MANILA, Philippines — SM Prime Holdings was recently invited by the United Nations (UN) to present its programs for persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the recent 4th Convention of State Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.

SM Supermalls President Annie Garcia and Vice President for Operations Bien Mateo presented the company’s initiatives, through its “SM Cares” program to over 500 delegates from various countries.

SM was the only private corporation invited to attend the event. Her speech, “Realizing the Right to Work and Employment,” centered on the efforts of the SM Supermalls to help PWDs be gainfully employed.

She noted that SM Malls offers business opportunities for PWDs through shops that offer therapeutic massages, owned and operated by persons with visual impairments; as well as through one of its merchant’s “Kultura Filipino’s Crafts for a Cause” program.