Better Days at SM Brings Hope Closer to Youth

When it comes to mental health, room must be made for young people to be heard and reassure them that their voice has value, their lives are precious. Spaces where they feel safe to speak their mind and seek help matters now more than ever.

In line with its advocacy of empowering the next generation of Filipinos and strengthening communities by providing enriching experiences for the youth, SM Cares mounted Better Days: A Youth Mental Health Caravan. The caravan was hosted in partnership with Mental Health Youth Hub PH, I AM MAD (Making A Difference), the National Youth Commission, and Global Peace Foundation Philippines.

 

The multi-mall initiative was geared toward creating safe, welcoming spaces where young people could speak openly about their experiences, learn practical ways to care for their mental well-being, and discover that they do not have to face difficult days alone.

Held at the SM North EDSA Skydome last July 3 to be followed by activations at SM Center Pulilan Atrium and SM City Molino Cinema 1 the caravan carried the theme, “A Space for Sharing of Hope, Creating Connections, and Building Better Communities.”

 

“At SM Cares, we believe a stronger nation begins with young people who know that their lives matter, that their voices have value, and that there are people and communities ready to stand beside them, said Joaquin San Agustin, Executive Vice President for Marketing of SM Supermalls. “And when young people feel heard, valued, and supported, they become better equipped to face challenges, care for others, and take part in building the communities they want to live in.”

Through conversations, panel discussions, activities, and messages from youth advocates and resource speakers, participants envisioned how days could get better and how they can help create them—for themselves and for others. The program encouraged young people to share their struggles, strengthen their resilience, and make every day self-care a routine.

Mental health advocates and friends of the cause such as broadcaster and television personality Kuya Kim Atienza joined the featured speakers at the SM North EDSA leg, helping inspire participants through conversations on well-being and resilience.

Better Days was implemented by SM Cares in partnership with Mental Health Youth Hub PH, I AM MAD (Making A Difference), the National Youth Commission, and Global Peace Foundation Philippines, and was powered by the Global Youth Summit.

 

The caravan followed the June 24 signing of a memorandum of understanding among SM Cares, the National Youth Commission, represented by Commissioner Undersecretary Joseph Francisco “Jeff” Ortega, and Mental Health Youth Hub PH. This formalized the shared commitment of all organizations to advance youth mental health and well-being and helped pave the way for the initiative.

The Blackout Zone: SM Cares, CHED Turn Experience Into Understanding

SM Cares, in partnership with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), brought The Blackout Zone to the CHED Central Office Auditorium at the Higher Education Development Center Building in Diliman, Quezon City from July 21 to 22, 2026.

Developed through SM’s Mall for All drive on inclusivity, the immersive exhibit invited students, educators, and members of the academic community to experience life without sight in a controlled and safe environment. Participants were guided through everyday activities designed to encourage them to look beyond limitations and recognize the abilities, independence, and resilience of people with visual impairments.

 

“Sometimes, understanding begins when we are willing to step outside what is familiar,” said Richard V. Caluyo, Senior Assistant Vice President for SM Cares. “By bringing The Blackout Zone closer to schools and the academic community, we hope to inspire young people and educators to help build learning environments where every person feels seen, respected, and included.”

For a few moments, participants stepped into complete darkness. Without relying on sight, they navigated familiar tasks through touch, sound, scent, and the reassuring guidance of others. What emerged was something lasting: a deeper appreciation of how persons with visual impairments experience and move through the world each day.

 

Previously mounted in SM malls, The Blackout Zone has featured sensory and everyday activities such as tying a shoe, preparing coffee and sandwiches, identifying candy and scents, and experiencing Movies for the Blind. Its CHED installation marked a meaningful step beyond the mall setting, allowing the initiative to reach people who help shape classrooms, institutions, and future generations.

Through its partnership with CHED, SM Cares hopes to deepen conversations around accessibility and encourage higher education institutions to strengthen inclusive practices both inside and outside the classroom. 

“Our united goal with SM for The Blackout Zone is for the program to serve as a catalyst for meaningful action,” said CHED Commissioner Michelle A. Ong. “Empathy allows us to dismantle the barriers that hamper inclusion and education of Filipinos with vision impairments. Through this shared effort, we hope to further guide policies tightly woven with real-life experiences to serve this sector better.

 

The experience also served as a reminder that inclusion is not built through awareness alone. It grows through empathy translated into thoughtful actions—from offering clear assistance and respecting independence to creating spaces where people of all abilities can participate fully.

The Blackout Zone forms part of SM Cares’ continuing programs for persons with disabilities, which promote accessibility, sensitivity, inclusive employment, and meaningful participation in community life.

Because while participants entered the exhibit without sight, many left seeing inclusion more clearly.

SM Celebrates National Autism Consciousness Week with great strides in true inclusion

 

SM Supermalls enters its new era as a truly inclusive Mall for All with ground-breaking milestones launched during this year's National Autism Consciousness Week (NACW).

Through its Corporate Social Responsibility arm, SM Cares, SM celebrated acceptance and appreciation with nationwide efforts that aimed to elevate the mall-going experience of Filipinos on the autism spectrum in accommodating spaces built to be loved.

"This year's celebration of the NACW is a great step forward for SM Supermalls as we hosted 'Lights Up, Sounds Down' (LUSD) and opened the very first 'SM Sensory Lab'--the country's only dedicated mall space for people with sensory processing challenges," said Steven Tan, SM Supermalls President. "On top of our year-long programs to uphold inclusivity across all malls, these milestones echo our ultimate desire of ensuring every single customer finds their most loved space at SM."

SM Sensory Lab: An innovation in accommodating mall spaces

Crowning the celebration was SM's launch of a ground-breaking innovative space designed to serve children and adults experiencing sensory processing challenges. In partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), and with the support of the Autism Society Philippines, the SM Sensory Lab was officially opened in SM Mall of Asia as the country's first-ever calming corner.

"Opening the SM Sensory Lab was a natural next step in our relentless pursuit of making our malls truly inclusive. We collaborated closely with the DSWD, NCDA and Autism Society Philippines to ensure we were making all the right considerations for something that's never been done before," said Tan.

With soft lighting, calming seating, and sensory-friendly features, the SM Sensory Lab brought accessibility into everyday mall life — showing that inclusion goes beyond awareness and is rooted in thoughtful design and lived experience. The space was built to accommodate a total of 10 people to give persons with sensory processing challenges and their guardian enough space to feel at ease.

Enhanced through the SM Malls Online App, customers who may need the space simply have to scan a QR code through the app to use the space completely free of charge.

Lights up, Sounds Down: Specialized events bringing families together 

At the heart of the week’s activities was also Lights Up, Sounds Down — sensory-friendly movie screenings designed to remove common barriers that make traditional cinema settings overwhelming. In partnership with SM Cinema, the series of screenings was tailored specifically for the ease and comfort of customers on the autism spectrum. Across selected malls, families were welcomed into theatres with adjusted lighting and reduced sound levels, creating an environment that fostered comfort, joy, and shared experience. 

"Something as simple as going to the cinema can be a stressful experience not just for people on the spectrum but for their families as well. Through this effort SM intentionally enhanced an accommodating movie-going experience through SM Cinemas so people with autism and their families can finally watch a film in a movie house together," said Tan. 

When SM Supermalls first hosted LUSD, the initiative was a one-mall event. Now, the effort has grown to accommodate more than 5,000 participants with their families in screenings spanning multiple malls across the Philippines. This year, two new malls expanded the reach of the event with SM City BF Paranaque and SM City Butuan joining the network of SM Supermalls hosting their own screenings.

Additionally, inclusivity measures are implemented consistently nationwide through SM Cares. Information campaigns empower empathy and greater acceptance of individuals with autism. Mall front-liners like security guards, mall tenants, and mall operations are also trained and given refresher courses on how to support customers on the spectrum.

“Being an inclusive mall isn’t just a one-week observance,” said Tan. “Our efforts for this celebration are reinforced by our strengthened resolve to continually ensure every SM Supermall in the country empowers its people and surrounding communities to be accepting, appreciative and accommodating to our customers regardless of their needs.”  

SM Prime: Living in Tomorrow’s Water-Resilient Future

  At SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime), water stewardship has come a long way since its early initiatives. As part of its environmental sustainability strategy, the programmatic Water for Tomorrow campaign looks beyond water recycling and efficient water management.

For SM Supermalls, this urgent call to action to protect and preserve a valuable resource makes any large-scale investment in water security a sound opportunity to do good for both people and planet.

SM Southmall in the late 90’s. Located in the water-challenged area of Las Pinas, the mall was the first to have a sewage treatment plant (STP) for water recycling. It opened to the public in 1995, followed by SM Bacoor in 1997, saving a significant volume of water otherwise used for flushing.

Amplified impact
With 89 malls nationwide, SM Supermalls high-impact yet practical water management systems and circularity practices build long-term capacity for future water disruptions and reflect the malls’ greater ecosystem.

A community solution. At the launch of SM City Baguio’s Rainwater Treatment Facility (RTF), innovation meets sustainability and sets a benchmark for water efficiency.

Having introduced sewage treatment plants nearly three decades ago, well before any compliance requirements, SM Supermalls also made significant investments in efficient low-flow fixtures and water-saving technologies to prevent unnecessary consumption at scale. In 2023, the first rainwater treatment facility by a mall opened in Baguio to convert rainwater into another potable resource, alleviating pressure on the local water grid.

At a cultural level, SM Supermalls becomes a living sustainability classroom where mallgoers, employees, and tenant-partners are made aware of its water, waste, and energy programs. Partnerships with NGOs, government agencies, and civic groups also sustain water conversations through the mall’s broad reach and are crucial to the sustainability agenda.

SM Cares engages communities, mallgoers, and tenants in water conservation initiatives that inspire mindful consumption and collective action. 

Embedding the message of water sustainability, SM Cares champions UN SDG6 – using every mall touchpoint and social media to create content on water conservation, access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene for health and well-being

Water sustainability is a shared responsibility across all SM malls. SM Cares engages and promotes water conservation initiatives that inspire mindful consumption and collective action.

As a vital community hub, the malls promote the wider SM Green Movement campaign, empowering people to practice responsible water use.

The first mall to receive LEED Gold Certification in 2017, SM Aura’s wastewater treatment plant and smart water management technologies ensure responsible and efficient water use.

Building what matters, today
Water’s essential role supports human activity and economic growth. As climate concerns accelerate and affect water supply, SM Prime’s unified stance on water stewardship prepares for challenges ahead.

SM Supermalls not only assists larger partner-tenants with compliance and the bottom line. It similarly inspires smaller businesses and other stakeholders that depend on mall operations to adopt innovative solutions.

“The scale of what we are doing today for water is already proof that we are reaping the benefits of the innovative vision of our leadership,” says Steven T. Tan, President of SM Supermalls.

“What makes our programs truly meaningful is how they bring people and purpose together. It creates a ripple effect of sustainability that reaches beyond our walls,” said Tan.