100 days of happiness for Filipinos

Christmas countdown makes this joyful occasion more exciting. Filipinos celebrate Christmas the longest, it is also one of the biggest celebrations in the country. Beginning September, people start counting down and preparing for the Christmas season.

This year, to participate in creating a joyous Christmas for all Filipinos and to kick start the countdown for the most celebrated occasion in the country, SM Supermalls began its '100 Days of Happiness' campaign last September 16, where they aim to create a circle of happiness with 76 participating malls, their shoppers, the marginalized communities of women, persons deprived of liberty (PDL), artisans, cause-oriented organizations, and select local government units.

"We want to create a circle of happiness in all our SM malls by featuring products of cause-oriented programs which we will offer to our shoppers who, in turn, give them to friends and family, and ultimately, benefit the communities that created these products," said Steven Tan, President of SM Supermalls.

Through this campaign, SM Supermalls encourages Filipinos to support the advocacies of individuals and organizations that provide opportunities and create livelihood for their communities. 

The launch event held at SM North EDSA The Block was attended by SM Supermalls President Steven Tan and SVP for Marketing Joaquin San Agustin; Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, Vice Mayor Gian Sotto, and select councilors of the city; Spark PH Founder Mica Teves; GSP President Dr. Nina Lim-Yuson; designer Zarah Juan; and Brownies Unlimited Marketing head Dustin Ngo.

Equipping young girls to lead and build the future, one box of brownies at a time

For this year's 100 Days of Happiness campaign, SM Megamall, along with nine other SM malls – collaborated with Brownies Unlimited and the Girl Scouts of the Philippines to launch a special GSP-themed box of brownies. For every purchase of the special GSP-themed box of brownies in-mall and via the SM Malls Online App, one girl will be sponsored with a GSP membership for a year. 

SM shoppers can also purchase a box of brownies from 46 Brownies Unlimited branches nationwide and the SM Malls Online App.

In its commitment to building communities, especially for women and the youth, SM Supermalls and the Girl Scouts of the Philippines sign a memorandum of agreement to formalize a partnership beyond the year 2022. Photo source: SM Supermalls

In its commitment to building communities, especially for women and the youth, SM Supermalls and the Girl Scouts of the Philippines sign a memorandum of agreement to formalize a partnership beyond the year 2022. Photo source: SM Supermalls

In its commitment to building communities, especially for women and the youth, SM Supermalls and the Girl Scouts of the Philippines sign a memorandum of agreement to formalize a partnership beyond the year 2022. Photo source: SM Supermalls

"We have a lot of young girls across the country and they have had such difficult times during the pandemic. Our membership dropped significantly. By buying a box, you can sponsor a girl for one year and she can learn so many things like being independent, loving her country more, and helping her community," said Nina Lim-Yuson, GSP President.

Recently, SM Supermalls has also partnered with GSP to vaccinate all its 70,000 members nationwide. Giving them access to healthcare services, a safe and convenient vaccination. 

Giving marginalized women and persons deprived of liberty hope for the future

Apart from the GSP collaboration, SM Supermalls also partnered with the local government of Quezon City for its Vote to Tote program, Spark PH, and bag designer Zarah Juan to sell upcycled tarpaulin handmade tote bags sewn by marginalized women and female persons deprived of liberty.

"Christmas is all about giving. We are very happy that this year, the communities of Quezon City are included as beneficiaries in this program. And apart from helping the women in our communities, we are also able to help the environment by upcycling 70 tons of election tarpaulins that we have collected." said Joy Belmonte, Quezon City Mayor.
 

Juan, the designer, was the brainchild of the upcycling initiative. 

"During the elections, there were tons of election campaign wastes. I wanted to do something and I thought I have my platform – my designs. If my designs can actually solve this problem, then it is worthwhile. Then I pitched the idea to Maica Teves, the founder of Spark PH. From there, we gathered all the help we can – from the Quezon City LGU who will help us collect tarpaulins, the women communities that can help us create, and SM Supermalls who can provide us the platform to distribute."

A Happiness Walk was done to showcase the upcycled tote bags that shoppers can buy in SM malls. People from different careers and walks of life participated in the Happiness Walk including select Girl Scouts members, Jeremy Lapena and Bernce Sevilla of the Downs Syndrome Association of the Philippines, Mylene Abiva of WomenBiz, media celebrities Ces Oreña Drilon, and Gina Pareño among others.

Quezon City LGU, SM Supermalls, Girl Scouts of the Philippines, Brownies Unlimited, Spark PH, Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines, and TV personalities walked together for the benefit of the community. Photo source: SM Supermalls

Quezon City LGU, SM Supermalls, Girl Scouts of the Philippines, Brownies Unlimited, Spark PH, Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines, and TV personalities walked together for the benefit of the community. Photo source: SM Supermalls

Quezon City LGU, SM Supermalls, Girl Scouts of the Philippines, Brownies Unlimited, Spark PH, Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines, and TV personalities walked together for the benefit of the community. Photo source: SM Supermalls

Quezon City LGU, SM Supermalls, Girl Scouts of the Philippines, Brownies Unlimited, Spark PH, Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines, and TV personalities walked together for the benefit of the community. Photo source: SM Supermalls

The proceeds of the upcycled tote bags will be given to the women PDLs in Camp Karingal and the marginalized women of Barangays Sto. Cristo, Greater Lagro, and Pinyahan in Quezon City. The tote bags will be sold in the following SM malls:
· SM Aura Premier
· SM Southmall    
· SM City Fairview
· SM City North EDSA    
· SM Megamall

Helping a community of artists

In the south of Metro Manila – the SM Mall of Asia family will be partnering with the Association of Foot and Mouth Artists in selling painted Christmas cards to the shoppers.

"All these and more will start to unfold in the coming days as we continue spreading happiness across all SM malls around the country. Let us not waste our next 100 days and use it to make one another happy by giving. Today, let the countdown begin to a hundred days of happiness," shares Tan.

This is the second time SM Supermalls has started a holiday countdown campaign. In 2021, the chain of malls in the Philippines showed the world more than a hundred ways of giving through 100 Days of Caring. Underserved communities surrounding the 76 SM malls were provided with their urgent needs through in-kind and monetary donations by the malls, its various business units, and the employees. 

The season of giving and sharing should not only be towards our own family but to others who are in need of the same love, care, and assistance.

For the list of all partner institutions and their beneficiaries visit their website and follow @smsupermalls on all their social media accounts.

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