In celebration of World Water Day, SM Seaside, SM J Mall, and SM City Consolacion conducted a coastal cleanup activity at the South Road Properties and along the Laray Riverside, bringing together community volunteers and environmental partners and empowering them to help protect coastal ecosystems while promoting responsible waste management.
This year’s coastal cleanup emphasized enhanced waste segregation education to deepen understanding among volunteers and communities on proper sorting, recycling, and disposal of collected waste. In line with this, participants collected and segregated different types of waste commonly found in coastal areas, including plastic bottles, food packaging, and sachets.
The initiative forms part of SM Supermalls’ environmental sustainability programs, aligned with the SM Green Movement and the company’s Waste-Free Future campaign, which aim to empower communities to adopt more sustainable habits and protect the environment by diverting waste away from the ocean and landfills.
“Protecting our coastal and marine environments requires a more proactive, end-to-end approach with the cleanups starting with education, deepening awareness, and sustaining collective action,” said Engr. Liza Silerio, Vice President for Corporate Compliance and Program Director for Environment and Sustainability of SM Supermalls. “By helping communities understand the importance of proper waste segregation and responsible waste management, we hope to inspire long-term behavioral change that benefits both people and the planet.”
The coastal cleanup with SM Seaside, SM J Mall, and SM City Consolacion also highlighted the spirit of bayanihan, with volunteers from Cebu Bantay Dagat Commission, National University Cebu, employee-volunteers, and tenant partners working together to care for the environment and strengthen environmental awareness within the community.
SM Cares continues to encourage the public to take part in its environmental initiatives lined up throughout the year, including World Oceans Day Cleanup Drives in June, International Coastal Cleanup activities in September, and National Environmental Awareness Month activities in November.
Through initiatives like these, SM Malls in Cebu continue to empower communities to take part in protecting the environment—all for Filipinos, and all for the planet.
To learn more about SM Cares’ environmental initiatives and how you can take part in upcoming programs, visit https://www.smsupermalls.com/smcares.
