Autism Society Gets a Virtual Hug from International Community

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For the first time in 17 years, Angels Walk – an annual march to bring awareness of autism in the Philippines – was viewed worldwide via livestream. The international autism community, along with families and supporters, saw a record-breaking number of participants march around the SM Mall of Asia grounds coming from inside the jampacked MOA Arena.

Around 24,000 online registrants expressed their interest to participate in this year’s event, with more on the wait-list trooping straight to the venue. The activity started inside the MOA Arena with entertainment coming from talented performers with autism, with no less than Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez cheering from the audience.

ASEAN Deputy Secretary General HE Dr. AKP Mochtan witnessed the event, along with Hans Sy of SM Prime Holdings, Annie Garcia of SM Supermalls, and other leaders from the public sector. Delegates from Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand were also present.

“We consider this event as one virtual group hug. Once a year, if you have a child with autism, you can come to MOA Arena without fear of judgment,” said Mona Magno-Veluz, president of Autism Society of the Philippines (ASP). “The theme is Philippines A-Ok, which means we want the Philippines to be okay with autism. We want a more inclusive society for autistic people where they get equal opportunities.” 

“This used to be just a gathering of parents with autism. Today, since we have grown by leaps and bounds, we have to be more sophisticated with mounting our event so we can appeal to this wider audience,” Veluz added.

ASP got a big boost from the free use of the venue, with volunteers giving their expertise in production. SM, through its CSR arm SM Cares, has been supporting Angels Walk since 2007.

“We took the challenge that Mr. Hans Sy gave us a few years back, to raise the number of participants for Angels Walk. True to his word, he gave us MOA Arena as a new venue to accommodate the thousands more who wanted to participate,” said Engr. Bien C. Mateo, SM VP for Operations and Director for Program on Disability Affairs. “In 2016, SM Food Retail started training persons with autism in several branches. There is an intention to continue and expand this program this year to more branches nationwide.”

Angels Walk was also held in Davao, Iloilo, Cebu, Tacloban, and other provincial areas. Delegates came to the MOA Arena from different parts of the country and abroad, coming from as far as the US and Canada. ASP is part of the ASEAN Autism Network, and is currently working for accreditation as ASEAN NGO.

SM toy bears bring joy to PWD kids

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There is something magical that every stuffed toy bear brings to its owner; but to a disadvantaged person, child or adult, the effect is passionately special. This is the inspiration that the Bears of Joy of SM Supermalls, through its SM Cares CSR arm, bring to every recipient.

For several years now, SM has been giving its special edition stuffed toy bear aptly called Bears of Joy to chosen depressed communities and partner organizations where an SM mall operates. This year, there are a total of 66 communities nationwide that will be receiving Bears of Joy for the yuletide. Some of the recipients will be 176 students with special needs of Lagro Elementary School, through the Autism Society of the Philippines (ASP) Lagro Chapter.

Marieta F. Tan, head of the ASP Lagro Chapter, said that this is the second time that the school will be receiving the special bears from SM. Judging from last year’s response from the recipients and their parents, Tan expects to see more happy smiles from the children with autism.

“It’s truly special because the toy bears are given in person by people from SM themselves. The kids really treasure the toys they are given, especially when they see that they are from SM. Once they see the brand, they already feel they belong,” Tan affirms. “They are familiar with SM since we are always invited to mall events where the kids get free entertainment and fun activities.”

ASP is only one of several PWD organizations that are being supported by SM Cares. The annual Angels Walk is especially held for ASP members.

Tan explains that something as simple as a toy bear can help a lot in taking care of a child with autism. “The bear serves as their companion – a close friend and confidante. The toy bears somehow calm them down whenever they have emotional breakdowns,” Tan said.

According to Tan, this particular project of SM Cares “has heart because they really think of ways to support PWDs and their families. Naiintindihan nila ang pangangailangan ng mga bata. Napakalaking bagay nito sa kanila.”

The SM Bears of Joy are being sold as pairs in participating SM malls nationwide. For every pair sold, one goes to the customer while the other goes to a recipient from an adopted community or organization.

SM Cares presents annual benefit show that gives cheer to more PWDs

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More independent and non-government organizations advocating the welfare of persons with disabilities (PWD) joined this year’s benefit concert dubbed “Pamaskong Handog for PWDs” organized by the Philippine Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled (PFRD). This annual event is a project coordinated with SM Cares, which is SM Supermalls’ corporate social responsibility arm.

Held for the 3rd year in a row at the Samsung Hall of SM Aura, this year’s concert saw participation from more organizations that include Alyansa ng May Kapansanang Pinoy (Akap-Pinoy), Autism Society of the Philippines (ASP), Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines (DSAPI), ADHD Society of the Philippines, Physicians for Peace, Tahanang Walang Hagdanan, among others. The concert is held every year to coincide not only with the celebration of Christmas, but of the International Day of Persons With Disabilities recognized by the United Nations.

The 2016 Pamaskong Handog for PWDs gave holiday cheer through live performances by Jose Mari Chan, Jun Polistico, Jun “Mr. Shooli” Urbano, and the Rockin’ 60s Band. 

“Most of the PWDs who saw the show come from the under-privileged sector of society. They do not regularly experience concerts like this, and this is an opportunity for them to feel the true meaning of sharing this Christmas – and on the International Day of PWDs at that,” said Manuel Agcaoili, president of PFRD.

Mr. Agcaoili also shared that there was a bigger audience this year because of the participation of more NGOs. PWD members came to enjoy the concert all the way from Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Pangasinan and Bicol.

SM has been known to give full support to various PWD groups in the Philippines. Aside from its annual Christmas presentation for PWDs, the mall company has been hosting events such as the Freedom Walk with Akap-Pinoy, Angels Walk with ASP, and Happy Walk with DSAPI.

How the Deaf and Blind Appreciate Movies Like Frozen

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Mr. Edgardo Bong Garcia, President of Deaf-Blind Support Philippines, with his family

Disney’s animated fantasy musical got us all singing “Let It Go”, out loud or in our heads, for days on end. Some of us may have probably seen the movie where it came from, “Frozen”, a thousand times. This record-breaking film is a must-see, not just for its magical visuals but also for the inspiring songs and music within the story. It would be a shame for anyone not to see it – including the visual and hearing impaired among us.

Fortunately, some of the students and faculty of the Philippine School for the Deaf and the Philippine School for the Blind got to enjoy the movie musical in all its glory. “Frozen” was one of three movies that SM is featuring on the second leg of its Movies for the Deaf and Blind program under its CSR arm, SM Cares. The Angelina Jolie-starrer “Maleficent” and the fantasy action film “Pan” are the other two films that the deaf and blind audiences can now enjoy in 20 SM cinemas nationwide.

In this kind of special movie, audio-description and closed captioning features are used. The audio-description involves a narrator who describes every key visual element in the movie that the blind is not able to see: the action, scene changes, the actors’ gestures, facial expressions, costumes, and even on-screen text. The narration is inserted in between pauses or in gaps within dialogues whenever possible so that the blind audience can follow and understand the unfolding story.

Closed captioning, on the other hand, is a higher level of “subtitles” as we know it. It transcribes the dialogue between the characters in the film and flashed directly below the scene. What makes it work better for the deaf audience is the fact that even the sound effects, ambient noise, and other sound that are important in the scenes are included in the caption.

“Frozen” being an animated film and a musical, one would think that it would be a stretch for either the deaf or the blind to fully appreciate it. But Mrs. Ligaya Coral, a 30-year teacher at the Philippine School for the Deaf proudly claims that the deaf students and their families actually loved the movie experience, adding that they can even perform the songs themselves through sign language.

“We are thankful that there are movies like these now. The kids can appreciate the movie without needing an interpreter for them to know what’s happening in the story,” Mrs. Coral said.

Ms. Liza Lyn Lopez, a blind teacher, especially loved “Love Is An Open Door”, a duet between Anna and Prince Hans. “This kind of project means a lot because we, the disabled, rarely get exposed to something like this,” she said, referring to the movie experience. 

Right now, a law had already been passed for using closed captioning in local productions. The MTRCB hopes to follow this up with audio-description soon. With partnerships between the private and public sector like SM, Deaf Blind Support Philippines, CALL Foundation of the Blind, and MTRCB, it would be possible to expect vernacular versions of audio-descriptive and close captioned movies as well.

1,000 concrete houses completed for super typhoon survivors

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Concrete from floor to ceiling, two hundred brand new houses were turned over recently in Ormoc to complete the targeted 1,000 units for the survivors of super typhoon Yolanda in various parts of the Visayas region. The houses were donated to the beneficiaries and are part of a project that was initiated immediately after the historic storm that devastated thousands of lives and property in November 8, 2013.

The housing project – initiated under SM Cares, and a division of SM Foundation – covered areas that were hardest hit by Yolanda. It started with the turnover of 200 houses in Bogo, Cebu a year after the typhoon in November 2014. In October 2015, 200 more houses were given to survivors in Iloilo. Early this May 2016, 400 houses in Barangay Kawayan, Tacloban were given to chosen beneficiaries.

The houses were designed and engineered to withstand disasters like super typhoons that may hit in the future. Aside from the disaster-resilient concrete houses, each SM Cares housing village is also planted with vetiver grass to help manage slopes and control soil erosion, sewage treatment, materials recovery facility, and rainwater catchment system.

Each beneficiary is carefully selected with the help of various NGOs and community groups, which conducted interviews and profiling. Melba de Luna, a 43-year old housewife, expressed her positive outlook by volunteering as a cooperative member in their community in Bgy. Kawayan.

“Dininig ng Diyos ang panalangin namin na bigyan kami ng bahay na safe. Ngayon kahit sobrang lakas ng hangin sa labas, hindi namin halos maramdaman. Sa kinikita ng asawa ko sa pagmamaneho, naglalaan kami para lalong pagandahin itong bahay naming.” (God heard our prayer to give us a safe house. Now even when the wind is strong outside, we can hardly feel it. With my husband’s earnings from driving, we save up to make this house look better.) Her husband drives a taxicab for a living" de Luna attested.

SM Cares’ housing project for the survivors of Yolanda was made possible by the selfless support of its customers, business partners, service providers, employees and local communities. Through these donors, SM was able to raise the necessary fund to complete 1,000 concrete homes where its owners can feel safer and more secure after what they went through three years ago.

Pinoy kids need to develop reading habits (SM Supermalls' National Children’s Book Reading Day)

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These present days, most people especially students have no much time to read books with all the subjects they have to study in school, plus the distraction from social activities, like using cell phone for texting, internet, computer for assignments and projects, facebook, messaging, and games, TV, DVDs and other gadgets. 

Here some updates on SM Supermalls' National Children’s Book Reading Day

Filipino children need to develop a habit of reading to improve literacy, according to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) during the celebration of SM Supermalls’ National Children’s Book Reading Day held simultaneously in all 58 SM malls nationwide, and seven in China. 

UNICEF emphasized on the importance of reading to children as much as possible, and at an early age. During the event, UNICEF ambassadors read books to select elementary school children per area. Daphne Osena-Paez and Lara Precious Quigaman were in SM Southmall, with Gary Valenciano taking the task in SM Megamall. Aside from UNICEF, the event was also in partnership with Vibal Publishing, National Bookstore and the Department of Education. The annual event is a project of SM Cares, SM Supermalls’ CSR arm, for children.

“Reading is very important, especially since we don’t have a reading culture in the Philippines. Our children are missing out on a lot of things,” said Michelle Parazo-Borromeo, head of UNICEF Private Fundraising and Partnerships. Boromeo cited studies that show young children who are read to everyday get their brains stimulated early for learning. Their learning ability, eventually, will be ahead of their peers.

Paez, who read to students of Almanza Elementary School in Las Pinas, believes that book reading in a mall is a good idea because it gives a chance to a wider audience to find out about the benefits of reading to children. “Having it in a fun place with a dynamic environment like SM, with celebrities reading to kids, gives the advocacy another dimension,” Paez said. UNICEF was able to show an animated visual aid to the kids through a large screen while the reading was taking place.

SM’s National Children’s Book Reading Day coincides with the 25thanniversary of the signing of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), of which the Philippines is a signatory. To commemorate this significant milestone in children’s rights, UNICEF reissued six of its published books that revolve around the themes on children’s rights, gender stereotypes, conflict resolution, among others.

When SM learned about the reissued books, the mall management suggested that UNICEF participate in their National Children’s Book Reading Day. It was iteration for the National Children’s Book Day, which was started more than 30 years ago by the Philippine Board on Books for Young People.

“What SM did is great because it’s more focused on reading,” Borromeo said. “We actually work a lot with SM because the company supports UNICEF’s advocacies like exclusive breastfeeding and proper nutrition.”

SM and UNICEF’s partnership began in 2008 under the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) program. It started with SM Drink for Two wherein every purchase of SM bottled water gives 25 centavos to UNICEF for the organization’s water sanitation facilities projects for schools and communities in the Philippines.

SM hosts UN-led series on disaster resiliency

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MORE PPPs PUSHED FOR DISASTER RESILIENCY

“It is time that we level up Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and put it into disaster management. We are all stakeholders and we all should do our part.” --- Defense Undersecretary Alexander Pama, Administrator of the Office of Civil Defense and Executive Director, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council

Disaster resiliency experts are pushing for more public-private partnership (PPP) projects to further boost risk reduction and management efforts to make the country better prepared in times of calamities and other emergencies.

This is was the consensus taken during the ARISE Philippines Forum hosted by SM Prime held last June 23 at the Mall of Asia Arena Annex (MAAX) Building to discuss the best practices on disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM). The forum was held in partnership with United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies.

Risk Reduction experts led by Defense Undersecretary Alexander Pama, Administrator of the Office of Civil Defense and Executive Director, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council; Dr. Renato Solidum Jr, Director of Philippine Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS); Dr. Mahar Lagmay, Executive Director of Project NOAH, Noel Gaerlan, Commissioner of the Philippine Climate Change Commission; and Rene Meily, President of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) agreed that there should be more government-private sector collaboration in DRRM.

Pama stressed that there should greater cooperation with the private sector not just to save lives but also protect properties and livelihood.

The one-day forum is geared towards providing businesses with an outline of the role of the private sector in disaster risk reduction and management. Middle to top managers of the leading companies attended the forum attended by industry experts to aid them in formulating strategies and making sound decisions in developing disaster-resilient companies, i.e., companies that can guarantee the continuity of provision of their products and services even in times of disaster and also sustain profitability and security of investments.

Gaerlan said the Philippines has become a role model in DRRM because of the strides it had achieved for the past several years but noted many still need to be done. One, he pointed out, is to make businesses better prepared for emergencies.

“Other countries admire our DRR initiatives but still a lot more room for improvement. We need stronger PPP partnerships because we are a lot stronger when we’re all working together,” he said.

Solidum, for his part, said an area which the private sector can make its impact felt in disaster resiliency is making sure its buildings and places of operations can withstand a 7.2 earthquake and the possible effects that may go with it including liquefaction and tsunami.

“Making sure that business survive a 7.2 magnitude earthquake and its aftereffects should be a main consideration of every business today because we have to make sure we are up and running the minute an earthquake stops,” he said.

Annie Garcia, President of SM Supermalls, said that with ARISE Philippines, SM is aiming to help energize DRRM by making businesses and the private sector better prepared to face emergencies.

“SM Prime’s long standing commitment to safeguard the areas in which we operate has led to our tireless pursuit towards a resilient, sustainable and responsible community for all. We invite more members of the private sector to promote UNISDR’s call to invest in DRR and to align with the Philippine government to create a risk-sensitive private sector to make disaster-resilient societies,” she said.

SM Cares, UNICEF, Tanghalang Pilipino and Camera Club celebrate the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (NDPR) Week, with guest of honor VP Leni Robredo

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Vice President Leni Robredo as the guest of honor at the  National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (NDPR) Week opening at the Music Hall of SM Mall of Asia, July 18, 2016 

Every child is uniquely gifted. Let"s talk about posibilities as we celebrate the abilities of children with disabilities through photo exhibit and stage play in selected SM malls.

The  National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (NDPR) Week was launched at the Music Hall of SM Mall of Asia last Monday, July 18, 2016 with Vice President Leni Robredo as the guest of honor.

SM Cares programs on PWD and Children, in partnership with UNICEF, Tanghalang Pilipino, and the Camera Club of the Philippines, celebrates the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (NDPR) Week starting July 18, 2016.

NDPR Week celebration's objective is to raise awareness and help create an inclusive environment for Children with Disabilities (CWDs) by highlighting their abilities instead of their disabilities.

This will be dramatized via informative and educational activities for mall-goers through Tanghalang Pilipino’s stage play entitled “Sandosenang Sapatos,”, and the Camera Club of the Philippines’ photo exhibit entitled “See What I Can Do” that depict the everyday lives of Children with Disabilities.

Here's the SCHEDULE OF National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (NDPR) Week

This initiative is just one of the collaborative efforts of SM Cares and UNICEF since being partners in 2008 to further the advocacy of SM to uphold the rights and welfare of children and persons with disabilities (PWDs).

SM Cares, a division of SM Foundation Inc., is the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Prime Holdings, Inc. As a responsible mall developer, SM ensures that its CSR programs serve as a catalyst for positive change for the community.

SM Cares has six advocacies, mainly are programs for:

• Persons with Disabilities
• Senior Citizens
• Children and Youth
• Women and Breastfeeding
• Overseas Filipino Workers (The SM Global Pinoy)
• Environment

​SM and UNICEF have worked together in various projects such as the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene or the WASH Project wherein a portion of the sale of SM’s bottled water goes to the organization’s efforts to provide clean drinking water to various provinces in the country. To date, it has already helped more than 113,000 school children across the country.

To know more about SM Cares’ programs for Children, and PWDs, you may visit:www.smcares.com.ph or www.facebook.com/OfficialSMCares

Thousands join Freedom Walk for PWDs in SM Megamall - “For Each Right-Full Step, Barriers We Break”

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Some one thousand Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and their families converged at the SM Megamall last June 18 to join this year’s Freedom Walk to push for greater inclusivity of PWDs in society, especially in the work force.

Dubbed “For Each Right-Full Step, Barriers We Break,” this year’s Freedom Walk led by AKAP Pinoy also marked the turnover of the event from Pasay City to Mandaluyong City with Mayor Benhur Abalos personally accepting this year’s task of being the host city of the PWDs event.

The participants, many in wheelchairs, traversed Julia Vargas and San Miguel Avenue in Mandaluyong carrying banners and streamers.

Also present were Annie Garcia, President of SM Supermalls, Steven Tan, Senior Vice President of SM Supermalls, a representative of Pasay City Mayor Calixto, and representatives from the different Metro Manila city governments and non-governmental organizations.

Retired Navy Captain Oscar Taleon, AKAP Pinoy President, said they are extremely delighted with the turnout as it reflects on the growing awareness of the public on their condition. 

The Freedom Walk, which is on its 6th year, started in 2010 in Quezon City. Taleon said this is their way of pushing for full integration for them be productive members of society. “This is the participation of our group to the Philippine Independence Day celebration and it also an expression of our desire to have our freedom from our barriers. We would like to eliminate the barriers that hinder us from full participation in society that is on equal basis with others,” he said.

While the National Statistics Office places the number of PWDs in the Philippines at 1.5 million, Taleon said the number has now reached 9 million citing the World Health Organization. “That number of 1.5 million is too low because the WHO has given an estimate of 9 million PWDs in the Philippines,” he said.

Taleon also noted that while their group is happy with the legislations that have given them rights and privileges, implementation is still very much a concern.

Taleon lamented that not all PWDs are aware of the law giving rights and discounts to them which is the reason why many still have to avail of the full benefits of the law. “We have that discount legislation but not everybody is enjoying it mainly because of lack of awareness and the limitations to getting it because we have to get disability card first before we can have the discount so it is quite difficult for many of us,” he pointed out. 

He added that while the last mandates the establishment of People with Disabilities Affairs Offices (PDAOs) in all local government units all over the country, many have to comply with the law.

“The problem really is the implementation and until we implement the law fully, a lot of things need to be done,” he said.

He then thanked SM and its corporate social responsibility arm, SM Cares, for hosting the event saying SM has always been their partner in upholding the rights of PWDs. “SM have shown the way for other establishments on how to treat people like us and we are very glad that it has always been there for us,” he said.

Taleon said they will continue to hold the Freedom Walk until their full inclusion is realized. “We will continue to do this until we would have achieved inclusion. And for as long as we have partners in government and in the private sector like SM, then I am confident that slowly we would get there,” Taleon concluded.

The SM Bears Of Joy promotion will run only until Dec. 31, 2015

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The SM Bears of Joy gives you the chance to do something nice this Holiday Season. 

Visit the Toy Fair in select SM Supermalls, where you can buy two bears for only P200. One is yours to keep and the other will be donated to a child in need. 

Don't forget to write your name on the name tags and leave a special message to cheer up the child who will receive your gift smile emoticon

The SM Bears Of Joy promotion will run only until Dec. 31, 2015.

SM Cares.

SM execs meet U.S. State Official to discuss PWD rights advocacy

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In a short visit to the Philippines this week, U.S. Special Advisor on Disability Rights Judith Heumann met with executives of SM Supermalls to discuss the company’s programs on the social inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PWD). SM, through its corporate social responsibility arm SM Cares, has been strongly promoting a barrier-free and disability-inclusive environment for everybody for many years now.

Vice President for Operations and Program Director for SM Cares Committee on Disability Affairs Bien Mateo presented to Special Advisor Heumann some of SM Cares’ initiatives like the Angels Walk for Autism, the Happy Walk for Down Syndrome, the special screening of movies for the deaf and the blind, earthquake preparedness conference for PWDS, and the special voters’ registration for PWDs and senior citizens. He also showcased the PWD assistance training that they require to all of their front liners.

(Seated, L-R): Manuel Agcaoili, President, Philippine Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled (PFRD); Judith Heumann, Special Advisor for International Disability Rights from the US Department of State; Annie S. Garcia, President, SM Supermalls.

(Standing, L-R): Former Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, Consultant, SM Cares; Arch. Jaime Silva, United Architects of the Philippines; Grace Magno, VP for Advertising, SM Supermalls; Bien Mateo, VP Operations and Program Director for SM Cares Committee on Disability Affairs; Rachael Parrish, Political Officer, US Embassy; Allison Colburn, DRL Assistant, Office of SADR Judith Heumann, Department of State; Jennifer Schuett, DRL Public Diplomacy, ‎Office of SADR Judith Heumann, Department of State.

SA Heumann expressed appreciation for all the projects presented, most especially for the satellite voters’ registration being held at SM malls nationwide. According to her, making the registration more accessible to PWDs foster a more inclusive election process.

SA Heumann notes, “In many countries, I have noticed that while facilities are improving, inaccessibility is growing as well. I am very happy to learn about this unique model that SM is implementing where the principles of PWD inclusion are integrated with work. I really want to commend SM for the great job they are doing here and for being a leader in PWD advocacies.

During SA Heumann’s visit, SM Cares also arranged a roundtable discussion with the different PWD rights groups including former Isabela Governor Grace Padaca, Philippine Institute for the Deaf Principal Maricris Ibayan, UP SPED Area Cluster Coordinator Prof. Myra Trinidad-Tantengco, DLSU-CSB School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies Prof. Maria Veronica Templo-Perez, Autism Society of the Philippines President Mona Magno-Veluz, Philippine National School for the Blind Dr. Rosalie Condes, Metropolitan Museum of Manila representative Johan Araro, St. Joseph’s College SPED consultant Dr. Elvira Rocal, Philippine Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Differently-abled President Noli Agcaoili, United Architects of the Philippines Ar. Jaime Silva, Tahanang Walang Hagdan Chief Operating Officer Joy Cevallos-Garcia, and Paralympian Weightlifter Adeline Dumapong. The roundtable session provided an avenue for the advocates to discuss their concerns and challenges with the Special Advisor.

SM Supermalls President Annie Garcia shares, “We are dedicated to helping people as much as they expect us and as much as how we think we can do. Our more than 10 years of partnership with these advocacy groups is a testament to that. From all fronts, you can trust that SM will continue to promote awareness, acceptance, and commitment to upholding PWD rights.”

For more than a decade now, SM has been living up to its commitment of being “a mall where no one gets left behind.” This recent engagement with the U.S. State Government’s Special Advisor on Disability Rights further affirms SM’s position as the most PWD-friendly mall in the country.

To know more about SM Cares and its program on Disability Affairs, you may visit www.smcares.com.ph orwww.facebook.com/OfficialSMCares.

SM shares PWD social inclusion efforts in US Embassy Forum

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Photo shows (L-R) SM Supermalls President Annie Garcia,  US Ambassador Philip Goldberg, SM VP Bien Mateo and United Architects of the Philippines’ Committee on Accessibility Chair, Arch. Jaime Silva during the event.

Just days after the culmination of the Philippine National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week, the U.S. Embassy held a forum to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) act. The forum, entitled “PWD Rights: Diversity and Social Inclusion”, served as an avenue for inclusive dialogue between PWD advocacy groups and various stakholders like the academe, the government, and private companies.

Distinguished members of the panel included Senator Sonny Angara, Honorable US Ambassador Philip Goldberg, National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) Executive Director Carmen Zubiaga, Executive Vice President and CEO of Tahanang Walang Hagdanan (TWH) Joy Cevallos-Garcia, Be-medaled Paralympian Powerlifter Adeline Dumapong, and SM Vice President for Operations and Program Director of Disability Affairs Bien Mateo.

US Ambassador Goldberg expressed his gratitude to all the stakeholders present during the forum, with special mention to SM, which according to him has done so much in the area of disability affairs.

SM VP Mateo affirmed during his talk that SM is strongly advocating for PWD inclusion and that several programs under SM Cares underscore this advocacy. Some of the projects he mentioned were the Angels Walk for Autism, the Happy Walk for Down Syndrome, the earthquake resilience briefing for Senior Citizens and PWDs, and the SM Supermalls’ special screening of audio descriptive movies for the blind and the deaf.

The forum concluded with the agreement that providing equal opportunities and helping PWDs to become active and contributing members of the community are necessary in creating a caring, nurturing, and more sustainable society.

SM Supermalls presents Green Film Festival for high school students

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The SM Environment Committee aims to involve education as a primary way to support communities and cultivate the love of the earth. 

In a bid to raise awareness on the current state of environment to encourage positive action towards preserving the eco-system, SM Supermalls kicked off its environmental advocacy project, the Green Film Festival (GFF) by showing its first documentary to hundreds of public high school students at the SM Megamall cinema.

The GFF screening was held last Tuesday and was attended by officials from the Climate Change Commission (CCC), Department of Education (DepEd), Movies and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and representatives from the USAid. The project aims to educate and make Filipinos aware to the plight of our earth today through a visual information campaign for eco-awareness.

Students from the Neptali Gonzales High School in Mandaluyong City were shown a 45-minute TV documentary produced by GMA 7 called “Pagbangon” which tells the story of survivors of super typhoon Yolanda especially in Eastern Visayas and how they coped with the tragedy and rose from the devastation.

Visit GFF,  held every third Tuesday of the month, from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM, except for the months of March and December which will have special screenings dates on the first Tuesday of the month due to class schedules.

The screenings will be shown to students for free in 49 cinemas in various SM Supermalls and six Walter Mart malls all over the country. The GFF is a project of SM Cares, a Division of SM Foundation and the CSR arm of SM Prime Holdings, Inc., in partnership with MTRCB, DepEd and the CCC. Special screenings will also be held to reach out to the 1.9M out of school youth in the country.

Liza Silerio, Program Director of SM Cares Committee on Environment and Sustainability, said they aim to reach 1 million grade school and high school students which is the reason why the malls are encouraged to add more screen dates for special student groups to reach the goal.

“We want to spread the environmental advocacy using the visual medium and through this festival, we want students to see the beauty of our planet, teach them value of conserving our shared resources and plan and practice environmental efforts towards a sustainable future for our children’s children,” Silerio said.

CCC head Secretary Mary Ann Lucille Sering, who was present during the initial screening told the crowd that there is a need for countries worldwide to unite in the light of the worsening effects of climate change and work to address the problem.

She said the government is doing its part locally through its public information drive to raise people’s awareness on the changes happening in their country and on how they would prepare for future calamities.

Silerio stressed that SM has always been involved in environmental conservation advocacy and projects. She said SM Prime Holdings President, Mr. Hans T. Sy, is a member of the Private Sector Advisory Group (PSAG) of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and has committed to furthering disaster awareness locally, in places of operation as well as the malls’ tenants and customers who are considered stakeholders in the company.

SM Prime Holdings created the SM Cares program which consolidates Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, ranging from environmental conservation, assistance to persons with disabilities and special needs, elderly and nursing mothers, as well as care for children, women and OFWs. 

“We highlight our award-winning projects that include, among others the Trash to Cash recycling market held in the malls every first Friday and Saturday of the month, the Green Retail Agenda forum for mall tenants, contractors, and suppliers and of course, the SM Supermalls Green Bag. The SM Environment Committee aims to involve education as a primary way to support communities and cultivate the love of the earth. These are some of the projects that show our support for the community.” Silerio said.

The SM Environment Committee is just one of the groups under SM Cares and it specifically aims to promote environmental sustainability through, mall, tenant and community endeavors while simultaneously combining “going green” with good business.

To know more about SM Cares, please visit :

 www.smcares.com.ph,

www.facebook.com/OfficialSMCares 

or email smcares@smsupermalls.com.

SM Marks Earth Day with Trash to Cash - “Earth Day Every Day, Everywhere for Everyone”

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It's the Trash to Cash Day! 

“Earth Day Every Day, Everywhere for Everyone”

Highlighting this year’s Earth Day celebration, the Trash to Cash recycling was set up across all 51 SM Supermalls nationwide.

Trash to Cash at SM City Manila (https://instagram.com/msmyrnz/)

Everyone is invited to go to any of the 51 SM Supermalls nationwide, to exchange their trash for cash on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at assigned parking areas in the malls.

Trash that are acceptable are plastic and PET bottles, tin and aluminum cans, books, newspapers and scratch papers, furniture made of wood, metal cookware and kitchen items, and similar items. (Not accepted due to their hazardous content however are batteries (Penlight, Double A) ink cartridge, computer, television and other electronic wastes.

The Trash to Cash Recycling Market is one of SM’s institutional environmental programs as it aims to engage the community in recycling efforts and hopes to teach them to minimize and manage solid waste.

According to Liza Silerio, Program Director for SM Cares Environment and Sustainability Committee: “Sustainability has been at the core of SM operations and developments and solid waste management is one of the pillars of our sustainability efforts. We also have initiatives in water recycling, air quality and energy efficiency.”

SM Supermalls is taking its Trash to Cash initiative a notch further as it moves to involve not just its mall tenants and customers but the communities and local government as well.

SM’s Earth Day celebration is in partnership with Earth Day Network Philippines (EDNP) and the Department of Natural Resources (DENR).

But more than the celebrations, Silerio said, Earth Day should be a conscious effort in our everyday lives. “The theme for the 2015 Earth Day is ‘Earth Day Every day, Everywhere, for Everyone.’ What could be a more fitting message than that? Observing Earth Day should be every day and by all of us wherever we may be. And we hope to get this consciousness across through these activities.”

SM will also support the 2015 PRO (Protect, Respect, Oversee) Earth Run on Saturday, April 25, 2015 at the SM Mall of Asia grounds in Pasay City. The event is presented by Earth Day Network Philippines. The event starts at 4:30 A.M. Interested participants are encouraged to register online at www.earthdayphilippines.org

For more details, the public may call (+632) 876-1111 (Standard charges apply), visit www.smcares.com.ph, www.facebook.com/OfficialSMCares or email smcares@smsupermalls.com.

Don't forget to bring your recyclables at any SM Supermall, from 10AM to 4PM at the mall's open parking area.

Happy Recycling!

8th World Autism Awareness Day celebration with the Theme: Employment: The Autism Advantage

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The 8th World Autism Awareness Day celebrations and Light-It-Up Blue Ceremony held last Monday, April 6, 2015 at the Music Hall of SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City. SM Cares Program on Disability Affairs, in partnership with Autism Hearts Philippines, host the local observance of the event with the Theme: Employment: The Autism Advantage.

The event inform the public of the importance of World Autism Awareness Day and employers of the prospects of hiring more individuals with autism.

SM Cares Program Director for Disability Affairs Bien C. Mateo, and  Fashion Designer and Textile Technologist Anthony Cruz Legarda, express that the program focused on the advantages of hiring young people with autism.

Every year, autism organizations around the globe celebrate World Autism Awareness Day to create better understanding of the lives of people with autism and their families.

Autism Hearts Foundation Director Ms. Solinda Bautista and National Council on Disability Affairs Executive Director Ms. Carmen Zubiaga, expresses hope and optimism that with continued work on informing the public about autism and the potentials of people with autism.

The 8th World Autism Awareness celebration hopes for job prospects for people with autism  and more opportunities would open up for them.

As affirmation of the relevance of this event, the UN estimates that more than 80% of adults with autism remain unemployed despite their potential. 

“Research suggests that employers are missing out on abilities that that people on the autism spectrum have in greater abundance than ‘neurotypical’ workers do – such as, heightened abilities in pattern recognition and logical reasoning, as well as a greater attention to detail,” it stated.

The hurdles that need to be overcome to unleash this potential include: a shortage of vocational training, inadequate support with job placement, and pervasive discrimination.

The event hosted by news anchor TJ Manotoc, also feature the Filipino Fashion Arts Autism Benefit, where designs by four children with autism will be brought to life in a fashion show by Filipino-American designer Anthony Legarda.

(https://instagram.com/msmyrnz/)

Two of the country’s most notable designers, Anna India Legaspi and Anthony Cruz Legarda took time to teach and guide selected number of young people with autism to paint on piña cloth.  Their finish products will then be exhibited via the Filipino Fashion Arts Autism Benefit Project for the whole world to see.

Present during the event were four of the five individuals selected to perform the task led by Best Buddies ambassador and Unilab Employee Vico Cham, Nick Huang, Ralph Sy and Nina Bantoto (she was not able to attend the program).

After a parade at the Mall of Asia compound, the event culminates at the Globe, where we're join by other countries in “lighting it up blue” in honor of every individual and family affected by autism.

A project made possible through the Autism Hearts Foundation in cooperation with the Unilab Foundation.

The United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day (A/RES/62/139) to highlight the need to help improve the quality of life of children and adults, who are affected by autism, so they can lead full and meaningful lives.

Photos: Arts Travel Magazine