MANILA, Philippines - Bayanihan, a Filipino term taken from the word bayan, referring to a nation, town or community, refers to a spirit of communal unity or effort to achieve a particular objective. The origin of the term bayanihan can be traced from a common tradition in Philippine towns where community members volunteer to help a family move to a new place by literally carrying the house to its new location.
SM Hypermarket, a one-stop-shop for the whole family’s shopping needs, relives the bayanihan tradition, with the launch of its new project that depicts the cooperative effort of helping out one’s neighbor.
Called “Baryanihan” – a combination of “barya” (coins) and “bayanihan” (the community spirit) – this project enjoins shoppers to voluntarily donate their centavos change for a community effort in the vicinity where SM Hypermarket operates. For its pilot run, the newly opened SM Hypermarket Adriatico in Manila will be the first branch to implement this worthy cause.
The Manila Zoological Park, which sits right beside SM Hypermarket Adriatico, is the perfect beneficiary for the project. Aside from being the stores’ next-door neighbor, it is a prime tourist destination which has brought smiles to the faces of kids and adults alike for many years. Proceeds of shoppers’ donations shall be used to purchase various supplies which will augment the zoo’s cleaning and animal feeding.
As the newest shopping destination in Manila and its newest neighbor, SM Hypermarket Adriatico through its branch manager Joel Ramos expressed the company’s full support to the animal park via the launch of Baryanihan. “The bayanihan spirit is truly alive at SM Hypermarket. With the help of our shoppers, we hope to help maintain Manila Zoo as the country’s premiere zoological park,” said Ramos.