THE GOOD GUYS DELIVER

SMDC has been providing means to foster better community relations and to help empower residents especially in times of need

SM Development Corp. is proving to be the “Good Guys” in more ways than one.

Beyond building a nation of Filipino homeowners and creating developments that are safe, accessible, resilient and sustainable, SMDC has also been providing means to foster better community relations and to help empower residents especially in times of need.

Case in point is this still raging pandemic, whose devastating impact has had economies reeling. As no business was spared, many Filipinos unfortunately felt the full brunt of this crisis.

SMDC has thus taken to heart its “The Good Guys” catchphrase, creating practical, beneficial programs that would help not only its residents and employees, but also those within neighboring communities and those employed in affected industries. It opened its doors to communities outside of its own to provide assistance to construction workers, farmers, street vendors and the unemployed in these critical times.

1 Vaccination drive, health caravans

To help keep communities safe, SMDC started its own massive vaccination drive a few months ago, inoculating more than 5,000 residents and employees. It continued this month, as it held new rounds of vaccination drives in partnership with the Red Cross—this time, for children and construction workers from different properties and areas under construction.

Last year, SMDC also rolled out health and wellness caravans to serve the elderly, persons with disability (PWD) and children, as movements then were strictly restricted due to the stringent quarantines in place. It also held bloodletting activities to provide much-needed blood for COVID-19 patients last year.

2 Lifeline to vendors, farmers

In creating pocket marketplaces to serve the needs of its residents, SMDC has also given a much-needed lifeline for hundreds of displaced vendors, farmers and other workers, whose livelihoods were severely threatened and affected by the pandemic.

The Good Guys Weekend Market at MPlace Residences alone allowed 75 displaced barangay vendors to sell their produce. SMEs and farmers from Cordillera and Nueva Ecija were likewise given an opportunity to sell fresh produce and local products through the “Kadiwa Market,” which was launched at the Light Residences in partnership with the Department of Agriculture. Other marketplaces, which also allowed residents who lost their jobs to sell their products there, have been put up in SMDC developments over the last year.

3 Job fairs

In the midst of an economic recession, SMDC found ways to provide employment opportunities.

Together with the local police, local government, Red Cross, SM Malls and SM Foundation, a series of job fairs was held in Quezon City, Parañaque and Pasay to provide jobs in SMDC neighborhoods. Applicants here undergo a swift endto-end recruitment process, including on-site police clearance and medical check-ups so that qualified job-seekers such as carpenters, masons, electricians, housekeepers and other maintenance staff can be hired on the spot by SMDC suppliers and contractors.

It’s thus unsurprising that these efforts caught the attention of prestigious award-giving bodies. For its Good Guys campaigns, SMDC garnered a Special Recognition in CSR from the PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards last year. It also won awards for Community Relations SMDC Happynings and CSR COVIDComms 2020: The Good Guys Campaign during the 18th Philippine Quill Awards.

At this year’s Panata Awards, it bagged Excellence in Brand CSR-GOLD for “Building a Community of Good Guys Through Volunteerism at SMDC.”

SMDC has truly gone beyond building residences alone. It ensures that its communities are also inclusive, promising a better quality of life not just for the residents but also for other communities beyond its walls.