MANILA, Philippines — An anti-poverty campaign of one of the country’s mall operators recently won the 2011 Asia Community Award of the International Council for Shopping Centers Foundation (ICSC) during its Recon Asia conference in Shanghai, China.

The “Breaking the Poverty Chain” campaign of the SM Prime Holdings, a project of SM City North EDSA, SM Prime’s first mall, in time for the 25th anniversary, was given the distinction for its community support.

In partnership with Gawad Kalinga, the project was able to build 25 homes for poverty stricken families.

SM Prime Holdings President Hans T. Sy showed appreciation for the efforts of the volunteers and employees of SM City North EDSA who were mobilized to create a community for 25 family beneficiaries. “The campaign not only impacted the families who have received homes, but also allowed the community to flourish. Once a slum area, it has since been converted into a successful, fully functioning community,” he said.

With this, Sy decided to extend his initial campaign and create an entire SM GK Village to benefit over 100 families.

During the event, the ICSC Foundation also awarded the John T. Riodan Professional Education Scholarship to Chivas Allejo of the SM Supermalls Leasing Division. SM Prime also received two citations for the Asia Pacific Shopping Center Awards for its two marketing programs – My City, My SM in the Public Relations category and Global Pinoy in the Cause Related category.

As the winner of the ICSC Foundation’s Community Support Award, SM Prime’s North EDSA mall received a US$5,000 donation to support their philanthropic cause. It will also be eligible for the ICSC Foundation’s 2011 Albert Sussman International Community Support Award, which honors the best community support program worldwide.

Established in 2006, the ICSC Foundation’s Community Support Awards is a worldwide awards program that honors corporate social responsibility and community efforts of shopping centers for charitable initiatives that enhance the communities the retail real estate industry serves.

The ICSC Foundation is the non- profit charity arm of the International Council for Shopping Centers, the premiere global trade association of the shopping center industry. Established in 1957, the ICSC has more than 55,000 members in over 90 countries including shopping center owners, developers, managers, marketing specialists, investors, retailers, and brokers, as well as academic and public officials. As the global shopping center industry’s trade association, ICSC links with more than 25 national and regional shopping center councils throughout the world.