In its aim to help rebuild the lives of typhoon survivors, SM Cares turned over 200 housing units to poor families in the town of Concepcion.
The ceremony was graced by SM Supermalls president Ana Maria Garcia, SM Foundation executive director Carmen Linda Atayde, senior vice president for engineering and security affairs Antolin Paule, Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr., Provincial Administrator Raul Banias and Concepcion Mayor Millard Villanueva.
Each unit costs over P300,000 and is situated in a lot donated by the Tirol family in Barangay Bacjawan Sur.
Garcia said the units, built last year, are specifically designed to be disaster-resilient.
“The houses can withstand typhoons and storms so they do not have to bother for their lives. And as their family grow, they will find their own livelihood and get back to their old lives,” said Garcia during the turnover ceremony on October 3.
The units are among the 1,000 houses that SM is building for typhoon-devastated areas in the country.
Among the areas are those in Tacloban and Ormoc in Leyte.
“Hopefully we can finish building all the houses within the year,” said Garcia.
ILOILO AS POTENTIAL INVESTMENT SITE
Garcia said Iloilo is also a good area for investment and they will continue with pouring in investment here as long as they find more properties that they can afford.
“Iloilo is a very good place to be in. The market is so vibrant and you have a lot of new infrastructure. So this adds to the good business economic climate,” she said.
SM is working on the expansion of SM City Iloilo with its three-level mall annex building which is expected to be completed by November.
“About 76 percent is already awarded to our tenants,” she said.
During the tenants’ preview last July, Garcia said they invited local players so they could expand their business.
