SM Cares backs classroom building through cinema tickets

SM Cares, the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Supermalls, has launched a nationwide campaign that aims to address classroom shortages in public schools by transforming movie ticket purchases into funding for education infrastructure.

Dubbed “From Reel to Real Stories: HOPE in a Movie,” the initiative was officially launched on 18 December during a special screening at SM Cinema Mall of Asia, bringing together partners, advocates, and community leaders in support of building new public school classrooms.

Under the program, a portion of every SM Cinema ticket purchased nationwide—across all formats and platforms—will be allocated toward the construction of 10 public school classrooms over the next three years. The campaign is being carried out in partnership with Generation HOPE and the Department of Education, which will ensure that identified school sites meet education standards and priority needs.

The launch also highlighted SM Cinema’s introduction of SCREENX, a 270-degree panoramic film format developed with CJ 4DPLEX, underscoring the company’s push to combine innovation with social impact.

SM Cares said the initiative builds on SM Foundation’s long-standing education efforts, which include the construction of more than 400 classrooms and the donation of over 100 school buildings nationwide, along with digital learning hubs and community reading spaces inside malls.

As the campaign continues into the new year, SM Cares is encouraging moviegoers to take part, framing each cinema visit as a simple way to contribute to improving access to quality education for Filipino students.