SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SM Prime) vowed to continue integrating climate adaptation measures and sustainability into its projects and expand partnerships with the government and other stakeholders to grow more resilient communities.
SM Prime Executive Committee Chairman Hans Sy said the government and the private sector must join hands in finding solutions to boost resiliency.
“Resilience is not just a word; it is a way of life. It is a commitment to ensure that we act on our responsibility to care for others and that no one is left behind,” Sy, who sits on the Philippine board of Arise Private Sect, said.
He said climate adaptation and resilience are keys to thriving amid the damage brought by climate change. Toward this end, SM allocated a significant portion of its capital expenditure to incorporate resiliency and sustainability in its infrastructure designs.
He said SM Prime’s mall arm, SM Supermalls, is leading in climate adaptation by having a network of over 25 rainwater catchment basins strategically located in SM malls nationwide, collecting and holding excess rainwater to prevent flooding.
SM Supermalls head for corporate compliance and sustainability Liza Silerio said that the SM Mall of Asia complex in Pasay City, which has a sturdy seawall, uses a specialized foundation system to provide more robust protection against liquefaction and seismic activities.
“We’ve seen firsthand how our catchment basins have spared communities around our malls from severe flooding during typhoons like Carina. This validates our commitment to investing in sustainable and resilient infrastructure,” Silerio said.
SM City Masinag was the first to build a catchment basin in 2011. It has a capacity of 17,681 cubic meters, equivalent to over seven Olympic-sized swimming pools.
SM City Marikina, meanwhile, has been recognized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction for being a prepared facility during calamities, as it is located in the Marikina River. The mall is required to be elevated with 246 concrete stilts to not disrupt flood water from entering and flowing through the structure, preventing damage to the mall and the nearby residential areas.
Silerio said SM malls consider the natural hazards by having the facilities and structures to protect nearby communities surrounding their malls.
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