The past years have always had us counting down to the most wonderful time of the year when the ‘ber’ months roll in; Christmas carols fill the air, dazzling tree lights dot the streets, shopping for gifts becomes a sport, and everyone else goes on a diet to make way for Christmas feasts.

This year may not be as festive as previous years, but it will most certainly be more meaningful. SM showed us the most uplifting way to best celebrate the season with “100 Days of Caring”;  featuring 100 days of spreading love, thoughtfulness, and care for one another and for the communities surrounding our favorite SM malls. The virtual event showcasing the pledges happened Thursday, Sept 16, 2021 over FB Live and WatchSM on YouTube.

“100 days of Caring”. To kickstart the Christmas countdown, SM pledged to donate to over 10,000 beneficiaries, namely communities in need, hardworking SM employees, medical frontliners and dedicated delivery partners, among others. Some of the beneficiaries and their partner malls are as follows:

• SM North EDSA is giving 100 pairs of World Balance rubber shoes to seniors from Graces Home for the Elderly in Quezon City.
• SM Megamall, The Podium, and SM Center Pasig chose delivery partners who will be recipients of 100 raincoats and rain boots.
• From SM Mall of Asia, 100 sets of care packages like face masks, face shields, Ensure milk, vitamins, supplements, and more, will be handed over to senior citizens within the community.
• SM Southmall chose SOS Children’s Villages as to receive various story and educational books.
• Metro Manila and Rizal malls chose several orphanages, namely: Associacion De Damas Filipinas, Bahay Aruga, White Cross Orphanage, and The Little Children’s Home to receive 100 toys and essential goods each, especially prepared by SM City Manila, SM City San Lazaro, SM City Sta. Mesa, SM City Taytay and SM Center Angono.
• In North Luzon, 100 Aeta families from Zambales and Tarlac will be given grocery packs by SM City Olongapo Downtown, SM City Olongapo Central, and SM City Tarlac; fishermen in Pangasinan will be handed with fishing supplies by SM City Rosales, SM City Urdaneta Central, and SM Center Dagupan; while select tricycle and jeepney drivers in Bulacan will be given 100 pairs of shoes by SM City Marilao, SM City Baliwag, and SM Center Pulilan.
• SM City Bacoor will give 100 brail books to the Deaf & Blind Foundation Philippines.
• In the Visayas, SM City Cebu will bring smiles to kids of Kythe Foundation with 100 toys; while SM City Iloilo will give 100 25kg sacks of rice to healthcare and peace & order frontliners. SM City Puerto Princesa on the other hand, will have 100 grocery bags to displaced tourism personnel.
• SM City Davao and SM Lanang Premier will be handing out 100 farming tools to local farmers; while SM City Butuan will be giving 100 Fiesta Food Packs to Por Cristo Foundation, Inc.

‘Gift’ for your mental health. Aside from our physical health being at risk during a pandemic, our mental health is also affected due to the stress and anxiety these times bring. And since SM believes in the value of taking care of our mental health, Dr Gia Sison, MD DPCOM gave a  ‘Call to Share’ talk during the virtual launch. Dr Gia Sison is a mental health advocate and co-founder of PH Leader Livestrong Foundation. Her talk centered on how to cope during this stressful time and still find hope in a better tomorrow.

100 voices that care. If there’s one thing that binds us all Filipinos together, it’s our passion and love for music. While we may not be allowed to have big gatherings this year, SM entertained the audience with the performance of the 3 Divas – Rahda, Frenchie and Bituin Escalante; later on joined by 100 artists, singers, and SM employees and stakeholders who came together to sing during the virtual launch on Sept 16.

We may be in the middle of a pandemic, times may be tough, and many of us may be physically apart, but let’s not forget what this season truly means. To view the event, go to WatchSM on YouTube.

For more information, bookmark www.smsupermalls.com and follow @smsupermalls on all social media accounts.