When watching movies build classrooms

When watching movies build classrooms | Daily Tribune

SM Cinema has a new plot to its movies.

Moviegoers to SM shopping malls will be contributing to building classrooms under SM Foundation and SM Cares’ “From Reel to Real Stories: HOPE in a Movie” campaign launched on 18 December.

The social responsibility arms of the SM Supermalls offers movie buffs the opportunity to co-produce future classrooms across the country while enjoying SM cinema’s surround sound experience and SCREENX’s 270-degree view.

For every SM Cinema ticket, a portion of the price goes into a fund for building 10 public school classrooms over the next three years, in partnership with Generation HOPE and the Department of Education (DepEd). It covers all tickets in all formats nationwide — whether bought at the booth, kiosk or online — so every genre and every screening counts.

Turning fandom into classrooms

Fans usually track box-office numbers; now, those numbers will also translate into desks, roofs and blackboards. Generation HOPE brings its track record in classroom-building, while DepEd identifies priority sites and ensures standards, so the “gross revenue” of your weekend watch slowly becomes square meters of learning space.

SM’s broader education work adds depth to the story: hundreds of classrooms already built by SM Foundation, donated school buildings, and digital hubs with computers and smart TVs that support digital literacy.

Community spaces like the Book Nook in SM malls extend that learning vibe beyond the cinema, giving kids free places to read and discover stories off-screen.

For regular cinemagoers, this campaign turns routine habits into low-effort advocacy. Choosing SM Cinema for the next franchise installment or festival entry becomes a small but steady way to back public education, especially for students in overcrowded or under-resourced schools.

“At SM Cares, we believe that empowering communities creates lasting impact,” said Steven T. Tan, president of SM Supermalls. “This campaign is built on a simple yet powerful idea: when people watch a movie at SM Cinema, they’re not just enjoying entertainment — they’re helping create real opportunities for Filipino students by turning movie moments into classrooms.”

Tan added, “This partnership demonstrates the power of collaboration between the private sector, social enterprises, and government. Together, we can create sustainable solutions that help students learn better and communities grow stronger.”

SM Foundation has constructed 403 classrooms and donated 116 school buildings nationwide, alongside digital learning hubs equipped with computers, smart TVs, and essential software to strengthen digital literacy.

The story is simple: keep doing what movie buffs love — lining up for premieres, debating endings, rewatching favorites — and each ticket helps write a different kind of script: one where more Filipino kids get an actual classroom, not just a scene in a film, to chase their own dreams.