SM cultivates culture of volunteerism among employees

Employees of SM Group recently volunteered to participate in a Brigada Eskwela clean-up activity for a public school in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija.

Going the extra mile in extending help for communities, SM Group and its employees share the same purpose of spreading its social responsibility programs in grassroots communities.

Just recently, SM Foundation, together with The SM Store, SM Supermalls, and SM Markets, brought smiles to the faces of teachers and students of Bakod Bayan Integrated School (BBIS) in Cabanatuan, during their Brigada Eskwela activity.

SM employee-volunteers participated in the clean-up activity, preparing the school for face-to-face classes once the situation permits. They helped with the clearing of school grounds and the repainting of SM school building which was turned over to BBIS in 2016.

“Very thankful ako na ang SM at SM Foundation ay very active in giving back to the community, sa pagbibigay ng tulong sa mga nangangailangan tulad ng mga ganitong pampublikong eskwelahan,” SM Store-Cabanatuan Branch Manager Kristine Mariette Bernarte said.

Bernarte, along with the other volunteers, also helped in facilitating the turnover of donations and gifts for the BBIS students and teachers. These include school supplies, shoes, clothes, and other hygiene essentials from The SM Store.

And to thank them for their tireless efforts, the teachers also received grocery packs from Savemore (SM Markets) and special gifts from The Body Shop.

More so, SM Investments Corporation (SMIC) donated two desktop computer units to help advance the 21st-century learning of the students of BBIS.

“Natutuwa po ako na ang dami naming nag-volunteer para sa activity na ito. Taos-puso po naming ibinibigay ang oras namin para sa pagtulong sa komunidad. Bukod sa pagbibigay sa amin ng way para makatulong, natutulungan din kami ng ganitong volunteeriSM activity na ma-develop ang aming team work at lalo pa nitong napapalakas ang bond ng team,” Bernarte added.

BBIS Principal Artemio Dionisio expressed his gratitude to SM: “Bilang principal ng paaralang ito ay lubos akong nagpapasalamat sa SM Foundation dahil hindi nila kami pinapabayaan mula noon hanggang ngayon. SM, maraming salamat!”

SM Foundation, through its School Building Program, is an active partner of DepEd’s Adopt-a-School program. This social good initiative of SM Foundation aims to promote quality public education by building classrooms nationwide.

To date, it has turned over more than 100 school buildings to grassroots communities nationwide.