Passion for rebuilding lives

Helping communities hit by disaster get back on their feet is a responsibility and shared commitment woven into the SM Group’s culture of service. At the heart of this mission is Operation Tulong Express (OPTE), SM Foundation’s disaster response initiative.

Carried out through close coordination among SM Foundation, SM Markets, and SM Supermalls, OPTE brings together dedicated volunteer teams united by a shared commitment to serve those in need. SM Markets employees assemble Kalinga Packs in warehouse hubs that double as packing centers, while SM trucks and vans transport the goods to affected areas.

On the ground, employee-volunteers from across the foundation and SM Supermalls lead the relief distribution in the spirit of bayanihan, personally delivering essentials and — in harder-hit areas — supporting medical missions that offer free consultations, first aid and medicines.

For Andrea Rodriguez, SM Supermalls regional operations head for Pampanga, service is rooted in lived experiences, especially since her family was among those affected by the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991. Years later, she witnessed devastation firsthand during the 2019 earthquake that affected her province and the rest of Luzon.

“We were at the forefront during that time we were helping. In fact, as soon as the shaking stopped at the time, we were all hands on deck,” she recalled.

Her first OPTE experience came earlier when, as a new SM employee, flooding hit communities near the San Fernando mall.

“My co-workers in the mall, they told me there was opportunity to help nearby communities that were inundated. They told me, let’s join,’” Rodriguez added.

One of her most vivid memories was when they provided support to an 80-year-old resident in a remote barangay in Angeles following widespread floods during the pandemic.

“She was crying when we met her. She told us that she could not go to the barangay hall because her house was flooded. She said that she thought she would be forgotten. But she was very happy that we came for her, that there was hope,” Rodriguez said.

According to Ana Datu, regional operations head for Bulacan and CAMANAVA, the company’s strong culture of helping others has shaped the way employees live and work. Because of this, lending a hand has become second nature.

“We normally conduct OPTE in basketball courts so that we can reach more people. But we also take time to go to the alleys where children and elderly were left. When you see them, there seemed to be sadness. ‘We were forgotten, we were left because they were all at the basketball court,” Datu shared.

“But when they see us there with the Kalinga Packs handing it to them, they feel ‘Wow! We were not forgotten. These are the people who remember us.’”

“When I joined SM, I learned that community service and social responsibility are a big thing here. It has been a culture. It has been a habit. And it’s not difficult to imbibe this because you see it, and it transcends. It starts from the leaders, trickling down to the entire team. So everybody’s moving,” she added.

Both Ana and Andrea highlighted how volunteering shaped their outlook on work and in life.

“If you see the environment and the environment forges you to help and to be empathetic to the plight of everyone surrounding the community, surrounding the mall, your community; then you’ll imbibe it,” Ana said.

“It’s really great to be part of a team, a group that is able to support and help the community in good times and in bad times,” Rodriguez said.