SM bags CSR Excellence Award

MANILA, Philippines – For its pioneering and exemplary programs for People with Disabilities (PWDs), SM Cares, the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Prime Holdings Inc., recently bagged the first-ever Corporate Social Responsibility Excellence Awards on PWDs given by the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP).

In a simple ceremony held at the AIM Conference Center in Makati City, PMAP Human Resources Management Foundation gave the CSR Excellence Award for Community Service to SM Cares for its outstanding initiatives to recognize and uplift the lives of PWDs. Seven other companies were given awards for their CSR programs.

PMAP Foundation president Pilar Nenuca Almira said they decided to give out the first-ever CSR Excellence Awards to recognize companies that have fully integrated CSR, or corporate social responsibility, in their business operations.

“These companies have made CSR an integral part of their business operations and not only serve as an inspiration to other businesses but help promote community service in bringing about changes in society,” Almira said.

SM Cares Program on PWDs, according to PMAP, “exemplified the tests of Innovation, Sustainability, Replication, Scalability, and Impact; and significantly exemplified the values of Social Significance, Business Impact, Employee Engagement, and Innovative Partnership.”

He said its many programs on PWDs, which include Angels Walk for Autism, Happy Walk for Down Syndrome, Movies for the Blind and Deaf, movie screening for children with autism, Autism Awareness Day and Earthquake Resilience Conference for PWDs and Seniors, among others, have brought unprecedented social impact for PWDs all over the country.

The SM Cares Program on PWDs was also recently elevated to the Hall of Fame by the Apolinario Mabini Awards spearheaded by the Philippine Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled.

Engr. Bien Mateo, vice president for operations of SM Supermalls and director of the SM Cares Program for Disability Affairs, said they are deeply honored by the award, it being a recognition of the company’s collective effort for PWDs and an affirmation of the company social responsibility.

“SM Cares has made PWDs a major partner in many of its activities, making sure they are not only given equal access and privilege to the many services offered by the mall but ensuring that they are part of the process of addressing their specific and unique needs,” he said.

He thanked all the PWD partners of SM Cares in carrying out the programs and vowed that the award will inspire them further to implement programs that will bring about positive change not only to PWDs but to all sectors of society.

“This award you are giving us tonight reaffirms our commitment to the PWD community and will inspire us to do more for them,” he said.

More about SM Cares Program on PWDs and its other advocacies on www.smcares.com.ph or www.facebook.com/OfficialSMCares.