For SM Supermalls, resilience remains an essential pillar in its pursuit of sustainability. Without safe, secure, and prepared communities, the vision of sustainable development becomes difficult to achieve. This is why the company believes that promoting resilience is not only a matter of operational readiness but a responsibility to the communities and businesses that form the backbone of the economy.
Micro,
small, and medium enterprise (MSME) tenants and Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI)-supported entrepreneurs gear up for resilience through SM
Supermalls’ nationwide Business Continuity Plan workshops.
SM Supermalls champions resilience as a shared responsibility, empowering communities and micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) tenants nationwide
At the heart of this
commitment are micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). These businesses
are often the most vulnerable to disruptions brought
about by natural and man-made hazards. Yet, they represent
a critical force in the national economy---generating jobs, driving local
commerce, and sustaining livelihoods. Recognizing
their importance, SM Supermalls has made it a priority to help cultivate an
MSME sector that is resilient.
Across its network, close
to 70 percent of SM Supermalls’ tenants are currently MSMEs. These businesses
operate under unique lessee contracts that acknowledge their specific needs and
challenges. To support them, SM not only provides space but also promotes an
environment that values preparedness and long-term continuity.
Beyond
providing retail spaces, SM Supermalls promotes micro, small, and medium
enterprise (MSME) resilience through emergency drills and dedicated Business
Continuity Planning (BCP) initiatives.
SM Supermalls’ most
notable resilience initiative for its MSME tenants is a dedicated Business
Continuity Planning (BCP) program launched in 2024. This capacity-building
initiative enables businesses to develop tailored Business Continuity Plans and
implement adaptive measures to reduce the impact of disruptions.
SM’s tenants are each
provided with free access to 5GB of remote digital storage where they can
securely store critical business documents such as their BCPs, permits,
registrations, and insurance policies, among others. In the event of a
disaster, access to these documents becomes seamless, allowing faster
processing of insurance claims and a quicker return to operations.
To further scale its
impact, SM Supermalls established a public-private partnership with the Department
of Trade and Industry (DTI), formalized through a Memorandum of Agreement in
2024. Together with ARISE Philippines, a United Nations Office for Disaster
Risk Reduction (UNDRR)-affiliated private sector alliance for disaster
resilience, the partnership aims to ensure that 6,000 MSMEs have robust BCPs by
the end of 2027.
Business continuity
subject matter experts guide micro, small, and medium
enterprises (MSMEs)
in crafting their own Business Continuity Plans (BCPs) for their company.
This collaboration is led
by DTI Regional Operations Group Undersecretary Blesila Lantayona and Bureau of
Small Medium Enterprise Development (BSMED) Director Emma Asusano, alongside SM
Supermalls’ Corporate Resilience Department. The shared goal is clear: to
safeguard MSMEs nationwide through proactive preparedness.
One key feature of the
initiative is the SM-DTI Calamity Recovery (CARE) Booth,
activated during times of calamity. Located in malls with communities impacted
by disasters, the booth serves as an accessible
touchpoint for MSMEs needing post-disaster support---providing a practical
and timely response mechanism that bridges the gap between public resources and
private needs.
The Department of
Trade and Industry (DTI) - Bureau of Small Medium Enterprise Development and SM
Supermalls representatives join together in disaster risk resilience awareness
and business continuity for micro, small and medium enterprises.
Additionally,
SM Supermalls regularly hosts scheduled BCP workshops for MSMEs in
collaboration with DTI. These workshops are conducted in
centralized SM locations across various regions and are open to both SM tenants
and DTI-assisted MSMEs. During these sessions, business owners are introduced
to the various risks posed by different types of disasters and are guided step-by-step
in developing their own BCPs. These plans are tailored to the unique nature and
geographical location of their operations, and the sessions extend to the BCP
testing and validation phase to ensure practical application and effectiveness.
The participants are given
one month to finalize their BCPs, which must be approved by their business
management and submitted to DTI. Since the program’s
launch in September 2024, over 1,500 MSMEs have already undergone training,
with more scheduled in the months ahead.
“Resilience is not built
overnight, and requires education, commitment, and collaboration across different
sectors. Knowing this, SM Supermalls continues to invest in long-term
resilience not just for its business, but for the broader ecosystem of MSMEs it
supports,” said SM Supermalls President Steven Tan. “In doing so, we are
reinforcing the fundamental truth that sustainable progress is only possible
when communities and businesses are prepared to face the challenges of
tomorrow.”
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