SM Prime Holdings, together with SM Cares and SM By the Bay once again took part in the annual International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), bringing together thousands of volunteers into an event that underscored the importance of protecting the world's seas, oceans, and other bodies of water. The event took place last September 17 at Pasay City's SM By the Bay Central Park and SM Mall of Asia Complex.
This year, 2,438 volunteers, including students, professionals, and others from various private and public organizations, participated in the ICC. An estimated 12,158 kg of rubbish, equivalent to 1,613 filled trash bags, was successfully collected at the conclusion of the exercise.
Among those who graced the event were Climate Change Commission Vice Chairperson Sec. Robert Borje, Department of Environment and Natural Resources-National Capital Region (DENR-NCR) Regional Executive Director Jacqueline A. Caancan, DENR-NCR Regional Executive Director for Technical Services Engr. Ignacio R. Almira, DENR-NCR Regional Strategic Communication and Initiatives Group Head Chris Villarin, DENR-NCR Communication Development Officer II Ariz Abad, SM Investments President and CEO and 2GO Group President and CEO Frederic DyBuncio, SM Prime Holdings Inc. SVP Glenn Ang, SM Supermalls SAVP for Operations Perkin So, SM By the Bay Mall Manager Marie Charlene Claire K. Canoy-Narvasa and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Philippines’ Markets and Assurance Executive Director Allan Cao.
SM By The Bay and SM Cares’ ICC event for this year was done in collaboration with different private and government agencies
The ICC is a yearly global event that encourages individuals to be part of the movement for cleaner seas and oceans. Every year, thousands of Filipinos from different backgrounds and communities volunteer to help keep the country's beaches and waterways clean.
"The International Coastal Clean Up is a component of the SM Green Movement as a whole. SM Prime's many Sustainability programs across its malls, apartments, hotels, and leisure assets promote resource conservation and environmental protection to enhance the quality of life in the communities it serves, "said Perkin So, SVP of Operations for SM Supermalls.
This year's event was made possible by SM Offices, 2GO, PwC, Maynilad, and International Coastal Clean Up Philippines. The DENR-NCR, the Climate Change Commission, and the Philippine Coast Guard were also present to provide their support.
Aside from the annual observance of ICC, other sustainability projects of SM Cares include the Trash-To-Cash Recycling Market where individuals can drop off their recyclable waste in exchange for cash; the Plastic Waste and Electronic Waste Collection Programs, which promote responsible plastic and electronic waste management affecting our seas, just to name a few.
SM Cares is the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Prime Holdings, responsible for initiatives that promote sustainability and the development of the community. SM Cares’ advocacies include programs on Women and Breastfeeding Mothers, Persons with Disabilities, Senior Citizens, and Children and Youth, as well as the Bike-Friendly SM initiative, in addition to its programs on the environment.
For more information, go to www.smsupermalls.com/smcares.
SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SMPHI) just recently made the announcement that it will be supporting the global hunt for women who are leaders in disaster resilience.
SMPHI continues to support the Women's International Network on Disaster Risk Reduction (WIN DRR) Leadership Awards, a flagship program of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). This is the second year in a row that SMPHI is sponsoring the awards.
Liza B. Silerio, vice president for corporate compliance at SMPHI, stated that the support aligns with the organization's efforts to acknowledge women's leadership in disaster risk reduction. "This is very important for getting other women to act fully and effectively toward gender equality and women's empowerment, and for building our strength as a group."
Mami Mizutori, the UN Secretary-Special General's Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, expressed gratitude for the support, stating, "The awards highlight the key role of women as leaders and agents of change in building resilience and actively participating in the creation and implementation of DRR strategies, policies, plans, and programs in their regions. Their experiences illustrate the multiplicity of solutions necessary to address the converging challenges of accelerated climate change and natural disasters in the region."
"We look forward to continuing our DRR relationship with SM," Secretary General Mizutori remarked.
After receiving 420 nominations from a total of 24 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the WIN DRR Excellence Awards 2022, which are sponsored by SM Prime, have narrowed their field down to 15 finalists. The name of the victor will be revealed at the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, which will take place in Brisbane on September 21, 2022. A one-time prize of $10,000 USD will be given to a deserving female professional who has made outstanding contributions to disaster risk reduction.
The SM Prime Holdings social commitment toward the empowerment, resiliency, good health, and well-being of women is aligned with the WIN DRR relationship in a way that is compatible with this commitment. Corporate social responsibility is the job of SM Cares, a part of the company that gives money to programs that help these causes.
The Women's International Network on Disaster Risk Reduction, often known as WIN DRR, is a professional network that aims to support women who are working in the field of disaster risk reduction in all of its diverse forms. Its overarching objective is to improve the ability of women in Asia and the Pacific to assume leadership roles and to strengthen their voice in the region's disaster risk reduction decision-making. SM Prime and Asia Pacific College are the organizations that provide the power behind the WIN DRR Philippine Network.
SM Prime, under its SM CARES initiative, teamed with UNDRR earlier this year to celebrate women's empowerment through a webinar on the role of women in disaster resilience. Mizutori underlined in her keynote address that "women's equal involvement and leadership in public life, including disaster risk reduction, is necessary and essential to fulfill the United Nations' sustainable development goals."
