Sustainability Report 2023
SM Investments publishes its second Integrated Report which communicates the value of sustainable business practices and how these are embedded in stories on development, innovation, care and community. The report is a balanced reflection of our company’s value creation process and the progress our ecosystem of businesses have made in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Our Valued Resources
Our Brand
The SM Brand is one of the most popular and most trusted brands in the country.
Our Integrated Developments
Our lifestyle cities are a unique mix of malls, residences, office buildings and hotels, facilitating sustainable & resilient urbanization.
Our Natural Assets
We optimize geothermal energy and our environmental assets to help in the just transition to low carbon economies.
Our Financial Resources
One of the largest market capitals in the country managed with frugality and longterm thinking.
Our Empowered People
We have a diverse group of people that mirror our diverse customers, giving us better understanding of their needs and aspirations.
Our Connection To Our Customers
We know our customers, staying close to them to understand, meet and anticipate their evolving needs.
Our Relationship With Our Communities
Wherever we are present, we engage our host communities in community development by providing equal opportunities.
Our Inclusive Supply Chain Network
We have growth together with our suppliers for more than 65 years now -building long-term relationships.
Intellectual Capital
Embracing The Aspirations Of Those We Serve.
Over the past decades, the SM brand has emerged as one of the strongest in the country. Through the targeted integration of products and services, we are able to help jumpstart economic activities in the communities we serve. We support businesses, build sustainable cities, provide financing and promote social equity through education, healthcare and food security, creating jobs and opportunities. In this manner, as we work to meet the needs of those we serve, we have become a partner for Filipino families in achieving their aspirations.
Serving Millions Everyday
Built up for 65 years, our brand has emerged as one of the strongest in the country. Under our brand, we operate as an ecosystem to meet different aspects of the lives of our customer thorugh our retail, property and banking businesses. We are able to help jumpstart economic activities in the communities we serve:
- Creating jobs
- Supporting micro, small and medium enterprises
- Build sustainable and resilient lifestyle cities
- Facilitate financing for inclusive prosperity
- Provide opportunities for social equity like quality education, healthcare and access to food sufficiency
Through the years, we have become a partner for Filipino families in achieving their aspirations. As we work to meet the needs of those serve, they then, embraced our brand.
Social Capital
Why connecting with our customers is good business
Personalized SM Experience
As Filipinos flocked back to our malls, they wanted to engage in new social experiences. People want to have healthier lifestyles, convenience, new entertainment platforms, and immersive “physical” experiences.
To our customers, our malls have become not only their place for shopping but have also become their space for personal expression. We provide products and services that cater to their needs in achieving their aspirational lifestyle goals. Through our personal shopper service, we get to know the unique preferences of our customers and deliver them with the SM personal touch.
SOCIAL CAPITAL
A Country Of Budding Entrepreneurs
We have established ourselves as a leading hub for MSMEs, directly engaging with over 100,000 and accommodating 20,615 as tenants in our malls. Our comprehensive startup programs offer financing, mentorship and a marketplace for aspiring entrepreneurs. Furthermore, we use our influence to encourage our supply chain partners to prioritize sustainability in their product development to be able to offer our customers environmentally-friendly choices.
The Movers Behind Some Of The Country's Best Loved Brands, Their Entrepreneurship 101 Stories, And Growing Their Business With SM
As a professor of marketing at UP Diliman, Johnlu Koa realized the lack of French-inspired bakery restaurants in the mid 80s. During a trip to Paris, he was entranced by its world class restaurants and bakeries, and trained with chefs bakers and leboulangers. In 1989, he opened is first French Baker outlet at SM City North Edsa. With the support of SM, he opened a total of 5 stores within 15 months. Through French Baker, Filipinos now enjoy a wider variety of bread and pastries. After 25 years, The French Baner now has 63 branches all over the country.
Johnlu Koa
Chief Executive Officer, The French Baker, Inc. Director, Teabros Corporation (Chatime Philippine Franchisee)
SOCIAL CAPITAL
Growing With Our Communities
Wherever we are present, we work alongside our host communities. While our business naturally creates value by creating jobs, promoting entrepreneurship and facilitating financing, we acknowledge that some members of our communities need additional support. That’s why our Foundations are dedicatedto providing quality education, universal healthcare and agricultural skills training for food sufficiency. Through these programs, we empower communities to aspire, grow, and look toward a brighter future.
We are present in
FROM HOPELESSNESS TO HOPEFULNESS
Living out his dream-life in New York
Melving Matanos is one of SM Foundation’s scholars who have created his dreamlife as an engineer in NY. Driven by his goal to rise above a life of poverty, he presisted until he had opportunities to work in the Middle East and the United States. These were life-changing experiences that enabled him to help his family more. “I started buying our own house and put up a small business. Extending support to my brother and sister in building their own financial resources was my top priority.”
The culmination of this dedication came when he achieved his Master of Science in Data Science from the City University of New York, marked by academic excellence that earned him a remarkable grade point average of 3.97 out of 4.0. This opened doors of opportunities not only for him but his family as well.
Manufactured Capital
Sustainability And Resiliency Define Filipino Cities Of The Future
About half of Filipinos live in urban areas and we are committed to supporting their rapid urbanization needs. Our integrated lifestyle cities, centered around malls that serve as community hubs, offer the convenience of a 15-minute city model. Within walking distance, residents can access SMDC residential units, hotels, convention centers and offices. We also prioritize sustainability and resiliency in all our developments, allocating 10% of our capital expenditure to incorporate water catchments, clean energy, waste management and recycling.
NATURAL CAPITAL
Materials For Smart Natural Resource Management
We have adopted a group-wide strategy to address our plastic waste, aiming for plastic-free operations or responsible plastic waste management. In 2023, our group has successfully reduced our plastic usage by 20%, with 2GO achieving net-zero non-biodegradable plastic usage. Our ultimate goal is to completely eliminate the use of plastics by exploring alternative materials and collaborating with partners for waste conversion.
HUMAN CAPITAL
Embracing Diversity
Delivering our promise of “having it all” for our customers is a diverse workforce that mirrors the diversity of those we serve. Under the leadership of Lizanne C. Uychaco, our Group Diversity Officer, we have established a principles-based Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Framework within our organization. Our goal is to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and included—a space where they can also thrive and make meaningful contributions to our business objectives and values.