If you thought SM Megamall and SM Hypermart were just places to shop for clothes and eats, here’s food for thought. The SM Group of Companies through SM Foundation and BDO Foundation actively practices corporate social responsibility. It has been actively supporting government efforts in the reconstruction of areas heavily damaged by typhoon Yolanda.  It has finished projects in ten provinces identified as needing assistance in rebuilding hospitals and healthcare centers, multi-purpose centers, and housing.

One of the finished projects is the 20-million SM-funded Tacloban City Hospital which has been turned over to the city government. The 50-bed totally damaged hospital has been turned into a 100-bed hospital with a bigger emergency room, a malnutrition ward plus a children’s activity center  and an elderly activity center.

Also completed is the Tabon Tabon health center in Tabon Tabon, Leyte, and the Basey main health center in Basey, Western Samar and  Carigara municipal health center  which have been finished with partner Beiersdorf Philippines

New school buildings are being built for the San Roque elementary school in Tanauan, Leyte in partnership with PSE; Tacloban city national high school in partnership with BDOF and Hernani elementary and high schools in partnership with Global Hope.  Finished projects are the Polambato elementary school in Bogo, Cebu with Deutsche Bank;  Baybay Elementary school in Catarman, Samar; Lantangan elementary school in Pontevedra, Capiz with BDOF; and also the Ibajay national high school in Ibajay, Aklan.

SM Group has allotted P200 million in rehabilitation programs for Yolanda affected areas in collaboration with other donors and local or foreign NGOs that have programs similar to those of the SM Group.

Aside from infrastructure projects, SM also conducted livelihood training programs through its Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan farmers’ training program. Vegetable farmers from the municipalities of  Barugo, Babatngon, and Tanauan in Leyte,  Daan Bantayan,  Borbon, and Bantayan Island in Cebu, and Guiuan in Eastern Samar completed the season-long program and are now replicating what they learned in their localities. This program helps the displaced farmers in Samar and Leyte.

SM also allotted  P12 million for 100 new college scholars from Tacloban city and from the municipalities of  Alangalang, Babatngon, Burauen, Barugo, Carigara, Dulag, Jaro, Julita, La Paz, Mayorga, Pastrana, Palo, Tanauan, Tolosa, Tunga, and Tabon-Tabon in Leyte.