SM Prime champions disaster risk resilience

Leading Philippine property developer SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime) is reaffirming its commitment to disaster risk resilience as an active participant in two prominent networks: ARISE Philippines and the National Resilience Council (NRC).

These networks will be showcased at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR), themed “Surge to 2030: Enhancing Ambition in Asia-Pacific to Accelerate Disaster Risk Reduction.”

SM Prime chairperson Hans Sy, the first private sector awardee of the Philippine Resilience Awards’ “Dangal ng Pilipino sa Pag-agapay sa Ligtas na Sambanayan” by the Office of Civil Defense, has been a champion of disaster resilience.

His invitation to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Private Sector Advisory Board led to his election as the first Filipino member of the UNDRR ARISE Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction's global network.

“SM Prime places crucial importance on risk-informed investments. It allows us to serve communities better, to increase our value, to be an asset to the government, and to of course continue our business successfully,” said Sy at the 2019 UN Global Platform.

SM Prime’s commitment to disaster resilience is evident in its malls, such as SM City Marikina, which is built on concrete stilts, SM Mall of Asia, which has a higher seawall and wick drains, and 25 malls with rainwater catchment basins.

During his term with ARISE Global, Sy actively shaped global strategies for private sector engagement in disaster risk reduction. He continues this commitment as a driving force behind ARISE Philippines, spearheading collaborative projects with corporations to strengthen national disaster preparedness.

Simultaneously, Sy serves as Co-Convener for the Private Sector in the NRC, a multi-sectoral group collaborating with the academe, civil society organizations, and local governments to enhance community resilience. The NRC’s Adopt-A-City program has been a model public-private partnership for local climate and disaster risk capacity building and training, especially among local government units. 

Underscoring its dedication to resilience, SM Prime hosted the Top Leaders Forum 2023 together with the ARISE Philippines network. Held on the International Day for Disaster Reduction, the event gathered top-caliber representatives from the UNDRR, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of National Defense, and other resilience groups. This forum celebrated the announcement of Manila as the host city for the APMCDRR in 2024. It also was the venue of the Women International Network on Disaster Risk Reduction (WINDRR) Leadership awarding ceremony, where SM Prime proudly sponsored the Excellence Award for exceptional professional success in DRR. The Philippine Resilience Awards for Women were also handed out by the Climate Change Commission, together with the Office of Senator Loren Legarda, WINDRR, SM Prime, ARISE Philippines, and NRC. 

In anticipation of the APMCDRR, ARISE Philippines and the NRC, with support from SM Prime and DENR, are collaborating to showcase the Philippines' commitment to disaster risk reduction. Delegates will have the privilege to hear from Mr. Sy and the leaders of ARISE and NRC at the APMCDRR, taking place from October 14 to 18, 2024, at the Philippine International Convention Center.