Vic Vic Bautista

L-R): Atty. Calvin Kohchet-Chua, Pru Life UK Chief Legal and Government Relations Officer; Kathryn Cajucom, Pru Life UK Head of Brand and Integrated Marketing Communications; Sarah Hulton OBE, His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Philippines; Sanjay Chakrabarty, Pru Life UK President and CEO; Sarah McLeod, British Chamber of Commerce Philippines (BCCP) Chair; Zoe Tamano Alonto Lucman-Mambuay, Pru Life UK Takaful Agent Ambassador; and Maricel Estavillo, Pru Life UK VP Sustainability and Takaful Head

Bonifacio Global City (BGC) saw the triumphant return of the Great British Festival, which attracted large audiences to the BGC Amphitheatre for a lively celebration of British talent, cuisine, and culture. The nation’s top life insurance, Pru Life UK, once again served as a major sponsor of the much awaited event.

The Great British Festival 2026, which was organized by the British Embassy Manila, the British Chamber of Commerce Philippines (BCCP), and the British Council, included a packed schedule of events, programs, and performances. These included live band performances, pub quizzes, food and drink, brand booths, raffles, and educational talks and video screenings about studying and travelling in the UK.

The two-day event brought together leaders, innovators, and members of the diplomatic community, with His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Philippines Sarah Hulton OBE and BCCP Chairman Sarah McLeod leading the opening programme.

“At Pru Life UK, we take great pride in our British heritage, and we are delighted to once again support the Great British Festival 2026. We have proudly sponsored this event for years reflecting our strong commitment to the British Embassy and the BCCP, our trusted and long-standing partners, as we continue working together to strengthen the ties between the UK and the Philippines,” said Sanjay Chakrabarty, President and Chief Executive Officer of Pru Life UK.

As one of the event’s major sponsors, Pru Life UK hosted an immersive booth that relives Prudential’s rich history. This included a themed photo wall featuring a backdrop of the iconic Holborn Bars, as well as a feature wall that guided visitors through Pru Life UK’s journey, from its beginnings in the UK to its milestone 30th anniversary this year. Exclusive bookmarks were also given to participants as souvenirs, each beautifully inscribed with their name in calligraphy.

The Great British Festival 2026 welcomed a wide audience and once again served as an accessible platform for celebrating British culture while reinforcing cultural and business ties between the UK and the Philippines.

Financial protection for all

Through a featured talk at the event, Pru Life UK reaffirmed its commitment to championing financial inclusion and delivering financial protection plans that empower Filipinos to achieve security, stability, and hope for the future, regardless of faith, personal circumstance, or economic standing.

Through Takaful by Pru Life UK, the first Shariah-compliant life protection product in the Philippines, the company has addressed a significant gap in the insurance landscape, ensuring that Filipino Muslims and values driven individuals have access to insurance without compromising their beliefs.

Takaful Agent Ambassador

“In our country, millions of families remain vulnerable to unexpected life events such as illness, accidents, or the loss of a loved one. For many, the absence of financial protection can mean falling into poverty overnight. For communities that require financial solutions aligned with Islamic principles, this gap has been even wider,” said Zoe Tamano Alonto Lucman Mambuay, Pru Life UK’s pioneering Takaful Agent Ambassador.

“Takaful is not merely a product. It is a statement of values. It shows that financial services must evolve with society, that respect for faith and culture is not a limitation but a strength, and that business success and social responsibility can move forward together,” she added.

Pru Life UK has shown its commitment to promoting accessible finance and responsible business practices by introducing Takaful. Filipinos can rely on PRU for financial protection plans that are moral, inclusive, and transformative because it was the first insurer in the country to obtain a Takaful license.

Notes:

*New Business Annual Premium Equivalent (NBAPE) – premium for a new policy paid in a year 

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. checks partners’ booths during the previous SM Job Fair in December 2025, engaging with employers and jobseekers and underscoring the shared commitment to making employment more accessible for Filipinos.

SM Supermalls hosts its February SM Job Fairs all across the country, giving job-hunting Filipinos access to community possibilities through easily accessible employment channels that expedite and simplify the application process. The monthly #SMJobFair series, which is held in SM malls, links employers from manufacturing, logistics, retail, services, and other important areas with job seekers.

Hundreds of jobseekers gather at SM City Cabanatuan as SM Supermalls holds a job fair in celebration of the Banatu Festival, marking the city’s 76th founding anniversary and turning local festivities into real employment opportunities.

Just got hired! A job seeker beams with pride after landing a new job during the Job Fair at SM City Cabanatuan.

In celebration of the Banatu Festival, celebrating the 76th founding anniversary of Cabanatuan City, SM Supermalls kicked off February with a highly successful job fair at SM City Cabanatuan, demonstrating how career opportunities can be meaningfully woven into local festivities. Held last February 3, the job fair brought together 32 employers and a thousand jobseekers, with 90 applicants hired on the spot— underscoring the impact of aligning employment initiatives with community celebrations. By integrating career opportunities into high-traffic events such as local holidays and festivals, SM Supermalls enhances the malling experience by offering purposeful activities that customers can conveniently engage with in their most-loved SM destinations. Beyond serving as venues for celebration, SM malls evolve into community platforms that create pathways to livelihood, growth, and long-term opportunity for Filipinos nationwide.

Flagship SM Group Job Fair set for February 26 at SM North EDSA

Culminating the month’s activities is the highly anticipated SM Group Job Fair led by SM Retail on February 26 at SM City North EDSA—one of the strongest and most soughtafter hiring events in the SM Job Fair calendar. Employers from across the SM Group—including retail, real estate, food, logistics, and banking—will be offering a wide range of opportunities, reinforcing why so many Filipinos aspire to join the SM family.

As the largest retail chain in the Philippines, SM Retail continues to champion a workplace where people truly belong, thrive, and grow. Job seekers can look forward to purposeful challenges, meaningful career opportunities, and a culture where efforts are recognized and celebrated—making it #SoMuchFun to build a career at SM Retail. Because at SM Retail, we’ve got it all for you—#OnlyAtSMRetail.

From resumes to real conversations, applicants engage directly with employers during on-the-spot interviews.

Resumes ready, confidence on point—jobseekers take their next big step forward.

One-Stop Job Application Made Easy

SM Job Fairs go beyond job matching by offering on-site government services, allowing applicants to complete key employment requirements in one location. Participating agencies typically include the National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police, Social Security System, and PhilHealth, among others— saving jobseekers time, cost, and multiple trips.

Government agencies on-site help jobseekers complete essential employment requirements in one convenient stop.

Successful hired-on-the-spot (HOTS) applicants proudly pose after securing jobs at the SM Job Fair, highlighting how SM Supermalls continues to create real, immediate employment opportunities for Filipinos nationwide.

February SM Job Fair Schedule

• February 12 – SM City Taytay
• February 13 – SM City Trece Martires
• February 16 – SM City Olongapo Central
• February 20 – SM City Legazpi
• February 25 – SM City Davao
• February 26 – SM City North EDSA
• February 27 – SM Center Muntinlupa
• February 27 – SM City Trece Martires
• February 28 – SM Seaside City Cebu

A day filled with hope, handshakes, and hiring.

It is advised that job candidates bring several copies of their resumes, legitimate identification, and go to the closest SM Job Fair today February. Join the cause by following SM Supermalls on social media for updates and mall-specific information. #SMJobFair. MSMEs Are Championed by SM Supermalls—and the Filipino labor force.

GR Machines deployed in SM Malls nationwide set to make recycling easy, fun, and rewarding

SM is transporting your used PET bottles to a location that is better than landfills.

SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SM Prime) leverages the countrywide reach of SM Supermalls to make sustainable action simple, accessible, and rewarding for customers at malls worldwide with the recently installed Green Recycling Machines (GR Machines).

“The GR Machines enrich the SM Group’s existing waste management efforts under the SM Green Movement,” said SM Supermalls President, Steven Tan. “Through the deployment of these machines, we hope to collaborate with our customers in caring for the environment by helping recycle PET bottles whenever they enter their most loved SM Supermalls.”

Each GR Machine can be operated with ease by any user and can accept PET bottles up to two liters. Together, the GR Machines nationwide can collectively hold up to 5,000 bottles in one collection cycle which are compressed in-machine. The compressed PET blocks are then collected and given a second life by SM’s hauling partner Sentinel which transforms the blocks into reusable items such as food trays.

Little makes much: Preserving the environment one diverted bottle at a time

According to the World Bank, the Philippines leaks more than 300 million metric tons of plastic waste into the sea annually—equivalent to around 9 percent of its improperly handled plastic waste. The Philippines was also noted as one of East Asia and the Pacific region’s top contributors to ocean plastic pollution.

Recognizing that sustainability and protecting the environment is beyond the effort of one entity, SM has leveraged its presence nationwide through its properties to engage its customers and surrounding communities in maximizing the collection of recyclables especially plastics. Through SM Cares, its Corporate Social Responsibility arm, SM empowers communities to adopting sustainable practices through simple and accessible ways to take part in protecting the environment. Arresting the growing issue on pollution, the SM Group has enhanced waste segregation efforts to increase its collection and diversion of plastics from the environment since 2007 with its pioneer program, the Trash to Cash recycling market.

SM Group’s Trash to Cash initiative was organized by SM Cares as the pilot community program that encouraged customers to segregate recyclables like metal, paper, and plastic and exchange these for cash on a monthly basis. SM Supermalls also followed up this effort with the launch of two Reverse Vending Machines in SM Mall of Asia and SM Megamall which empowered customers to segregate aluminum cans and empty PETs in exchange for discounts on sports and leisure attractions. On top of these, SM also hosts nationwide coastal clean-up drives annually through the strength and effort of its workforce volunteers.

With the latest in mobile recycling technology, SM’s GR Machines encourage customers to turn good intentions into daily environmentally-conscious actions in three easy steps:

1. Feed any PET bottle up to 2 liters into the machine
2. Confirm your deposit by pressing the prompt on the screen
3. Await your reward

“This is just a glimpse into how SM aims to enrich the Circular Economy through the elevated role we play in integrating seamless waste management efforts, all for Filipinos. We are hopeful that with the addition of the SM GR Machines, our continued partnership with our customers in protecting the environment yields a more sustainable future” said Tan.

SM North EDSA, SM City San Lazaro, SM Megamall, SM The Podium, SM Aura, SM Southmall, SM Mall of Asia, S’Maison, SM Seaside City Cebu, and SM Lanang are among the malls where customers can begin placing their plastic bottles in SM GR Machines.

MSMEs are getting their well-earned main stage moment in February, and SM Supermalls is ready for it. Through market access, mentorship, and purpose-driven platforms that support businesses’ confident growth, SM Supermalls continues to open doors for Filipino entrepreneurs in collaboration with its longstanding strategic partners, the Department of Trade and Industry, Philstar Media Group, and Go Negosyo.

The goal of these alliances, which have been developed over many years of collaboration, is to enable MSMEs to grow sustainably, compete effectively, and prosper in a changing economy. This February, a number of significant projects taking place throughout SM malls bring that shared commitment to life.

Go Negosyo brings 3M on Wheels mentorship to SM Megamall this February

Entrepreneurs and MSME owners gain valuable one-on-one insights from industry mentors during Go Negosyo’s 3M on Wheels, receiving free, practical guidance on branding, finance, and scaling their businesses. Held in partnership with SM Supermalls, the program brings accessible mentorship closer to entrepreneurs—reinforcing a shared commitment to capacity-building, inclusive growth, and long-term business sustainability

Strengthening its shared advocacy with SM Supermalls, Go Negosyo rolls out its 3M on Wheels mentorship program this February 25 at SM Megamall, offering MSMEs and aspiring entrepreneurs free, one-on-one coaching sessions with industry mentors.

Designed as a quick-stop mentoring platform, the program delivers practical guidance in areas like product development, branding, finance, scaling strategies, and digital transformation. Entrepreneurs from industries including food, retail, creative services, agriculture, and technology gain direct access to insights that can sharpen their competitive edge.

This initiative reflects SM Supermalls’ ongoing commitment, alongside Go Negosyo, to make mentorship accessible — ensuring MSMEs get the right advice at the right time to move their businesses forward.

DTI National Trade Fair celebrates sustainability and Filipino innovation

From February 18–22, the Megatrade Halls of SM Megamall host the DTI-Bagong Pilipinas National Trade Fair — a signature platform championing sustainability, creativity, and Filipino craftsmanship.

A cornerstone partnership between SM Supermalls and the Department of Trade and Industry, the event highlights eco-conscious, design-forward products that reflect the country’s growing leadership in sustainable innovation. Featured items include furniture, fashion, textiles, and handicrafts made from coconut materials, engineered bamboo, natural fibers, plant-based dyes, and native grasses sourced nationwide.

SM Supermalls and the Department of Trade and Industry champion indigenous tribes whose intricately handcrafted furniture, bags, accessories, and apparel showcase proudly Filipino heritage and creativity—reflecting the growing community support for MSMEs.

Beyond the exhibits, visitors can enjoy workshops, live product demonstrations, and cultural showcases that celebrate Filipino heritage while spotlighting future-ready design. For MSMEs, the trade fair provides a vital gateway to buyers, collaborators, and wider market exposure.

Sustainability meets creativity as locally made furniture, fashion, and handicrafts demonstrate the evolving strength of Filipino enterprises.

Philstar NakakaLocal Bazaar heads to Baguio with proudly Filipino finds

Celebrating local pride and entrepreneurship, Philstar Media Group brings the NakakaLocal Bazaar to SM City Baguio from February 27 to March 1, offering shoppers a curated mix of homegrown brands in food, fashion, crafts, and lifestyle.A long time collaborator of SM Supermalls in advocating for MSME visibility, Philstar Media Group continues to build platforms that connect entrepreneurs with wider audiences while strengthening the “love local, grow global” movement.

Philstar Media Group’s NakakaLocal Bazaar at SM Seaside City Cebu—with the celebration of proudly Filipino MSMEs continuing next at SM City Baguio from February 27 to March 1.

Following its successful regional runs, the bazaar reinforces how partnerships among media, retail spaces, and business communities can amplify opportunities for small businesses ready to expand their reach.

Through enduring partnerships with DTI, Philstar Media Group, and Go Negosyo, SM Supermalls continues to create meaningful ecosystems where MSMEs gain mentorship, exposure, and access to growth opportunities.

Every booth tells a story of passion, perseverance, and proudly Filipino innovation.

The projects for February are a reflection of a common belief that when groups come together to assist entrepreneurs, they create more than simply enterprises; they also create more resilient economies and stronger communities. Filipino MSMEs aren’t merely taking part in the business of the future, let’s face it. They are molding it.

Many of the common but essential services that Filipinos relied on were cut off as the pandemic brought the nation to a complete halt, including transportation.

Due to social isolation, public transit was practically nonexistent, making it difficult for any household to commute for necessities; for many, bicycle was their only option.

Aware of the need to help customers and the communities around them during the pandemic’s difficulties, SM Supermalls stepped up its efforts to promote Active Mobility in all of its shopping centers across the country. Since then, the leader of the mall has turned into a haven and supporter of Active Mobility, consistently creating areas that are both safe and suitable for cyclists.

Because of this effort, SM has won the trust and confidence of its stakeholders in advocating for sustainable travel, culminating in a record-breaking 34-win citation at the 2025 Mobility awards.

 “What began as a heartfelt initiative to support bikers during COVID, has now become an integrated bike program spanning every single SM mall in the country,” said SM Supermalls Executive Vice President for Marketing, Joaquin San Agustin. “Active Mobility plays a crucial role not just in preserving the environment but in the enrichment of every Filipino. Thus, SM aims to continually foster the culture of biking across its properties by creating beloved places where movement is safe, easy, and inclusive for everyone.”

Active Mobility Advances Through Coaction

Through a collaboration between its Corporate Social Responsibility arm, SM Cares, its mall operations, and biking communities, SM continues to refine itself as a bike-friendly space championing maxed-out Active Mobility, cycling, and inclusive transport.

“It started with us setting up parking spots exclusive to bikes to ease access for cyclists picking up essentials in our malls. Then when the volume of cyclists picked up even as the lockdown eased, we knew we had to do more for them,” said Mina Kahn, SM Division Head and Assistant Vice President for Transportation Management.

For the mall leader, this meant improving transport access through sustainable means it could easily replicate across its properties nationwide. This involved carving out dedicated spaces equipped with essential tools to safeguard and repair bikes, protecting bikes from scratches with upcycled tires cushioning racks, the introduction of intuitive bike lanes for biker safety, and the promotion of the culture of cycling.

From there, bike-friendly features have become staples even in recent developments and renovations with plans to implement more secure bike parking, install more racks, and clearer cycling lanes around the malls. Cycling groups also found a conducive haven for activities at SM properties. Biking events were regularly encouraged and hosted, with surrounding tenants adjusting operating hours to accommodate cyclists, further promoting biking not just as a mode of transportation but as a lifestyle and sport one could enjoy.

For its efforts to promote and preserve cycling as a culture throughout its properties, SM received 34 awards at the recent Mobility Awards: one gold, eleven silver, and twenty-two bronze.

Furthermore, SM’s sustainable strategy was highlighted by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) as evidence of its leadership, inventiveness, and sustained dedication to enhancing the safety and accessibility of active transportation for Filipinos. This year’s Notable Advocacy campaign included its Pedal Power 2025 campaign, and the Private Sector recognized the SM Supermalls Sustainable Mobility and Bike-Friendly program with a citation for Notable Development.