SM Cares funds public schools

SM Cares, the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Supermalls, has launched a nationwide campaign aimed at addressing classroom shortages in public schools by converting cinema ticket purchases into funding for education infrastructure.

The initiative, dubbed “From Reel to Real Stories: HOPE in a Movie,” was officially launched before Christmas during a special screening at SM Cinema Mall of Asia, drawing partners, advocates, and community leaders to support the construction of new public school classrooms.

Under the program, a portion of every SM Cinema ticket purchased nationwide across all formats and platforms will be allocated to the construction of 10 public school classrooms over the next three years.

The campaign is being implemented in partnership with Generation HOPE and the Department of Education, which will identify priority school sites and ensure compliance with education standards.

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

SM Cares said the initiative builds on SM Foundation’s education programs, 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.

The company encouraged moviegoers to participate, framing each cinema visit as a simple contribution toward improving access to quality education for Filipino students.