Building resilient infrastructure and practicing environmental stewardship have long been priorities for SM Prime Holdings (SM Prime), a leader in sustainability projects in the Philippines. SM Prime has continuously placed a high priority on sustainability, from its early adoption of water recycling and creative energy management initiatives to operationalizing waste management and renewable energy. The company’s strong engagement in the recent Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, which was organized by the Office of Civil Defense and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, further demonstrated this dedication. Hans Sy, the Executive Committee’s chairman, highlighted at the conference the importance of resilience in urban populations and the necessity of innovation and cross-sectoral cooperation for the nation’s sustainable development.
Because of the Philippines’ extreme susceptibility to natural disasters, particularly typhoons and tropical cyclones, disaster risk management (DRM) and resilient infrastructure are essential. To assess a building’s vulnerability to flooding, SM Prime uses a hydrological survey method.
SM City Marikina, elevated on 246 concrete stilts, allows floodwaters to flow beneath, keeping occupants safe during severe weather events.
A strong example of such resilience lies in SM City Marikina, whose unique structure was lauded by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Built beside the Marikina River, an area prone to flooding during severe weather events, SM City Marikina stands on 246 concrete stilts. This innovative design allows floodwaters to flow beneath the structure, leaving the mall and its occupants safe and dry. During Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) in 2009, which devastated surrounding areas, SM City Marikina remained intact, serving as a refuge for those affected by the disaster. Similar to the stilts methodology, SM City Cabanatuan’s lower ground parking level serves as a temporary catchment basin.
SM City Cabanatuan demonstrates SM Prime’s dedication to flood mitigation through its robust design.
SM City Cabanatuan’s lower ground parking level doubles as a temporary flood catchment basin, a crucial element of our flood mitigation strategy.
Beyond these two malls, this promise of flood resilience is present in other properties. A key innovation employed by SM Prime is the implementation of rainwater catchment basins in its malls. These massive underground tanks, similar in size to swimming pools, collect and store rainwater from the street level, mitigating flooding in surrounding communities. Twenty-nine SM Supermalls across the country are equipped with these basins, boasting a combined capacity of 85,400 cubic meters – enough to fill over 34 Olympic-sized swimming pools!
Built to protect, SM City Masinag incorporates a rainwater catchment basin to minimize the impact of heavy rainfall.
SM City Masinag’s rainwater catchment basin collected 8,652.60 cubic meters of rainwater during Super Typhoon Carina.
Designed with the community in mind, SM City Masinag incorporates flood mitigation measures for safety.
These catchment basins have proven invaluable during recent typhoons. For instance, SM City Masinag’s rainwater catchment basin played a crucial role during Super Typhoon Carina (Gaemi) last July 2024, effectively managing the increased water volume. It collected 8,652.60 cubic meters of rainwater, equivalent to 264 gallons of water. As the first SM mall equipped with a rainwater catchment basin, SM City Masinag was strategically built in a historically flood-prone area, serving as a catch basin for water flowing down from upper Antipolo. In the second half of 2024, SM malls prevented an estimated total of 46,405 cubic meters of rainwater–the volume of 18 Olympic-sized swimming pools–from flooding the surrounding areas.
Mr. Gareth Aboy, a resident and former officer of Vermont Phase 1 Association near SM City Masinag, expressed his gratitude: “The residents of Vermont Park Executive Village of Antipolo would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to SM City Masinag for always being there in our times of need. Thank you for keeping your doors open for our immediate daily needs, your elevated parking spaces for our vehicles, and for keeping your water catchment basin open to help drain the water from our flood-prone village. SM City Masinag has always been and will continue to be a treasure for the residents of Vermont Park Executive Village of Antipolo.”
Resilience and sustainability are key to SM Prime’s business plan. The firm makes large investments in these initiatives because it understands that the advantages—better business continuity, safer neighborhoods, and environmental protection—far exceed the disadvantages. Building a more resilient future for the communities it serves is still SM Prime’s top priority.
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