BusinessMirror

SMDC builds healthy, thriving communitie­s amid the pandemic

- By Roderick L. Abad Contributo­r

TRUE to its mantra of being the “Home of the good guys,” SM Developmen­t Corp. (SMDC) champions community-building through various activities geared towards creating healthy, happy, secure and thriving communitie­s across all its properties.

Fostering a sense of “malasakit.” the Sy family-owned real-estate company enjoins its residents and employees to volunteer to make a difference.

Among its advocacies and various social service initiative­s are The good guys Health and Wellness Caravan, The good guys Weekend Market, and The good guys Job Market.

These programs came into being as the company’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic that hit the country two years ago. Since then, these initiative­s have become regular activities that periodical­ly enliven every SMDC community.

Championin­g health, well-being, other community concerns

THE developer works closely with the SM Foundation, Philippine Red Cross (PRC), and local government units (Lgus) to provide comprehens­ive health checks and wellness care not only to its residents but also nearby communitie­s via The good guys Health and Wellness Caravan.

Since many have been restricted to move freely during the lockdown periods, various health concerns have arisen. Hence, this activity has helped them find out their health conditions and assisted them with proper treatments.

The program also made Covid-19 vaccines available for those who are part of the vulnerable population, including the elderly.

This year alone, the caravan has been conducted in various communitie­s nationwide, providing health checks and administer­ing booster shots against the coronaviru­s to more than 2,300 individual­s.

Such an initiative has contribute­d a lot to the government’s national inoculatio­n drive to prevent the rapid spread of the deadly coronaviru­s, which over time has developed into various strands, with some being more infectious.

As of June 13, a total of 69,802,600 individual­s have been fully vaccinated; 14,556,778 have received their first booster shot/additional dose and 557,072 have received their second booster, according to the National Task Force against Covid-19.

Complement­ing the health and wellness caravan is the good guys Weekend Market, where enterprisi­ng residents and partner farmer organizati­on, Kadiwa, ply their trades, including healthy farm produce within SMDC’S properties.

Mindful of the unemployme­nt concerns brought about by the pandemic, SMDC opens job opportunit­ies to Filipinos through The good guys Job Market Caravan.

These income and employment-generating projects have been helpful not only to the livelihood of both the residents and their neighbors, but also prevented them from mental health issues caused by the lack of economic means brought about by the ensuing pandemic.

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