The Recyclable, Disposable, and Compostable-labeled bins support SM’s waste-free future initiative and align with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022.

The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) predicts that by 2050, the world’s plastic manufacturing would have reached 1,100 million tonnes, with dire implications for the environment, society, economy, and human health.

SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime), one of the biggest integrated property developers in Southeast Asia, is dedicated to building prosperous, sustainable cities.

SM Prime supports the observance of International Plastic-free Day on May 25 and its call to reconsider single-use plastics (SUP) for a single day as part of its environmental plan for a waste-free future. The group-wide efforts to support the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022 are also celebrated by SM Prime.

A group-wide movement for the EPR Law

The SM group, working with its Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO), Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability (PARMS), is pursuing a group-wide strategy to comply with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)’s EPR Act of 2022.

Formally known as Republic Act 11898, the EPR law requires companies to take responsibility for the recovery of their plastic packaging products and to pursue waste management programs.

Acknowledging the challenges and realities for businesses and on-ground operations through its EPR working group committee, the SM group commits to a plan of action in reducing and recovering its plastic footprint within the given five-year period, sharing alternatives and new technologies to respond to the growing global crises, and establishing partnerships with government agencies and other private institutions.

As the property arm of the SM group, SM Prime’s commitment to a waste-free future aims to create the needed infrastructure that will help support and maintain plastic waste management strategies.

Crucial to waste recovery efforts, SM Prime equips its properties with a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), and standardized waste segregation and management practices to help reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills. A joint venture with a Japanese environmental solutions company, the SM GUUN Environmental Company, Inc. (SGECI), converts non-recyclable waste into cement fuel or “fluff fuel” for eco-conscious cement companies like APO Cement, Holcim, and Taiheiyo Cement, as part of its “co-processing” practice.

SM GUUN converts disposable waste into fluff fuel, which helps unload overfilled and over-capacity landfills.

Beyond compliance

SM Prime continues with its established programs such as the nationwide Trash to Cash recycling market. Since 2007, it has been one of SM Supermalls’ flagship programs that continues to be more relevant given the times.

Available in all 87 SM malls, the Trash to Cash program has since been recognized as a rewarding community-driven practice for surrounding residents and mall tenants.

Activating the SM malls to help their communities with sorted plastic waste, Trash to Cash incentivizes the exchange of recyclables to provide a venue for plastic recovery. Fifteen SM Plastic Waste Collection sites likewise serve as drop-off points for clean, empty, and dry plastics. In addition, the Solid Waste Action Program (SWAP) reverse vending machines at SM Megamall and SM Mall of Asia enable the diversion of aluminum cans and polyethylene terephthalate bottles (PET), which are considered high-value plastic products.

The annual International Coastal Clean-up (ICC), supported by SM Cares, continues to empower volunteers to take part in this global effort for a record-breaking initiative. In 2024 alone, SM Cares helped mobilize 23,000 employees, students, and various communities that joined nationwide volunteer efforts to remove trash from the world’s beaches and waterways.

Volunteers participate in the International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) for a shared cause, with sign-ups increasing each year.

Hamilo Coast, known for its Marine Protected Areas and its commitment to living in harmony with nature, together with employees, guests, and residents, recovers plastic waste during beach clean-ups.

Aiming for a waste-free future

Reduction is always the best option. The SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation (SMHCC) has long since eliminated SUPs from all properties in support of the UNEP’s campaign to phase them out. Pico Sands Hotel was also one of the first hotels to sign with the World-Wide Fund for Nature Philippines (WWF) in their Ayoko Na Sa Plastic Campaign in 2018.

In all of its hotel rooms, SMHCC has successfully removed single-use amenities including PET water bottles and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) shampoo and shower gel bottles. Bamboo or starch-based eco-friendly alternatives to plastic cutlery have been recommended since 2019 as part of the SMX Convention Centers’ requirements to promote sustainable events management practices. This is done in an effort to reduce trash output.

A larger impact is produced at a larger scale when people work together to lessen the effects of the plastic trash crisis. SM Prime wants to successfully divert a larger percentage of plastic waste away from landfills through improved waste management systems, efficient waste segregation techniques, and proactive community engagement.

“Our work is never done. There are new technologies, innovative solutions, and more avenues for collaboration to look forward to in making the EPR Act work for our communities,” said Engr. Liza Silerio, Vice President for Corporate Compliance and Program Director of SM Cares for Environment. “But we all have a role to play–it is every individual’s responsibility to create a waste-free future.”

Enjoy exclusive travel deals at The Metrobank Travel Fair – Book Online

If your 2025 vision board includes travel, get packing right away. The Metrobank Travel Fair – Book Online, which will take place from July 1 to July 15, is just a step away. Make your reservation online. With your Metrobank credit card as your best friend, here is your time to make those Instagram-worthy locations a reality.

Metrobank provides everything you need, whether you’re organizing the ideal fangirl weekend in Seoul, chasing sunsets in Boracay, or finally making reservations for that long-awaited Disneyland excursion in Hong Kong or Japan. Use your Metrobank credit card to get deals on everything related to airfare, hotels and accommodations, tours and activities, to other travel essentials.

These amazing deals come from Metrobank’s partner merchants, including  AirAsia Move, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, HongKong Express, Japan Airlines, Qantas Airways, Sunlight Air, United Airlines, Amorita Bohol, Club Wyndham, Crimson Alabang, JPark Cebu, Marco Polo Ortigas, Nay Palad, Solaire North, Solaire Paranaque, The Funny Lion, Agoda, AXA, Big Sky Nation, HongKong Tourism Board, Klook, and Korea Tourism Organization and many more, bringing a diverse selection to suit every traveler’s needs.

Enjoying exclusive discounts at The Metrobank Travel Fair – Book Online is simple and convenient. Just visit the websites or online platforms of your preferred participating airlines, hotels, or travel booking sites, choose your next adventure, input the promo code (if any) and pay with your Metrobank credit card. For the full list of merchants and offers, check out https://metrobank.com.ph/promos/the-metrobank-travel-fair-online-2025.

Get more out of every booking with your Metrobank credit card

At The Metrobank Travel Fair – Book Online, you’ll get more than just basic discounts. There are additional perks that come with each transaction:

1. Enjoy up to PHP10,000 cashback on your flights with your Metrobank Visa credit card! Get PHP2,000 cashbackfor a minimum single-receipt spend of PHP25,000, or as much as PHP10,000 cashback for a minimum single-receipt spend of PHP100,000 at participating airline partners.
2. Book your accommodation with your Metrobank Mastercard credit cardto get 5 eGCs  of a 1-pc. Chicken McDo meal with rice and a medium drink for every single-receipt transaction of at least PHP1,000 at participating merchants.
3. Double the savings on rooms with Agoda! Enjoy 6% OFF on room accommodation when you book via agoda.com/metrobank. Plus, enjoy an extra PHP4,000 cashback for a min. single-receipt spend of PHP30,000.
4. Book all travel packages atKlook and enjoy PHP2,000 off for a minimum single-receipt spend of PHP20,000 applicable sitewide, one per customer only.

Also, Metrobank Mastercard credit cardholders, can avail of the Buy Three (3), Take One (1) Free promo on tickets to your favorite HongKong Theme Park. Use the code: TMTFONHKPARK. Valid for one-time use only per cardholder, per account within the promo period. Limited redemptions apply.

To qualify for each reward, don’t forget to register your transaction through the One Giftaway Website at https://metrobankcard.mymcc.gift.

Flexible payment options with Balance Conversion

Pre-selected Metrobank credit cardholders can convert all their qualified transactions and available outstanding balance during the promo period into easy installments. Avail of the special Balance Conversion Offer at a low interest rate of 0.48% for 12 to 60 months, for a minimum single-receipt spend of PHP6,000. Qualified cardholders will receive a message about the balance conversion offer from Metrobank.

Whether you’re interested in luxury lodging, last-minute weekend getaways, or exciting itineraries, there’s something for every type of traveler. Therefore, use your Metrobank credit card to plan your next vacation at The Metrobank Travel Fair – Book Online.

Do you not yet have a Metrobank credit card? Get a Metrobank credit card by applying now! Apply online at https://apply.metrobank.com.ph/creditcard or in person at the Metrobank branch that is closest to you.

Together as one community, 2024 marks the launch of SM Waste-Free Future in SM Mall of Asia.

The Philippines produces more than 60,000 metric tons of waste every day, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and this amount is predicted to increase as the country’s cities and economy grow.

Aware of the urgency, SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime) established the SM Waste-Free Future program in 2024 as one of its main environmental sustainability initiatives to divert waste from landfills by using recycling, composting, and other sustainable disposal techniques, and to reduce overall waste generation through efficient waste segregation.

A new waste management segregation system was introduced in its first year of operation for all of its assets, including malls, homes, offices, hotels, convention centers, and estates around the country.

Beyond SM Prime, the campaign on waste has extended its reach to other SM groups and portfolio companies, making SM Waste-Free Future a group-wide endeavor.

A bigger picture of waste

The Recyclable, Disposable, Composable (RDC) bins are central to the program’s segregation practice.  RDC makes it simple and consistent, providing key visual cues to bin it right.

Together for an SM Waste-Free Future, the Recyclable, Disposable, Composable (RDC) bins at SM Store branches support the broader goals of environmental sustainability through clear and effective waste segregation practices.

Despite its infancy stage, the rapid and wide-scale integration underscores SM Prime’s ability to operationalize sustainability across diverse asset classes and ecosystems, reinforcing the company’s commitment to innovative waste diversion strategies.

SM Prime also celebrates the efforts of SM Retail in advancing a waste-free future. All SM Store branches have successfully deployed their RDC bins, while SM Markets continues to implement its reusable bag system. In support of waste management efforts, Goldilocks Bakeshop has also implemented the RDC system across its stores in all SM Supermalls.

Creating opportunities to expand

Partnerships with other organizations pave the way for the work ahead. SM Waste-Free Future strengthens tenant engagement for SM Supermalls and SM Offices, supporting businesses with similar goals on waste and helping them align with their global sustainability policies.

Similarly, it reinforces SM Hotels’ advanced Back of House operations, food waste policies, and textile recycling program. The SM Hotels’ Tela Tales program transforms discarded linen into sustainable products and provides livelihood for the women of partner communities, upcycling more than 2,000 yards of condemned linens.

Recognizing that technology greatly contributes to the solutions, SM Waste-Free Future has also strengthened collaborations with other organizations. SM Development Corporation (SMDC) works with Globe’s Hapag Movement to rescue surplus food from residents and help make a difference in the lives of Filipino families experiencing involuntary hunger and divert household food waste away from landfills.

In the mall’s Cyberzone areas, SM Supermalls’ Electronic Waste Collection Program and their partnership with PLDT and Smart make it accessible to dispose of old mobile devices and other electronic gadgets responsibly.

Shoppers can conveniently drop off old gadgets for proper recycling through SM Supermalls’ E-Waste Collection in partnership with PLDT and Smart at Cyberzone.

Join the movement

SM Waste Free Future invites more communities and stakeholders to participate through proper waste segregation, joining local clean-ups and collection drives, or supporting eco-friendly products and practices.

Positive reinforcement and catchy social media campaigns from SM Cares target the youth by promoting better waste segregation habits and encouraging them to become more involved with the state of the planet they will inherit.

Recently, in celebration of World Oceans Day, SM Cares mobilized communities across 18 SM Supermalls nationwide, bringing together over 5,000 volunteers and collecting more than 30,000 kilograms of waste from shorelines.

Mobilizing for World Oceans Day, SM Cares volunteers unite and act to remove waste that ends up in the oceans.

“Waste-Free Future is more than just a program—it’s a mindset shift. And we’re only getting started,” said Engr. Liza Silerio, Vice President for Corporate Compliance and Program Director of SM Cares for Environment. “We call on our tenants, partners, and customers to continue the journey with us—because a truly sustainable future is one we build together.”

SM Prime is certain that a cleaner, more circular Philippines is well within reach given the increasing momentum for a waste-free future.

(L-R): Supply Chain Management Association of the Philippines (SCMAP) President Dennis Llovido,
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Assistant Secretary Engelbert Chua, DTI Secretary Cristina
Roque, and Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) President Roberto Claudio Sr. attend the media
launch of the Section G: Job Blueprint for Wholesale and Retail Trade on June 16, 2025, at SM North
EDSA.

On June 16, 2025, the Philippines’ wholesale and retail trade industry saw a significant improvement in employment prospects. Section G: Job Blueprint for the Wholesale and Retail Trade Sector was formally launched at SM City North EDSA by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA), and the Supply Chain Management Association of the Philippines (SCMAP). The initiative included a two-day job fair that provided Filipino job seekers with immediate hiring opportunities.

In order to fill labor shortages in retail and supply chain, the government, the private sector, and mall leadership have worked closely together to create the Section G Job Blueprint, which was created after in-depth discussions with industry stakeholders. By utilizing the sector’s significant contribution to the nation’s GDP and its position as a major employer of more than 10 million Filipinos, it seeks to increase employment growth and provide the groundwork for future changes, according to the DTI.

Industry support and immediate impact

The job fair, which offered hundreds of career opportunities from leading retailers and logistics providers, drew a diverse crowd of job seekers eager to engage with PRA and SCMAP member companies recruiting for roles in merchandising, warehousing, logistics, and frontline retail.

In the photo: SM Supermalls Assistant Vice President for Job Fairs Royce Cabunag, Philippine Retailers
Association (PRA) President Roberto Claudio Sr., and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Assistant
Secretary Engelbert Chua at the launch of the two-day Section G: Job Blueprint for the Wholesale and
Retail Trade Sector job fair at SM North EDSA.

 “This is more than just a job fair—it’s a call to action,” said Joaquin San Agustin, Executive Vice President of Marketing at SM Supermalls. “We are proud to partner with DTI, PRA, and SCMAP in hosting this meaningful initiative that connects people to opportunity and promotes inclusive employment.”

Job seekers connect with leading retailers and logistics providers offering roles in merchandising,
warehousing, and frontline retail.

SM Supermalls, as host venue and promotional partner, reinforced its commitment to national workforce development and economic recovery. This event is part of SM’s ongoing support for programs that empower micro-, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), job seekers, and industry players.

SM Supermalls joins the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Philippine Retailers Association (PRA), and the Supply Chain Management Association of the Philippines (SCMAP) in driving inclusive employment at the launch of the Section G Job Blueprint.

Now that Section G has been formally introduced, interested parties anticipate putting its main suggestions into practice and creating a more robust and resilient retail trade industry for everybody.

Hans Sy speaking in the 8th Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2025), organized by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and co-chaired by the Government of Switzerland.

Hans Sy, the chairman of the executive committee of SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime), emphasized the importance of the private sector in disaster risk reduction (DRR) at the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s (UNDRR) 2025 Global Platform in Geneva, Switzerland.

Sy emphasized how companies may support the development of scalable, science-based resilience solutions while speaking on behalf of the Philippine private sector at the Ministerial Roundtable on “Accelerating Financing and Resilience.”

Private sector as a force multiplier in DRR

“Resilience strengthens businesses while safeguarding lives and communities,” Sy stated. “We know the government cannot do it alone. The private sector is ready to do more.”

Sy underscores the need for policies, incentives, and institutional support to scale up disaster risk reduction investments at the UNDRR Global Platform 2025.

He cited SM Prime’s integrated approach to DRR, which includes allocating a significant portion of project costs to disaster-resilient infrastructure and applying science-driven planning frameworks.

Sy also pointed to cross-sector initiatives such as the Adopt-a-City Program with the National Resilience Council and joint capacity-building programs with ARISE Philippines and the Department of Trade and Industry as examples of effective public-private partnerships.

Embedding resilience into core business strategy

In a High-Level Dialogue on scaling DRR financing, Sy outlined SM Prime’s approach to mainstreaming resilience across its developments. He highlighted features such as elevated mall structures, built-in rainwater catchment systems, and earthquake-resistant designs—solutions that have minimized disruption and enabled rapid recovery in the face of disaster.

“Disasters may be unpredictable, but their impacts don’t have to be,” he said. “We can—and must—prepare, mitigate, and adapt.”

The SM Mall of Asia Complex features a higher seawall and elevated design to guard against rising sea levels. (Inset) Deep, wide drainage channels—large enough to fit two buses side by side—further protect the area from storm surge flooding.

Call to scale resilience investment

Sy advocated for enabling mechanisms that include targeted incentives, institutional collaboration, and legislative assistance in order to increase DRR finance. “Financial, non-financial, and regulatory incentives are among the most effective ways to accelerate investment in resilience from the private sector’s perspective,” he said.

His comments emphasized how crucial teamwork, creativity, and long-term planning are to creating resilient communities. The standard for sustainable development in areas vulnerable to disasters is still being set by SM Prime’s leadership in DRR.

“Together, we can embed resilience to build a sustainable and secure future for all,” he concluded.