SM Prime and WWF Philippines Announce Partnership Towards Responsible Reporting on Climate Change Solutions

(XX August 2022, Pasay City, Philippines) SM Prime Holdings, Inc., one of Southeast Asia’s leading integrated property developers and leading conservation organization World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines have entered a collaboration in adopting a more robust reporting framework to address the climate crisis. 

This is a major partnership of WWF with a Philippine company towards the development of a bespoke program towards decarbonization.

 

Sustainability at SM Prime is at the core of its corporate identity. SM Prime is at the forefront of spearheading sustainable practices as well as setting records in pioneering programs to consciously protect the environment and strongly focus on resilience in its developments.

 

Under the partnership, SM Prime will adopt the Corporates for a Better Planet Initiative (CBPI), WWF-Philippines’ flagship program that provides an actionable framework for organizations to operate sustainably within the paradigm of the climate crisis. 

 

“We are delighted to work with WWF Philippines on this sustainable journey. Focusing sustainability within the context of the Philippines ensures that our strategies and projects are highly material, efficient and more responsive in addressing local concerns surrounding resilience and adaptation. We need to be one with the worldwide community to achieve this and we need to work with global experts to get this right,” SM Prime President Jeffrey C. Lim said.

 

Climate change is one of the most pressing and defining global issues today. The Philippines currently ranks third globally when it comes to climate change vulnerability. In relation to its geographical location, it is more exposed to altering intensities of climate change manifested through erratic weather systems and natural calamities.

These risks are rife with complexity and uncertainty and organizations typically fail to properly assess their implications. The CBPI program takes a holistic approach towards this pivotal issue, addressing these risks from a custom-built, science-based perspective. 

 

By partnering with the WWF, SM Prime will be able to enhance and determine climate change solutions that will be reflected through responsible and transparent reporting. 

 

The first phase of CBPI involves gauging where SM Prime stands in its sustainability initiatives and setting a science-based target in line with the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial levels. SM Prime published its first Integrated Report in 2021 under the Integrated Reporting Framework which provides an overview of our value creation model — how we seek to create value for our stakeholders by contributing to national progress through investments and interventions critical to the country’s socio-economic growth.

 

As a champion of climate action in the Philippines, our partnership with WWF adds another enhancement to transparent reporting by ensuring greenhouse gas (GHG) computations are accurate and use appropriate methodologies.

 

With the need to broaden efforts to protect the environment, this partnership forms part of group-wide efforts under the SM Green Movement that aims to improve the quality of life of communities through sustainable solutions to promote a green planet, green living and a green culture.

 

SM Prime’s partnership with WWF dates back to 2007 under Hamilo Coast, its leisure resort development in Nasugbu, Batangas.

 

WWF closely monitors the health and viability of the Hamilo Coast area including three of its coves designated as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)—the Pico de Loro, Etayo and Santelmo.

 

In recognition of its conservation efforts, Hamilo Coast was cited by WWF-Philippines as its longest standing Sustainability Partner in 2020. 

 

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About SM Prime

 

SM Prime Holdings Inc., one of the leading property developers in Southeast Asia, is committed to providing safe and sustainable spaces for its stakeholders.  Its development strategy is anchored on the responsible use of resources. In the communities it serves, it is able to promote resource conservation, environmental protection, and disaster resiliency by implementing solutions for water, waste, and energy management.

 

SM Prime is a key player in the SM Green Movement that aims to improve the quality of life of communities through sustainable solutions to promote a green planet, green living and a green culture.

 

Find out more about SM Prime and the SM Green Movement

Hamilo Coast and WWF: Partners in Eco-Tourism and Sustainability

Hamilo Coast, the premier beach resort town in Nasugbu, Batangas, may be the weekend haven of the country’s affluent set, yet it is on track as a thriving model of sustainable eco-tourism practices. 

Touting 5,800 hectares of prime seaside development, Hamilo Coast is a project of SM Prime’s Costa Del Hamilo, Inc. (CDHI), which carefully integrates residential, resort, leisure, commercial, and institutional land uses in the sprawling estate. But beyond its vast scope and stunning vistas, Hamilo Coast embraces sustainable tourism at the core of its philosophy and shows how beautiful beachfront homes can harmonize with nature and the environment.

2022 marks Hamilo Coast’s 15th year of productive partnership with the conservation group World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines (WWF). Hamilo Coast and WWF have been working together on key areas for sustainability—coastal resource management, ridge-to-reef management, solid waste management, mangrove reforestation, the use of renewable energy sources, and environmental awareness.

This long-standing collaboration with WWF signifies Hamilo Coast’s determination to pursue eco-tourism and sustainability while upholding international standards for leisure property development. 

Ms. Imee G. Francisco, Vice President and Head of CDHI Projects and Operations, takes pride in the partnership’s objectives. “More than building and maintaining a beautiful community, we seek to create and sustain a world that future generations can enjoy. To help serve this end, CDHI continues to develop Hamilo Coast without compromising the quality of wildlife living around it.” 

This year, Hamilo Coast and WWF will focus on addressing the major components on waste management, which include assessment of solid waste, water and wastewater management practices, formulation of environmental management plan, and the promotion of food shed farming systems. Apart from these, Hamilo Coast and WWF will continuously work on programs that will help conserve, protect, and nurture the environment.

For one, Hamilo Coast and WWF’s Ridge to Reef program declared three of Hamilo Coast’s 13 coves–Pico de Loro, Etayo, and Santelmo–as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). These are coastal zones where human activities are strictly regulated to ensure their long-term conservation. Declaring more MPAs would also mean expanding Hamilo Coast’s scope in safeguarding more marine ecosystem and resources. 

Hamilo Coast also continues to implement a mangrove reforestation program in its 24-hectare mangrove belt—one of the largest in Nasugbu. Here, Hamilo has planted 50,000 propagules hand-in-hand with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines.

Mangroves are the first line of defense for coastal communities, stabilizing shorelines by averting erosion and providing natural barriers to storm surges, flooding, and hurricanes. As an effective carbon storage, mangroves absorb six times more carbon than mature tropical forests, making it all the more vital in slowing down the effects of climate change. 

Finally, Hamilo Coast and WWF will further push for environmental awareness by celebrating occasions that show respect for biodiversity. One is the annually held Earth Hour, during which time people are urged to shut down electricity to make a substantial difference in energy consumption. Individuals, organizations, and establishments also come together on Coral Triangle Day to shed light on ocean conservation and the ways we can protect and preserve the world’s epicenter of marine biodiversity. 

Likewise, the development boasts the largest volunteer effort for the ocean’s health, made possible with the International Coastal Cleanup, where people gather on the Pico and Santelmo beaches to collect trash and record information on the collected debris. 

For all these sustained efforts, WWF has awarded Hamilo Coast with the Longest Sustainability Partner Award, recognizing the development’s commitment to sustainable tourism and its positive impact on the Philippine tourism industry.

Francisco affirms, “CDHI is proud of how far we have come at Hamilo Coast with the help of WWF. This inspires us to do even more, in the hopes that our efforts will make it possible for future generations to witness the beauty of nature as we see it today.” 

ABOUT HAMILO COAST

Hamilo Coast is a master-planned seaside residential community in Nasugbu, Batangas. Developed and managed by Costa del Hamilo, Inc., a subsidiary of SM Prime. It is approximately 90 minutes from Manila via Cavitex and the Ternate-Nasugbu Road. For inquiries, call (632) 7-945-8000 or visit www.hamilocoast.com.

SM Turns to Rain Water Harvesting a key to Living Flood Free

Climate change is real and Filipinos are among those who can attest to the devastating effects it brings to everyday life. Faced with about 20 typhoons a year, the Asian Development Bank reported that the total impact from storms have reached about US$20 billion from 1990 to 2020. It causes a temporary disruption due to mass evacuations which bring about an average of 2-8% reduction in gross domestic product annually. 

Despite the reoccurring devastation felt during calamities, Filipinos still manage to see the humorous side of life and are often reported as one of the happiest people in the world. However, this may soon be tested as, according to the latest report of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, things are about to get worse as the planet heats up, accelerating the effects of climate change and making the Philippines more vulnerable to drastic changes in weather patterns. 

On average, the Philippines receives about 2,400 millimeters of rainfall each year, one of the highest in the world. While this poses a problem for the country, there is a silver lining, as it can also be the solution for water scarcity. However, currently the Philippines only harvests around 6% of its rainwater compared to India which harvests around 60% of the 700-millimeter average rainfall it receives each year. 

Rain Water – a friend or a foe?

Water is a scarce resource. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number 6 identifies access to clean water as one of the global priorities to be achieved by 2030. Aligned to its environmental responsibility programs, SM takes a closer look at the use of water and how it can be turned from a foe to a friend.

SM builds its malls and integrated lifestyle cities with resilience and sustainability in mind. Understanding the value of water, SM builds rain water catchments in its malls to harvest large volumes of rain water particularly in flood prone areas.

“We approach it two ways: resilience – to help communities be flood free; and sustainability – to optimize water which is a scarce resource so we can use it for other purposes rather than just waste it,” says Architect Fides Garcia-Hsu, Vice President at SM Engineering Design and Development.

Vermont Park and Vermont Royale are two communities that once saw rain as a foe. Every time it rained, their neighborhoods ended up under water, damaging their homes. Today, home owners welcome the rain as water that can be harvested and stored for future use. The reason? SM City Masinag’s rain water catchment facility!   It has a 17,681 cubic meter water capacity. The two communities connected their drainage systems to the mall which is equipped with three 30HP submersible pumps which are used to pump out accumulated rain water. 

“Wherever SM is, we try to help our communities become resilient to changing weather patterns,” explains Arch. Garcia-Hsu. “Nationwide, we have 20 malls equipped with rainwater catchment facilities that help rain water management to avoid flash floods for surrounding communities.”

SM joins Earth Hour 2022; Lights switch-off, Virtual Run part of activity line-up

As part of the company's sustainability efforts, SM Supermalls, through its corporate social responsibility arm SM Cares, is once again joining the world in observing Earth Hour, with this year’s theme "Shape Our Future," focusing on how we can work together in halting and reversing climate change and nature loss by 2030.

Earth Hour is an annual campaign launched in 2007 by the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) that encourages the turning off of non-essential lights as part of energy conservation efforts for the planet. Since its first observance in the Philippines in 2008, SM has been joining the campaign every year, being one of the first in the private sector to support it.

This year, SM will continue to promote the campaign by being one of the official partners of WWF for the Earth Hour Virtual Run, to be held from March 26 to April 22. Aside from this, all SM malls will be joining the light switch-off on March 26 from 8:30 PM to 9:00 PM.

"SM is proud to have been supporting Earth Hour throughout the last 14 years. Every year, we partake in this very important movement because we want to inspire people to action and tell them that no matter how small their contribution is, it will go a long way if we work together," said Engr. Liza Silerio, SM’s Vice President for Corporate Compliance and Head of Sustainability. 

“Through Earth Hour, we want to engage over a billion people worldwide and engage decision-makers whether in business, institutions, and governments, to move the agenda of nature up the priority list in the global sphere and in the national agenda. We want people to lend their voices as we're shaping our future, 

and hopefully, we'll be changing the ending for the positive – for both people and the planet,” said Atty. Angela Ibay, Climate and Energy Program Head of WWF-Philippines

Aside from joining the campaign every year, SM has been active in environmental protection in many ways. For instance, all SM malls are equipped with energy and water conservation facilities. The company also regularly joins tree planting activities, and has waste management initiatives such as Trash-to-Cash, e-waste and used acid lead batteries collection programs, and the plastic waste collection program with the Plastic Credit Exchange.

SM has also been investing more in renewable energy. Eight malls in the country and three in China are now equipped with solar panels, with more to follow in the coming months. SM also pledged to increase its use of renewable energy to 50 percent of its overall energy usage by year-end.

SM City Tuguegarao Downtown Solar Rooftop

SM's other sustainability initiatives include the annual Green Film Festival, promoting environmental awareness among students and the youth through films; the AweSMSeas project, promoting awareness on the negative impact of plastic waste on seas and oceans; and the International Coastal Cleanup joined by thousands of volunteers every year, to name a few.

SM Cares is the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Prime Holdings, supporting initiatives that focus on communities and the environment. In addition to its programs on the environment, SM Cares’ advocacies include programs on women and breastfeeding mothers, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, children and youth, and the Bike-Friendly SM Program. 

Visit www.smsupermalls.com/smcares to learn more.

GCash heeds WWF Philippines’ call to #ShapeOurFuture

As the world faces various threats to the environment such as pollution and deforestation, it’s vital for individuals and institutions to take substantial action and prioritize environmental sustainability for all sectors. This was one of the key points highlighted during the Earth Hour virtual launch by the WorldWide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines, which was co-presented by GCash, the country’s leading mobile wallet.

During the event, WWF-Philippines invited Filipinos to turn off their lights during the annual celebration of Earth Hour on March 26 at 8:30 P.M local time, as a symbol of a broader commitment toward the planet. This year’s Earth Hour, with the theme “Shape the Future,” aimed to put forward a broader call to action for individuals to step towards living sustainably and for companies and governments to help build an equitable, nature-positive, and net-zero carbon future.

“At GCash, we strive to help over 55 million Filipinos live better and have efficient and more environmentally friendly transactions. Global movements like Earth Hour will always be relevant as its advocacy is not just for the protection of the environment, but it also carries the foundation of our way of life and the world. GCash is proud to join the annual observance of this symbolic switching-off of non-essential lights for an hour, which is an important call for climate action, especially in these crucial times,” said GCash President and CEO Martha Sazon.

WWF Energy Program Head and Earth Hour National Director Atty. Angela Ibay added, “Through Earth Hour, we want to engage over a billion people worldwide and engage decision-makers whether in business, institutions, and governments, to move the agenda of nature up the priority list in the global sphere and in the national agenda. We want people to lend their voices as we're shaping our future, and hopefully, we'll be changing the ending for the positive – for both people and the planet.”

As a financial institution that supports environmental sustainability, GCash is one with the mission of WWF Philippines to protect the environment by helping people lessen their carbon footprint. GCash encourages subscribers to shift to paperless billing for their transactions and lessen pollution through its safe, sustainable, and convenient digital financial products on the GCash app such as Pay Bills, Send Money, GLife for shopping for essentials, GSave for a savings account, GInvest for investments, GInsure for insurance, and many more.

GCash is also the only fintech company in the Philippines to have a sustainability feature integrated within its app, which is the GForest feature. Users can earn green energy points and use these points to plant virtual trees. These virtual trees will then be converted to actual trees by GCash. They can earn green energy points by using various cashless services of GCash and every time they walk if they enable GCash to access their health app or fitness tracker.

Having started as a symbolic event in Sydney, Australia in 2007, Earth Hour has become a global celebration and has grown into one of the world’s largest grassroots environmental movements spanning over 7,000 cities and 193 countries and territories.

WWF-Philippines Executive Director Katherine Custodio was also present for this important event. The Earth Hour virtual launch was hosted by Filipino physicist and Miss Earth Philippines 2017 Karen Ibasco and WWF Philippines National Ambassador Rovilson Fernandez.

 “This important partnership with WWF-Philippines underscores our strong desire to ensure GCash’s environment, social and governance (ESG) aspiration is in place, and in fact, brought to life. As we recently announced planting 1 million trees nationwide via our GForest program, we are positive that together with our partners like WWF, GCash will be able to further champion environmental stewardship in our homes and work places,” adds Chito Maniago, VP for Corporate Communications and Public Affairs of GCash. 

GCash, together with WWF Philippines, encourages Filipinos to help the environment in whatever way they can – big or small.

To use GForest and the other carbon-footprint saving features on GCash, you can download the GCash app for free via the Google Play or App Store.

For more information, visit https://www.gcash.com.

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About GCash

GCash (G-Xchange, Inc.) is the #1 Financial App in the Philippines. Through the GCash App, customers can easily purchase prepaid airtime; pay bills at over 1.3k partner billers; send and receive money anywhere in the Philippines, even to other bank accounts; purchase from over 4.5M partner merchants and social sellers; cash-in and cash-out at over 170k partner agents; and get access to savings, credit, insurance and invest money all at the convenience of their smartphones. GCash is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mynt (Globe Fintech Innovations, Inc.).

GCash was recognized by The Asian Banker (TAB) and by the IDC in 2021 for its outstanding digital financial inclusion programs impacting more than 55 million Filipinos in the country today.

Hack the Climate: Manila a Record Breaking Success!

Hack the Climate: Manila Participants together with the Organizers

And it came to the conclusion!

All the young geniuses were able to present and their creations and how it can pretty much be of benefit not only to NGO's but to Environmental Advocacy that is the prime purpose of Hack The Climate: Manila.

Even if I was not able to cover the Guinness Book Record for the full 57 hours(not the final tally) I was able to witness the passion for caring to mother nature in the room and the bright future for Eco Hacktivists that participated in the said event. Let me start of with the list of teams that participated:

Composed of students and young professionals that aimed to make a difference in the area of helping out our home that we call Earth.

On my part, I was only able to be in the event on the 1st and the last day. And here are some of the shots that may tell some of the stories of when I was there.

Talks from NGO's and Sponsors and fun moments to fill out the time of stay that each team in the venue, those where the things that I witnessed on my stay in Hack the Climate: Manila's first day, and I can say that I learned a lot myself. Like on the subject of EcoTourism in the Philippines, our country is blessed of Natural Beauty that both local and foreign tourist will find very attractive and those places needs enhancements so  communities from that place benefit from it which in turn also benefit our economy. That is only one of the inspirations that I got from being in that event.

The second part of my walk in the hall was the final day of the challenge and the judgement day as well. After the participants presented their respective inventions and apps I roamed around while waiting for the results and here are some of the shots I got.

Pretty intense judging

After the intense and difficult judgement. Awarding!

Grand Winner: Instigator

Congratulations to all the winners and as for the other groups...well there is actually a good news for them as well. Because nothing will be put into waste, all the other apps/projects will be offered to companies and NGO's. Overall the Records breaking event doesn't only add up new apps for users all over the world but inspired not only the participants but everyone that saw the event, read about it and organized the Hack the Climate: Manila itself to be better as a person.

Hack the Climate: Longest Hackathon in the Philippines

You may have heard of Hackathons in the past which all of it has the purpose of doing good to the community. The organizers leveled it up a bit more,making it longer and better, with the theme of hacking the climate. And to give you an idea on the prizes at stake, you can check them below:

Prizes:
US$ 800 in cash
1 - Macbook Pro
1 - Dell Inspiron Mini 10" netbook
1 - iPod Shuffle
1 - iPod Video
1 - iPod Touch

All of those sounds cool and motivating but that is not the purpose of why I'm promoting this event. Let me start with what inspired this. Watch!

Naderev Saño, the lead negotiator of the Philippines delegation who prepared a statement at the COP18 climate talks in Doha, which was played a few years back. This became a major influence to Jacob Scheer. He felt that there is more that he can do and us in this instance. Climate change doesn't only apply to several states or countries, but this is a global phenomenon.

The actual house of one of the organizers after Typhoon Sendong

Come to think of it. We are all brothers and sisters all in one sky and this is our planet, this is our home and our planet needs us. Each of us can do our share and for this event, this is going to be for the individuals or group capable in developing an app to help out. I know someone is just out there, I know that you may be that person reading this or you know someone that has that skill. So come and join this advocacy. Lets help out.

You can also check Hack the Climate: Manila in facebook or go to Www.Hacktheclimatemanila.org

Hack the Climate: Longest Hackathon in the Philippines

You may have heard of Hackathons in the past which all of it has the purpose of doing good to the community. The organizers leveled it up a bit more,making it longer and better, with the theme of hacking the climate. And to give you an idea on the prizes at stake, you can check them below:

Prizes:
US$ 800 in cash
1 - Macbook Pro
1 - Dell Inspiron Mini 10" netbook
1 - iPod Shuffle
1 - iPod Video
1 - iPod Touch

All of those sounds cool and motivating but that is not the purpose of why I'm promoting this event. Let me start with what inspired this. Watch!

Naderev Saño, the lead negotiator of the Philippines delegation who prepared a statement at the COP18 climate talks in Doha, which was played a few years back. This became a major influence to Jacob Scheer. He felt that there is more that he can do and us in this instance. Climate change doesn't only apply to several states or countries, but this is a global phenomenon.

The actual house of one of the organizers after Typhoon Sendong

Come to think of it. We are all brothers and sisters all in one sky and this is our planet, this is our home and our planet needs us. Each of us can do our share and for this event, this is going to be for the individuals or group capable in developing an app to help out. I know someone is just out there, I know that you may be that person reading this or you know someone that has that skill. So come and join this advocacy. Lets help out.

You can also check Hack the Climate: Manila in facebook or go to Www.Hacktheclimatemanila.org