Let's do CSR even in hard times - SM exec

MANILA, Philippines - The president of SM Supermalls, Annie S. Garcia enjoined big business “to remain truly loyal and committed to corporate social responsibility even in hard times” during her talk in the recently-held CSR EXPO 2009: Business Unusual: SOS (Skills, Opportunities, Sustainability).

In her speech, Garcia underscored the need for more good deeds during this time of need. She talked about the main CSR program of SM which is an umbrella of advocacies for persons with disabilities, breastfeeding women, children, women and the elderly, the OFWs and the Environment. She said that to be able to directly address these causes, SM created committees to oversee activities catering to the needs of its CSR publics.

“SM has steered its corporate responsibility efforts towards things that really matter in the lives of people”, she said “SM is no longer just a business enterprise but is now a partner in the country’s development,” she added.

SM which has been in existence for 51 years has now 34 shopping malls nationwide with 12,000 tenants. Collectively, it has 3.5M square meters of gross floor area and attract some 2.5 M people daily.

Garcia also highlighted SM as being largely instrumental in nurturing start-up businesses that have grown with SM’s aggressive nationwide expertise over the last two decades. So what used to be unknown are now well-known brands.

Among the projects Garcia mentioned is the hosting of Teenpreneur Challenge of the Institute for Social Entrepreneurship Education this coming November. The project will have college students from private and public schools display their products and find market acceptance. Last year’s Teenpreneur Challenge event has wielded the famous Empananay which began in SM malls last year and now has four outlets. 

The success of Teenpreneur challenges in the SM Supermalls, inspired the launching of the Teenpreneur challenge in the United Kingdom to be launched in October 2009.

Another CSR effort is the Drink For Two Project in cooperation with the United Children’s Educational Fund (UNICEF) where P0.25 centavos of every sale of SM bottled water goes to providing safe drinking water for people of Masbate. Garcia said that the CSR here is not just between SM and UNICEF but also the buying public. Customers who are going to buy the bottled water are contributing to this worthy cause.

Garcia summed up her speech by saying that SM Supermalls have embedded the CSR into its company development so that CSR is now a conscious effort among the SM workforce. “We know this will prove beneficial to us and most especially to the people we serve,” she said.