SM PRIME Holdings Inc. and Gawad Kalinga recently signed a memorandum of agreement to build a total of 300 homes in SM-GK Villages in Cagayan de Oro and Dasmariñas, Cavite.

Two hundred homes will be built in Cagayan de Oro in SM’s ongoing efforts for the rehabilitation of the victims of typhoon Sendong. Another 100 homes are earmarked for Dasmariñas, Cavite, in a continuous effort of empowering communities toward self-reliance and sustainability.

The project brings together once again SM Prime Holdings Inc. through its SM Cares Program and Gawad Kalinga in their joint efforts for improving the quality of living for poverty stricken families. These GK Villages will serve as physical platforms in putting together model communities guided by Gawad Kalinga’s development model. The partnership will not only build homes, but also highlight programs on infrastructure, community building, health, food sufficiency, child and youth development, the environment and social entrepreneurship. 

These will be the second and third SM-GK Villages, respectively, in the joint partnership. The first SM-GK Village was built in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City, in time for the celebration of SM City North Edsa’s 25th anniversary; whose ‘Breaking the Poverty Chain’ campaign received the International Council of Shopping Centers Foundation’s Asia Community Award.

In photo are SM Prime Holdings president Hans Sy (fourth from left) and Gawad Kalinga executive director Jose Luis Oquiñena (third from left), who recently formalized the partnership by signing the MOA at the SM Prime Corporate Offices in the Mall of Asia complex. Joining them are (from right) SM Prime vice president Ryan San Juan, SM Supermalls vice president for operations Glenn Ang, SM Supermalls president Annie Garcia, and GK partnerships manager Tito Cajulis and’ executive assistant Anela Reyes.