AS AN advocate of the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle), I always make sure that I carry reusable bags when we go to the supermarket. Since we buy most of our groceries at SM, I always carry our SM Green bags. I still have the good old folding greenbags that have snap fasteners. These are the bags designed by world-renowned artist Manuel Baldemor. They were given to me by SM Management whenever I was invited to their events or spoke in their seminars. 
 
I’m happy with my SM bags. Since we started using them, we avoided the use of possibly hundreds of plastic bags. My wife is happy too for the points each bag earned on my Prestige Card. We have reused them many times. In fact, a few have been overused and retired. Funny, I even used my SM green bags once at the Puregold Supermarket. The cashier refused to use them. When I cited the lack of policy that prohibits their use, the store management gave me free Puregold green bags.
 
Last July 6 however, something was not right. At the SM Clark Hypermarket’s checkout counter, my wife complained that the cashier did not give points to our green bags. They called the attention of a lady, whom I presume to be the supervisor, who said that she will only give points to one of the bags, a newer one, and not to the old ones. She said she is not familiar with the old bags and has never seen them.
 
After some arguments, I decided to just forego the points and leave. I immediately sent a text message to Venus, SM Clark’s PR lady, and relayed the incident. She was on vacation, so she just forwarded my message to the Hypermarket’s management. The following day, I was called by the Manager of the Hypermarket who confirmed that their management decided recently that only those bags purchased from supermarkets will earn points. Bags purchased at the store (meaning the Department Store ) will not earn points. 
 
I told the manager that when SM launched the Greenbag campaign (where I was invited as guest), no such condition was mentioned. Here’s an excerpt from SM’s own website (https://www.smprime.com/sm-expands-green-bag-concept): 
 
“SM shoppers may get a Baldemor collectible SM Supermalls Green Bag for only P35 with every P500 single or accumulated receipt purchase and/or any proof of purchase at any SM Supermalls establishment. For every sale of the new SM Supermalls Green Bag, a peso goes to a charitable institution advocating a better environment for all. The new Green Bags are available at the Event Center Greenberg Booth in all SM Supermalls nationwide from Jan. 16, 2009 to April 30, 2009. The use of the SM Supermalls Green Bags also has its perks. SM Advantage cardholders are automatically entitled to two points upon presentation of their SM Advantage card if they use the new SM Supermalls Green Bag at any SM Supermarket and/or Hypermarket.”
 
I told the Supermarket Manager that I am not really after the points. What I am after is for SM to be transparent to their customers. The public should be informed of their change in policy. They have to put up BIG signs at the store and hypermarket, that only greenbags purchased from the supermarkets will earn points, and that bags bought from the Department Store (including the old Baldemor-designed bags) will not. She promised to bring the matter to their Marketing HO (Head Office I presumed). The sudden and unannounced shift to No-Points-For-Bags-From-Store made me wonder. Is their green bag campaign really for the environment or just business?
 
Last Wednesday, I got a call from Venus. She told me that their management has agreed that all SM Green Bags, including those from the store, will be given points at their Supermarkets and/or Hypermarkets. Edi wow.