THINKING green is truly becoming a global phenomenon!
   
Environmental concerns are being pushed to the forefront of global issues, with national and local governments, businesses and consumers worldwide focusing more attention on environmental responsibility.
   
The world has become so highly interdependent and interconnected. Beyond doubt, environmental issues worldwide are having some impact on business.
   
We at the SM Supermalls recognize that business plays a key role in addressing global challenges and moving forward into sustainable development.
   
We accept that success and social responsibility are compatible.
   
We are privileged that our malls have become venues for raising public consciousness, where action and education can be encouraged.
   
Today, we see even more clearly our responsibility to stimulate, motivate and involve our staff, our tenants, our contractors, our suppliers and our customers to be stewards of the environment.
   
We believe that through widespread understanding, people who share a common   bond and purpose for the environment can work together to make sustainable development a reality.
   
The challenge is how to make that paradigm shift — from ecologically damaging lifestyle to a lifestyle characterized by a responsible engagement towards protecting the environment.
   
As part of our environmental sustainability initiatives, the SM Supermalls has launched the Reusable Green Shopping Bags. Our SM Supermalls collectible Green Bags are available currently until March 16, 2009 in our malls nationwide.
   
This chartreuse green-shopping bag is made from a hard-wearing, non-woven fabric that is 100% polypropylene that may last up to two years of weekly use. Polypropylene is recyclable, non-toxic, allergy-free and non-reactive to human skin.
   
Through the Green Bags, we would like to (a) encourage good practices on solid wastes management; and (b) promote the recycling, reuse and reduction of wastes.
   
World-renowned Filipino artist Manuel Baidemor, whom we consider a good friend, has produced — exclusively for SM Supermalls —  four artistic designs representing land, sea, air and water, by themselves the key areas of the SM Supermalls environmental program.
   
Painter Manny Baidemor has generously shared his works, adding a most valuable dimension and immeasurable contribution to our goals in our environmental program. To Manny goes our heartfelt gratitude.
   
The designs in the Green Bag collection truly capture Manny’s environmental message. He refers to his designs as GRACES — gentle reminders that all around us are blessings and gifts which need caring:
   
1) Graces from the Air
   
2) Graces from the Sea
   
3) Graces from the Land, and
   
4) Spiritual Light and Supreme Energy.
   
All these will definitely inspire many!
   
Manny Baidemor has given so much of himself by making his art so accessible to the Filipino people to appreciate it and to treasure it… truly a gift to our people!
   
We wish to convey to Unilever Philippines Inc.   our thanks for partnering with us on this project. Its commitment, involvement and cooperation in every facet of this program’s launching are awesome!
   
Our gratitude also goes to Chito Macapagal and his team from Unilever for their guidance and invaluable assistance.
   
We acknowledge and thank Herbert Sy for leading the way in promoting the Green Bags. From him, we have drawn inspiration and strength to forge ahead with our own Green Bags.
   
And of course, we thank Hans Sy for his vision in leading the SM Supermalls through all our endeavors.
   
As we mark another milestone for the SM Supermalls in launching our Reusable Green Bags, we reaffirm our steadfast commitment to be a venue for challenge and change.
   
While we continuously work on attaining our goals, we realize that along the way there are so many challenges such as:
   
* lnvolvement of our stakeholders
   
* Commitment of our tenants
   
* Sustainability of projects
   
* Managing operational costs.
   
We have to operate in a practical and economically responsive manner that should continue to be attractive to our stakeholders.
   
We shall continue to humanize issues and popularize environmental concerns by taking them straight to the people through our projects — such as the Green Bags — in our malls.
   
(Excerpts from the speech   by  Anna Maria S. Garcia, president of Shopping Center Management Corporation (SM Supermalls), at the recent launching of the SM Supermalls Reusable Green Shopping Bags at the Mall of Asia. The author has a degree in B.S. Foreign Service from the University of the Philippines and has traveled extensively in Asia, Europe and the United States).