Supporting Communities through Disaster Preparedness
In support of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s Metro-wide Shake Drill, all SM Supermalls in the National Capital Region conducted a simultaneous earthquake and evacuation drill last July 30, 2015. The active participation from SM is part of its commitment to support communities by educating its customers on preparedness during disasters.
Close to 40,000 customers, tenants and employees from the participating SM Supermalls, SMDC Residences, SM Savemore & Hypermarket branches in Metro Manila actively took part in the drill which aimed to prepare the public in the event of a 7.2-magnitude earthquake.
SM Supermalls went on a full information campaign to raise awareness about the drill. A dry run was conducted last July 23 for the actual drill on July 30. An Emergency Response Group was activated to ensure smooth implementation.
"We are a partner with the community in ensuring the safety of our customers and publics.”
SM Prime Holdings Inc. President Hans T. Sy said. “SM Prime will continue to pursue best practice standards in sustainability by implementing disaster resilience measures while ensuring customer satisfaction and stakeholder engagement through SM Cares programs.”
Earthquake, fire, flood and tsunami evacuation drills are being practiced across all SM Supermalls and are conducted on a regular basis.
Todate, SM Prime operates 52 SM Supermalls in the Philippines and seven in China. These are focused on responsible solid waste management, energy efficiency, water conservation and air quality.
SM has designed its malls to be disaster-resilient. These include SM City Marikina, SM City Masinag, SM BF Paranaque, SM Center Muntinlupa and SM Mall of Asia. Likewise, SM Aura Premier in Taguig City, aims to be one of the first civic centers in the country to be certified Gold under the US Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, an internationally-recognized green building program established in 135 countries.
“As a member of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction-Private Sector Partners (UNISDR-PSP), SM Prime will continue to provide initiatives and programs to increase awareness, information dissemination and action across all sectors,” Sy mentioned.
To know more about SM’s Disaster preparedness and sustainability efforts, you may also visit www.smcares.com.ph.
