the cities of Tuguegarao and Cauayan in Northern Luzon and provided services to thousands of low-income families. Two of them are Roland Bariuan and Angeline Cacanindin.  Strength to do more Roland Bariuan takes home free medicines after his medical check-up. Roland has been a tricycle driver in Tuguegarao City since 1994. But, two years ago, he suddenly felt weak and had to spend money on medical cons...

As renewed interest in cocktails continues to grow, bartenders are also taking the spotlight, and in El Nido and Siargao, two bartenders are paving the way for women to shine in a male-dominated industry. Sharleen Antonio works with her husband and fellow bartending professional, Larry Guevara, in one of Palawan’s top beach destinations. Riza Delguime, meanwhile, is a bartender for a leading resort in the country’s surfing haven.   Creating Tanduay-Infused Cocktails Both women have been bartending for years and share a preference for Tanduay in creating cocktail s. “It’s very easy to mix in cocktails because of its unique and bold character. I usually go for the classic Tanduay Dark Rum in my root beer and rum with a squeeze of fresh lemon,” Antonio said. She shared that they used Tanduay rums in her bar management class back in college, so she is very familiar with the brand. Collaborating with the brand, she came up with three Tanduay-infused cocktails that are perfect for any ti...

Teaching surpasses the realms of jobs or professions–it encompasses service, vocation, and life mission. Proving this day and night are millions of Filipino teachers who stand as second mothers to students. One of them is Rosalie Macaspac, an SM scholar alumna who chose to pursue a career in Special Education (SPED). Life’s work Choosing to teach, especially pursue SPED, is a path less traveled. Out of over 800,000 public school teachers, only about 4,000 are in SPED, and Rosalie is one of the few who took the path. For 21 years now, the SM scholar alumna has dedicated her life to teaching SPED students. She wanted to empower and give special children a voice by advocating the welfare of deaf learners. Rosalie Macaspac (left) interprets the contents of the program for her students. With much dedication and determination to have the right skills for her students, she pursued graduate studies in special education and Filipino sign language at the Philippine National University and De La ...

Stability is the foundation of a well-lived life. With basic needs fulfilled, people have the opportunity to develop themselves, explore various facets of life, and contribute to the welfare of the community. When aspiring youth, especially those from low-income households, are given the chance to stand on solid ground, they readily take the chance. They utilize it as a seedbed where they can cultivate their dreams and aspirations. One testament to this is SM scholar alumna Jonnah Jane Sacamay, who grew up in a family where stability seemed like uncharted territory. Years back, Jonnah’s family’s main source of living was flower farming. This made them walk on a thin line as the demand for flowers was seasonal, and they were also often affected by unpredictable weather disturbances.  But while they had journeyed through life with uncertainty, they had always planted in her mind the power of education. “Given that the nature of farming is very seasonal, our income is not stable. Asid...