ARISE PH announces first Board of Directors, 2021 agenda: SM Prime’s Hans Sy encourages members to make DRR their advocacy

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ARISE Philippines convened and announced its first batch of Board of Directors in a virtual meeting held last Friday. The new and pioneering Board exchanged ideas and further discussed the next steps of the organization to formally set in motion the Alliance’s initial and forthcoming activities to achieve its goal of a disaster-resilient Philippines. 

Challenge accepted! ARISE (Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies) PH Board of Directors convenes for the first ARISE PH Virtual Board Meeting this year. In the photo, from upper left, are Liza Silerio, PH Representative, ARISE Global; Kenneth Hartigan-Go, MD, MD (UK) School Head, Asian Institute of Management; Antonia Yulo Loyzaga, President, National Resilience Council; VAdm Alexander P. Pama AFP (ret), Consultant for Disaster Resilience, SM Prime Holdings Inc.; Ed Sunico, Vice President, Unilever Philippines; Dr. Erdsan Rene S. Suero, DPA, National President, Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, Inc.; Raymond Rufino, Chief Executive Officer, NEO; Hans T. Sy, Chairman of the Executive Committee, SM Prime Holdings Inc.; Rene Meily, President, Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF); Ma. Teresita Medado, PhD, President, Asia Pacific College; Alex B. Cabrera, Chairman and Senior Partner, PwC Philippines; and, Maribeth Marasigan, President and Chief Operating Officer, Aboitiz Foundation.

ARISE (Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies) Philippines is a local network of the Global ARISE network, led by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) where companies from the private sector are enabled to build and develop strategies to make their companies and its constituents resilient to disaster risk. The network supports the UN Office for Disaster Reduction (UNDRR) in its effort to pursue the Sendai Framework for Action for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-20130, a UN endorsed International agreement aimed to achieve “The substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health and in the economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets of persons, businesses, communities and countries”.

The Board of Directors is composed of exemplary men and women who are top leaders from various private sector member companies and organizations with the passion and purpose and commitment to make the Philippines a more sustainable and resilient nation through engaging and energizing the private sector in activities that are aligned with ARISE’s goals. The newly elected directors are:

● Hans T. Sy, Board Member and, Co-Chair, Chairman of the Executive Committee, SM Prime Holdings Inc. 

● VAdm Alexander P. Pama AFP (ret), Board Member and Co-Chair, Consultant for Disaster Resilience, SM Prime Holdings Inc. 

● Alex B. Cabrera, Board Member and Vice-Chair, Chairman and Senior Partner, PwC Philippines 

● Ma. Teresita Medado, PhD, Board Member and Treasurer, Asia Pacific College, President

● Maribeth Marasigan, Board Member, President and Chief Operating Officer, Aboitiz Foundation

● Kenneth Y. Hartigan-Go, MD, MD (UK), Board Member, School Head, Asian Institute of Management

● Raymond Rufino, Board Member, Chief Executive Officer, NEO

● Rene “Butch” Meily, Board Member, President, Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF)

● Ed Sunico, Board Member, Vice President, Unilever Philippines

● Antonia Yulo Loyzaga, Board Member, President, National Resilience Council

● Dr. Erdsan Rene S. Suero, DPA, Board Member, National President, Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, Inc

In his welcoming remarks, Former ARISE Global Board Member and ARISE PH Co-Chair, Mr. Hans T. Sy persuaded the board to make institutionalization of disaster risk reduction as a business strategy an important part of the organization’s advocacy. 

“Consider that your election to the ARISE Board means that you are part of the integral and growing worldwide movement. As a member, you will have first-hand access to the current life-saving and critical knowledge in DRR methodologies. You’ll be able to strengthen your own company’s DRR using the network that welcomes you with open arms and you will share your programs to help others in return. We can’t predict a crisis or disaster but we can better prepare, and I am sure you will all agree with me that DRR as a good business strategy should be our advocacy,” he said.

During the meeting, VAdm Alexander P. Pama AFP (ret), Board Member and Co-Chair, laid down the organization’s initial plans in response to the COVID-19 crisis in the country. He noted that the organization will likewise have to undertake a significant paradigm shift in order to achieve its vision and mission given that the pandemic has fundamentally upended the nature of the corresponding DRR models.

“We have initially lined up activities to be undertaken in order for ARISE Philippines to rise up to the occasion and immediately address the needs to re-energize the private sector for the attainment of our vision of a disaster-resilient and prosperous country and society,” Vice Admiral Pama shared.

The initial plans include the Annual General Membership Meeting 2020; Review and Reassessment of Arise Philippines Goals and Objectives with the ARISE Four (4) Priority Areas such as integrating DRR into the financial sector decision making, building the resilience of SMEs, resilient infrastructure, and the role of insurance in DRR and resilience; Setting up KPIs and Target Accomplishments; and, Work Plan for 2020-2023 as the main activity references and drivers. These plans will be further discussed and fine-tuned by the members in the coming days. 

ARISE Vice Chair Alex Cabrera noted that the pandemic is a sufficient motivation for the Board to succeed in its goals. “Our job today is pretty much cut out in building a resilient business community and resilient society… I will be very interested to work on what kind of partnerships we can do with the public sector as well and how can we improve the quality of intervention of the public sector in helping ARISE achieve its purpose as an organization,” Cabrera added.

PDRF’s President and ARISE Board Member Butch Meily, on the other hand, encouraged all the members to stand united in boosting their DRR efforts amid the crisis. “If there's one thing that we've learned in this pandemic is that we all have to work together… Unless we are all safe, no one is safe, and I think it's time for the ARISE Board to come together,” he told the members. 

Ms. Toni Loyzaga, National Resilience Council President and ARISE Board Member for her part said that, “We (at the NRC) look forward to even close collaboration with ARISE Philippines as it steers the course (of) this country for evidence-based private sector partnerships in pursuit of DRR and resilience development.”

Meanwhile, PH representative to the ARISE Global Board, Liza Silerio lauded the members’ selfless service and commitment in the acceptance of this critical position.  “It (election of local board) proves that the Philippine Private Sector is united in its strong desire to make a mark in the country’s Disaster Risk Reduction. This coming together of diverse private sector groups manifested a mutually energized partnership and convergence,” Silerio said.

To know more about ARISE Philippines, you may contact its secretariat through arisephilippines@smprime.com or visit  https://cc.preventionweb.net/arise/asia_pacific/arise_philippines

Buy, sell, or hold? Trading Tactics Will Guide Your Stock Picks

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Opportunities are present whether the stock market is bullish or bearish, but how to strategize to accumulate the best return on investments requires some expert advice. 

This is what online trading platform BDO Nomura Securities, the joint venture company between BDO Unibank and Nomura Holdings of Japan, recently did via the launch of “Trading Tactics,” a session featuring market intel straight from industry movers. Said event was shown live on Facebook as well. 

Straight from the experts. BDO Nomura Securities launches “Trading Tactics,” a series of sessions featuring market intel straight from the industry movers. In the photo (from left to right) are Bernhard Tsai, chief operating officer of BDO Securities; John Nai Peng Ong, chief finance officer of SM Prime Holdings; Koichi Katakawa, president of BDO Nomura; Timothy Daniels, head of investor relations of SM Investments Corp.; Alexander Escucha, senior vice president and head of investor and corporate relations group of Chinabank; Richard Tan, first vice president of investor relations and corporate planning of BDO; and Walter Yap, assistant vice president and head of retail sales of BDO Nomura.

“While stocks are perceived by many as risky investments, they are still considered as a better performer vis-à-vis any other type of security over time. With Trading Tactics, we will be able to create options for our clients to position their portfolio of investments,” said Koichi Katakawa, president of BDO Nomura. 

Trading Tactics. Koichi Katakawa, president of BDO Nomura, opens the first session of “Trading Tactics,” which features the SM Group, one of the country’s diversified conglomerates. Shown live on BDO Unibank’s Facebook page, the video has been played nearly 300,000 times since its October 19 airing.

The first Trading Tactics featured the SM Group, one of the country’s diversified conglomerates. 

SM Investments Corp. (SMIC) head of investor relations Timothy Daniels said growth prospects are still abundant for the group, whose core businesses are retail, integrated property development and banking. 

For first-timers or investors looking for stocks to put in their investment basket, he said the following attributes of the SM group can serve as a guidance: 

• It is a leading proxy for the Philippine growth story;

• SM is among the best regarded companies in the world;

• It looks after its stakeholders—as an incubator of business, catalyst for developing communities and an enabler for vendors, tenants, and other MSMEs;

• It is a top employer with international recognition; and

• It is recognized as being responsible and sustainable, as measured against global standards.

“Despite having achieved the scale we have today, you might be surprised to hear that we think we are still quite small. Because in all of our business, in each of the sectors we participate in, the potential for growth is still huge,” said Daniels. 

In retail for instance, less than a third of food today is sold in a modern format. In the propertysector, on the other hand, the country still needs over 5 million new homes and even more in the future. Meanwhile in banking, only about five percent of Filipinos have a mortgage or a credit card today, and about 60% of Filipino adults don’t even have bank accounts. 

“The biggest opportunities are in the many provinces where incomes are rising fastest and the growing population is not yet served very well—especially in Visayas and Mindanao and also in Northern Luzon,” noted Daniels. 

Called by market experts as a growth stock, the SM Group has rewarded investors over the last 10 years with an average share price increase of 25% a year. 

“Though we can never guarantee to always deliver that kind of financial return, especially as we grow larger over time, we do guarantee to keep growing responsibly and sustainably; to stay close to our customers and doing what we do well; and to bring our stakeholders, including our investors, with us on that journey,” Daniels promised. 

Apart from Daniels, other speakers include John Nai Peng Ong, chief finance officer of SM Prime Holdings; Richard Tan, first vice president of investor relations and corporate planning of BDO; Alexander Escucha, senior vice president and head of investor and corporate relations group of Chinabank; and, Bernhard Tsai, chief operating officer of BDO Securities.

About BDO Unibank, Inc.

BDO is a full-service universal bank which provides a wide range of corporate and retail banking services. These services include traditional loan and deposit products, as well as treasury, trust and investments, investment banking, private banking, rural banking, cash management, leasing and finance, remittance, insurance, retail cash cards, credit card services, and stock brokerage services.

BDO has one of the largest distribution networks, with more than 1,300 operating branches and over 4,400 ATMs nationwide. It also has full-service branches in Hong Kong and Singapore as well as 21 overseas remittance and representative offices in Asia, Europe, North America, and the Middle East.

BDO ranked as the largest bank in terms of total assets, loans, deposits, and trust funds under management based on published statements of condition as of June 30, 2019. 

For more information, please visit www.bdo.com.ph.

Celebrities share inspiring stories at Pink Ribbon Day

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In observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, breast cancer survivors, advocates, and experts gathered together for Pink Ribbon Day at the Skydome of SM City North EDSA. Guests and breast cancer survivors Toni Abad, Maritoni Fernandez and Alya Honasan shared personal stories of beating breast cancer. 

Now on its second year, Pink Ribbon Day aims to educate Filipinas on breast cancer prevention through awareness, early detection and intervention. The event featured a short Zumba session led by host Regine Tolentino, a talk by the Philippine Breast Cancer Society, and free clinical breast examinations administered by volunteer doctors. Pink Ribbon Day was organized by SM Cares, the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Prime Holdings, in partnership with the Philippine Breast Cancer Society and SM City North EDSA. 

On photo (L-R): Philippine Breast Cancer Society president Dr. Victor Gozali; Toni Abad, Maritoni Fernandez and Alya Honasan; host Regine Tolentino; and SM Cares Program on Women & Breastfeeding program director Berna Velasco. 

To know more about SM Cares, please visit www.smcares.com.ph, www.facebook.com/OfficialSMCares or email smcares@prime.com.

FREIA, the new luxury beach condo development at Hamilo Coast

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Premier beach resort living has always been the ultimate dream of urban dwellers who want to seek refuge from the harried pace of city life. There is no more idyllic setting than one that offers a breathtaking view of the sea and a pristine environment that inspires frolicking on the beach under the sun.

With this vision in mind, SM Prime’s Hamilo Coast presents FREIA, its new luxury beach condominium development in Pico de Loro Cove, where future residents can indulge in the spectacular panorama of sea and verdant mountains.

FREIA indeed provides the best vantage points looking out to the picturesque West Philippine Sea and the Pico de Loro mountains. Its prime location makes it just a five-minute stroll away from the Pico Beach, which boasts of 1.5 kilometers of white sand and clear blue waters.

Offering premium seaside living to its discerning clientele, FREIA will have in its roster 223 superior condominium units that include spacious 2-bedroom flats and 3-bedroom penthouses. Ranging in size from 67 to 392 square meters, these resort-type condo residences are designed with sustainable green living in mind and exude a contemporary tropical vibe enhanced by its masterfully designed architecture by Broadway Malyan and GF & Partners.

Common areas of the condominium such as the lobby was interior designed by Budji+Royal with cutting-edge local and international design concepts and high-quality fixtures giving residents a total luxury beach resort experience.

FREIA’s residents will have exclusive access to its upscale, resort-style amenities, among which is an outdoor pool, lounge deck, function rooms, and lush pocket gardens.

Unit ownership at FREIA also comes with membership at the Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club, giving homeowners a chance to enjoy a variety of recreational and sports facilities in Hamilo Coast.

Supporting Hamilo Coast’s commitment to responsible stewardship of nature and the seaside community’s natural topographies, FREIA at Pico de Loro Cove also takes pride in its features that allow sustainable green living and consider cost-efficient operations. For instance, natural ventilation and daylighting, photovoltaic roofing, and an efficient waste management system will ensure reduced carbon footprints on the part of the residential community.

Beach resort living can now become an everyday lifestyle option, with Hamilo Coast’s careful integration of residential, resort, leisure, commercial and institutional land uses. Potential homeowners may thus consider FREIA as a luxury retirement home and not just a weekend getaway.

With naturally stunning views and amenity features that are a cut above the rest, Freia is indeed one of the most coveted premium beach condo developments in the country.

Hamilo Coast is the SM Group’s premier beach resort town in Nasugbu, Batangas. Hamilo Coast is now approximately 90 minutes from Manila via Cavitex and the new Ternate-Nasugbu Road. For inquiries, call (632) 945-8000, or visit www.hamilocoast.com

Book on Filipino Elderly Population Highlight Role of Senior Citizens in Nation Building

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SM Cares, the CSR arm of SM Prime Holdings, Inc., along with StratSearch Foundation, Inc. recently launched the book “Population Ageing: Issues and Challenges” authored by distinguished political science professor Dr. Clarita R. Carlos . The book is intended to help planners in incorporating the contributions of the ageing population in national development efforts.

Dr. Carlos cited businesses for integrating facilities and programs that are favorable to senior citizens. She also believes that senior citizens should be given the chance to contribute to society beyond the currently mandated age of retirement. Citing SM Cares’ employment for the elderly as an example, she said that employment could actually prolong the lives of older people.

“It helps them feel needed and productive. Minsan kasi pag alam nilang meron silang pagbibihisan, they regain self-esteem. When we give them work, they are mentally and physically stimulated. It makes them happy; and when they’re happy, they get less sickly and eventually live longer” said Dr. Carlos.

The SM Cares Program on Senior Citizens include the award-winning casual employment for senior citizens, as well as other training activities such as Oldies But Techies where the elderly are taught the basics of computer operation.

Dr. Carlos is the executive director of StratSearch Foundation (formerly Center for Scientific Research and Strategic Development, Inc.). An acknowledged expert on foreign and defense policy, her vast experience of 50 years includes working with foreign and local institutions, government, and media in various capacities. Prior to the book on population ageing, she has also written books on geopolitics, national security, political psychology, and bureaucratic reform.

Research for the book was funded by SM Cares in support of Filipino senior citizens, with the objective of understanding the elderly more and eventually help the organization think of better ways to serve them better. The book is co-authored by Maria Iraliz E. Nool, Jan Albert G. Suing, and Jenny Marie Molina.

To know more about SM Cares and its Program on Senior Citizens, visit www.smcares.com.ph, or www.facebook.com/OfficialSMCares.

​SM consistent top taxpayer nationwide

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Consistent with its value on good governance, SM maintained its position as one of the country’s top taxpayers for taxable year 2015. 

The mall company received several awards from different communities where it emerged as the no. 1 taxpayer in the Local Business Tax and Real Property Tax categories, while keeping its top positions in other localities spread across the country.

For local business and real property tax categories, SM Megamall, SM City Masinag, SM City Bacoor, SM City Molino, SM City Baguio, and SM City Naga emerged as the no. 1 taxpayers in their respective communities. SM Malls located in Quezon City namely SM City North Edsa, SM City Sta. Mesa, SM City Fairview and SM City Novaliches received the Hall of Fame award for being a consistent top taxpayer in 2015.

Top real property tax awards went to SM Southmall, SM Center Las Piñas, SM North EDSA, SM City Fairview, SM City Novaliches, SM City Dasmariñas, SM Marketmall Dasmariñas, SM City Sta. Mesa, SM Baliwag, SM Cauayan, SM City Lucena, SM City Olongapo, SM City Rosales, SM City Rosario, SM City San Pablo, SM City Taytay, SM City Tarlac, SM City Consolacion, SM City Cebu, and SM City Bacolod. Other cities and municipalities that benefited from taxes paid by SM include Apalit, San Fernando and Mexico (Pampanga); Batangas City; Calamba City and Santa Rosa City (Laguna); Iloilo City; Lipa City; Manila; Marikina City; Marilao (Bulacan); Muntinlupa City; Pasay City; and Valenzuela City.

For taxable year 2014, SM landed on the 9th spot of the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s top non-individual taxpayers list, contributing over Php3.1B in paid taxes.

“Part of our mission is to provide opportunities where we are present. It is our social responsibility to pay our taxes transparently and on time so that our respective communities can continue to finance its own economic development programs,” said Ms. Annie S. Garcia, President of SM Supermalls.

SM’s presence in communities has helped create jobs and opened doors for local businesses, big and small, to take advantage of the mall’s large customer traffic. The mall company has also helped in turning communities into tourism destinations because of its premier shopping, dining and lifestyle products and services.

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.

EGGciting Easter Escapades for the Family at Sky Ranch Tagaytay!

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Who wants to experience a more exciting Easter, with the cold breeze, ejoying fun rides and seeing the picturesque Taal Lake and a feast of culinary indulgence?  Imagine Tagaytay. 

Parents, their kids, and other adventurous souls can now rush to the Sky Ranch in Tagaytay for exciting, fun rides and more prizes on an Easter celebration beginning March 29 up to April 5.

The SM-owned Sky Ranch has gained attention and popularity as the go-to-place for fun rides, mesmerizing families who want something more exciting from the daily grind, and yet something that can likewise shelter them from the usual hustle and bustle of city life. 

The Sky Ranch has provided all that with its 19 heart-pounding rides. Those who would like a touch of nature can do a bit of horseback riding while viewing the panoramic vista of Taal Volcano. A weekend escapade can be wrapped up by a stay at the nearby Taal Vista Hotel on Aguinaldo Highway in Tagaytay. 

Sky Ranch’s current “Eggciting Escapade Promo” will dazzle Easter celebrators with a live show featuring the funny Mr. Eggbert on April 5. A purchase of ticket rides worth P500 from March 29 up to April 5 will get one free ride-all-you-can event pass and one free loot bag. An eye-catching unique costume that makes you stand out from the rest will also bring a special prize.

Mr. Eggbert will start and end the Easter Event as its emcee. The musical dance numbers are guaranteed to invite participation from the audience. Then there are the games which will keep everyone happily on their toes, challenging them to find common patterns in “The Egg Match”; bring out their creativity in the “Eggciting Art Attack;” and see how good they are in a make-believe kitchen in “The Kettle Kornn Poppin’ Fun Game.” 

The SM-owned Sky Ranch in Tagaytay is open daily from 8 AM to 10 PM during the weekends, and 10 AM to 10 PM during weekdays. From Manila, Sky Ranch is accessible through the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) exit to Santa Rosa, Laguna, and from there, travelers can feast their eyes on the panoramic views while on a road trip along the Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Rd. going up the hills and landscapes to Tagaytay.

Enjoy Easter and have fun at Sky Ranch beside the Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay City as a place where one could escape from the grim urban environment.

Sky Ranch Tagaytay is a 5.5-hectare development by SM Prime under Commercial Properties Group and Family Entertainment Center, a wholly owned subsidiary of SM Prime in charge of the creation and installation of rides in Sky Ranch and in By The Bay park adjacent to the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

For more info, you can visit its Facebook page (www.facebook.com/SkyRanchTagaytay), or reach them through phone (8570100 loc 1450) or email at info.skyranch@yahoo.com.

SM Prime is the property holding firm of the SM Group of Companies, which has major business interests in banking and retail sectors apart from property segment. SM Prime has developed key establishments in the residential, office, hotels and other leisure-oriented projects.

  

Shop and Win Condo Promotion

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SM Supermalls gives away 10 fully-furnished SMDC condominium units to lucky shoppers. SM launches its latest and grandest offering with the Shop & Win Condo Promotion where for a minimum of P1,000 purchase along with an E-Plus, SM Advantage, Prestige or BDO Rewards card entitles shoppers to a raffle entry for a chance to win 1 of 10 condo units.

Shown in photo are SM top executives during the press launch last June 24, 2014 at the SMDC Grand Showroom, MOA Complex, Pasay City. (L-R) Baldwin Golangco, President, SM Advantage Card; Jomari Banzon, Executive Vice President of SM Development Corp.; Hans T. Sy, President, SM Prime Holdings, Inc.; Steven Tan, Senior Vice President, SM Supermalls; and Edgar Tejerero, President, SM Lifestyle Entertainment Inc. 

Ten (10) lucky shoppers will get to experience star-life condo living as the country’s largest chain of malls, launches their biggest and grandest promotion, the SM Supermalls Shop and Win an SMDC Condo Promo. The country’s largest shopping mall operator teamed-up with SM Development Corporation (SMDC), the leading real estate company in the Philippines, to give away 10 fully-furnished condominium units in prime locations. 

To join, one need only to shop or dine for a minimum of P1,000 single or accumulated purchase in any of SM Supermalls’ 56 mall locations nationwide including SMDC Jazz and Sun Mall. Shoppers simply present their receipt/s along with their E-Plus Loyalty card, SM Advantage card, SM Prestige card or BDO Rewards card for an e-raffle entry. Double e-raffle entries will be given with the use of the E-Plus Loyalty card. 

Every month, two condominium units from SMDC’s prime properties will be given away, strategically located in key areas across Metro Manila. These are Field Residences, M Place South Triangle, Light Residences, Sun Residences, Princeton Residences, Blue Residences, Grass Residences, Sea Residences and Jazz Residences and an 80-square meter penthouse at Mezza Residences.

“SM will continue to provide not only affordable luxury and family fun mall experience but also a chance to experience the SMDC star-life condo living!” Steven Tan, Senior Vice President for Operations of SM Supermalls said during the recent Shop and Win Promo launch last June 24, 2014 at the SMDC Grand Showroom.

The SM Supermalls Shop and Win Promo starts from June 22 up to November 22, 2014. Visit www.smshopandwin.com for more details. Like and follow SM Supermalls on facebook.com/smsupermalls and on Twitter and Instagram (@smsupermalls) for regular updates.

The newly opened Sun Mall, finding its place under the Sun

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SM Prime Opens Retail Podium in Sun Residences

Property conglomerate SM Prime Holdings, Inc. opened its newest retail podium, Sun Mall in Quezon City within SM Development Corporation’s (SMDC) condominium development, Sun Residences. SMDC is SM Prime’s residential development arm. This is the third retail podium attached to an SMDC residential tower after Jazz Mall in Bel-Air, Makati and Mezza Strip in Quezon City.

Sun Mall spans a gross floor area of 15,000 square meters and offers a variety of commercial and retail stores that can accommodate the basic household needs of its residents. The retail podium is designed to provide every patron with a worthwhile lifestyle experience.

With its line-up of service and retail establishments such as flagship SM Hypermarket, Watsons, and BDO, as well food stores and specialty shops, residents will have a variety of options to choose from to satisfy their needs and provide utmost convenience.

Among the food concepts in Sun Mall are The Happy Bakery, the first inline store of Happy Dizon of the Dizon family behind Dizon Farms. Happy Bakery will serve breads, cakes, soups, salads and sandwiches; Chef Lau’s Pugon Roasters of Chef Rolando Laudico is a “fast good” restaurant that serves firebrick oven-roasted traditional Filipino dishes like roast chicken, pork liempo and beef at affordable prices. Gong Cha, the Taiwanese milk tea brand with over 200 branches in Asia is also part of Sun Mall.

“Sun Residences shines brighter with the opening of Sun Mall as this reflects the synergies at work in SM Prime. Through these retail podiums within our residential towers, we aim to provide our residents with access to everything that they will need,” SM Prime Executive Vice President and SM Development Corporation (SMDC) President Jeffrey Lim said.

Launched in 2009, Sun Residences is a two-tower, 43-storey development that offers studio, 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom units with prices ranging between PHP1.8 million and PHP4.6 million.

True to SMDC’s promise of providing five-star homes in prime locations, Sun Residences features a list of stellar features and amenities- a hotel-like lobby, a swimming pool, a clubhouse with multi-purpose hall, function rooms, a student’s lounge, children’s play area, barbeque area, and a landscaped garden with gazebos and a jogging path.

Located along España Boulevard corner Mayon Street – Welcome Rotonda, Sun Residences is the ideal abode for university and college students of the educational institutions along the university belt, and for professionals working in and around the area.

For a stress-free living experience, Sun Residences through SMDC Property Management offers a menu of services to address the various needs of its unit owners – front desk for hassle-free package acceptance and delivery processing; housekeeping and services for home improvements; and for investors, leasing services to help them achieve the best return for their investments.

Sun Residences is among 22 condominium brands by SMDC, the residential arm of SM Prime. These brands are Chateau Elysee Residences in Bicutan, Paranaque; Mezza Residences and Mezza II Residences on Aurora Boulevard, Quezon City; Berkeley Residences in Katipunan, Quezon City; Grass Residences and Fern at Grass Residences in Quezon City beside SM North EDSA; Sea Residences in the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay; Field Residences in Sucat, Paranaque; Princeton Residences in New Manila, Quezon City; Jazz Residences in Bel-Air, Makati; Light Residences near the BONI-EDSA MRT Station in Mandaluyong; MPlace@South Triangle in Quezon City ; Blue Residences in Katipunan, Quezon City; Shine Residences in Pasig; Green Residences on Taft Avenue in Manila ; Shell Residences in the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay; Grace Residences in Taguig; Breeze Residences in Pasay; Trees Residences in Novaliches, Quezon City; Shore Residences in the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay and Wind Residences in Tagaytay.

Filipino Figure Skater Olympian Michael Martinez Bags Gold in Slovenia Tourney

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Homegrown Figure Skater Olympian Michael Christian Martinez bagged the gold in the recently held Triglav Trophy International Figure Skating Competition in Jesenice, Slovenia. Martinez finished the free skate finals in the Senior Men’s category with a score of 195.13 points, besting Japan, United Kingdom, Korea, Austria and Norway.

Michael Christian Martinez (center) (Photo from Martinez’s Facebook Page)

“I Thank God for this blessing- another gold medal in senior event. It was actually difficult for all of us because the 30 minutes practice sessions were scheduled a day before, and no more practices during the competition days. I'm very happy i made it to first place,” Martinez said and shared on his Facebook page. 

The 18-year old Martinez  now has three gold medals in the senior level, with the Triglav Trophy, the recent Skate Helena in Serbia and the Crystal Skate in Romania last 2012.

Filipino American Samantha Cabiles finished 6th in the Junior Ladies’ category out of 21 skaters with a score of 100.04 points. 

The Philippine Skating Union (PhSU), which is a member of the International Skating Union  (ISU) named Martinez and Cabiles as the country’s representatives to the Triglav Trophy. 

Every year since 1992, the Triglav Trophy gathers over 100 of the best young figure skaters from all over the world. The competition is hosted in Jesenice ice hall Podmežakla and has its roots in 1992. 

Martinez took up figure skating when he was eight, inspired by skaters spinning and jumping while shopping with his mother at SM Southmall. He began training in 2010 in the United States and since then his lifelong dream has been to win an Olympic medal. Martinez has garnered over 190 medals and trophies from various international and local competitions. 

Cabiles, who was born in Hawaii and is now based in Michigan started skating since she was 11. Of Filipino decent, Cabiles also competes in the Philippine Nationals and recently ranked second in the 2013 Philippine National Figure Skating Championships held at SM Mall of Asia every year.

“The Skating Gazelle”

Cabiles also placed 10th in the Junior category of the recent Dragon Trophy competition in Ljubjana, Slovenia in February 2014. She trains in Toronto, Canada. Due to her high and powerful jumps, she earned the moniker, “The Skating Gazelle”. 

SM has been the primary supporter of the PhSU since the latter was established in 2005. SM also provides a venue for the events of PhSU for the promotion of ice skating in the Philippines. PhSU received accreditation from the ISU in 2006, coinciding with the opening of the SM Mall of Asia skating rink that year. In turn, PhSU, as the sole governing body for Figure and Speed Skating provides SM and its ice skating rinks with marketing tools such as local and international skating events and its network of skating athletes. 

Through the years, SM and the PhSU have conducted several figure skating competitions that have given birth to international champions such as Martinez. 

The PhSU is the governing body in the country for figure skating and speed skating. It is a member of the ISU which is the exclusive international sports federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee. The ISU administers speed and figure skating throughout the world. It is composed of a number of national organizations called ISU members who administer ISU sports at the national level.

Michael Martinez performance at SM Megamall SM Skating Rink

The excellence demonstrated by skaters especially during competitions is a mark of quality that the SM Skating Rink can provide with its world-class venue and facilities. Property conglomerate SM Prime Holdings, Inc. operates skating rinks through SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc. at the SM Mega Fashion Hall in Mandaluyong, SM Mall of Asia in Pasay, and SM Southmall in Las Pinas.

Warmest Homecoming Welcome to Winter Olympian Figure Skater Michael Martinez

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Filipino ice skater, winter Olympian and homegrown skating rink talent Michael Martinez comes home from a much-lauded performance at the Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia as he went straight to SM Mall of Asia this Sunday February 23, for his homecoming welcome and press conference set up by the SM group.

During the warm welcoming for Martinez, an awarding ceremony inside the mall, the SM group prepared  “surprise” gifts for the Olympian.

Figure skater Michael shared his feelings his inspiring journey and dedicates his breakthrough stint in the 2014 Winter Olympics to fellow Filipino athletes who also deserve support for representing the Philippines in the international sporting scene.

Martinez thanked his family, sponsors and the public for supporting his journey in Sochi, Russia, where he captured the world's attention as the first Southeast Asian to compete in the men's singles event.

SM Prime Holdings president Hans Sy pledged to support Martinez in his goal to qualify and hopefully earn the country's first medal in the Winter Olympics in the 2018 edition in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

During the press conference, Martinez was given a "Lifetime Skating Privilege" and $10,000 by the SM group. Businessman Manuel Pangilinan earlier gave the same amount to the skater's mother.

“We are very proud of Michael. Not only did he give honor to our country, but he is also a shining example for the youth as someone who saw no limits to what he can achieve. He has already inspired millions by following his dreams and by competing in the Winter Olympics. He will continue to inspire us all as he works towards earning medals in the future Olympic competitions,” SM Prime Holdings president Hans Sy said.

During his formative years as a figure skater, Martinez frequented SM Southmall in Las Piñas and much later on, SM Mall of Asia for figure skating competitions despite frequent bouts of asthma.

Since skating at nine years old, Martinez has garnered 194 medals and trophies from various international and local competitions. He is currently ranked 19th in the world based on his recent performance at the Winter Olympics.

Martinez clinched 7th place at the 2013 Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany that qualified him for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Through the years, SM and the Philippine Skating Union have conducted several figure skating competitions that bred international champions such as Martinez.

SM operates ice skating rinks through SM Lifestyle and Entertainment, Inc. at the SM Megamall Building D in Mandaluyong, SM Mall of Asia in Pasay, and SM Southmall in Las Pinas.

Michael Christian Martinez is a worth emulating, an inspiration not just for our young people but for every Filipino.

Congratulations Michael and we are proud of you !