Paying it forward: SM marks another year of positive community impact

PASAY CITY, Philippines, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Glenn Paul Añover Embodo is among the 'Yolanda' scholars helped by SM Foundation, Inc. of the SM Group, following the devastation of the super typhoon in the country in 2013. 

That's why Glenn was elated to share the good news to SM that he's now a Certified Public Accountant. This came after a long wait for the accounting licensure exams that were put on hold during the pandemic and resumed only in 2022.  

Glenn's achievement is a story that inspires SM to keep paying it forward and extend the gesture of gratitude to the different communities it serves for all the support the brand has received for over 60 years. 

SM Investments Corporation strives to create real, positive community impact not only through the accessibility of goods and services, but in the creation of socio-economic ventures leading to over 140,000 jobs created across the group in 2022.

"As we grow, we work to ensure that we create and share value with our partners and our communities, helping build strong social foundations," SM Investments Corporation President and CEO Frederic C. DyBuncio said.

In 2022, SM's partnership with suppliers, tenants, and brand affiliates grew. Around 68 percent of SM Supermalls tenants were MSMEs, and the group provided over PHP62.72 billion outstanding loans through its banking businesses, BDO Unibank and China Banking Corporation.

Developing our communities

The attainment of equal access to education is a commitment shared across SM. This passion continues to bridge innate Filipino potential to quality education for all.

SM's School and Classroom Building Program has laid the building blocks to house future leaders, and inspiring educators, which has turned over 342 school buildings and 1,110 classrooms built and refurbished to date. The Scholarship Program has supported a total of 11,750 scholars to date. 

Working closely with the Department of Health (DOH) helped give people access to basic health services, especially in grassroots communities.

The Group's efforts to empower community health have translated to the renovation and refurbishment of 317 health centers and medical facilities with 1,847 medical missions conducted to date. SM believes in the power of these centers to ensure the welfare of communities and to help reduce the impacts of health outbreaks akin to COVID-19.

To date, over 6.3 million patients have been served by SM's medical missions and wellness center initiatives.

This is in addition to over 10.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered across 77 participating mall vaccination sites by the end of 2022.

Forests of the future

SM has been a long-time advocate for environmental stewardship and recently launched the Grow Trees Community through its social good arm, SM Foundation, in partnership with the Fast Retailing Foundation.

The program focuses on developing long-term reforestation by involving an ecosystem of community partners to care for all seedlings planted.

SM's tree planting initiatives have resulted in over 2.6 million trees planted and maintained through SM Foundation, Belle Corporation, Hamilo Coast and Carmen Copper Corporation.

More stories of SM's communities can be found in the third iteration of its Integrated Report for 2022 in line with the group's Annual Stockholder's Meeting (ASM) on April 26, 2023. View the full report at https://bit.ly/2022-SMIC-IR

About SM Investments Corporation

SM Investments Corporation is a leading Philippine company that is invested in market-leading businesses in retail, banking, and property. It also invests in ventures that capture high growth opportunities in the emerging Philippine economy.

SM's retail operations are the country's largest and most diversified with its food, non-food, and specialty retail stores. SM's property arm, SM Prime Holdings, Inc., is the largest integrated property developer in the Philippines with interests in malls, residences, offices, hotels and convention centers as well as tourism-related property developments. SM's interests in banking are in BDO Unibank, Inc., the country's largest bank, and China Banking Corporation, the 6th largest bank.

For information, please visit www.sminvestments.com 

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SOURCE SM Investments Corporation