Mall giant SM Prime spotlights persons with disabilities, seniors
MANILA, 22 July 2016 – Key UNISDR private sector partner SM Prime Holdings, Inc., the largest mall operator and developer in the Philippines, has spotlighted the importance of including persons with disabilities and senior citizens in disaster risk reduction efforts.
SM Cares, the social responsibility arm of a corporation that has made its malls a byword for risk reduction, this week organized its second Disaster Resilience Conference for Persons with Disabilities and Senior Citizens.
During disasters, persons with disabilities and the elderly can find themselves the hardest-hit due to limitations on their mobility and awareness. They are all too often overlooked when it comes to managing disaster risk and during recovery efforts.
“We at SM believe that we should turn such vulnerabilities into capabilities. We believe in the continued pursuit for empowerment. We believe in recognizing one’s strength and not his weakness. We believe in breaking all barriers to make all services available for all,” Ms. Anna Maria S. Garcia, president of the corporation’s malls division SM Supermalls, told the conference that took place on Wednesday.
An estimated 1,000 people, comprised of persons with disabilities, senior citizens and their companions attended the event, which drew expert speakers on disaster risk reduction from the public sector and academia as well as the business world.
SM Prime uses architectural innovation to make its malls as resilient as possible in one of the most hazard-prone countries in the world – for example, designs with stilts, or lower structures that act as flood catchment zones – and has turned them into emergency refuges when needed.
Understanding that having as wide a client base as possible is the lifeblood of a company’s business, SM Prime has also created an environment that caters to all customers’ needs, regardless of their gender, age, and status.
SM Cares’ programmes for persons with disabilities and senior citizens, headed by Mr. Bien C. Mateo and Mr. Danny B. Chavez respectively, have earned it the reputation of having the most inclusive malls in the Philippines. All malls are designed to have dedicated areas and facilities for persons with disabilities, as well as security guards and personnel trained to respond to their specific needs.
SM Supermalls also organizes special movie screenings for the deaf and the blind in many of its malls, and free conferences on disaster preparation and benefit concerts were also given to persons with disabilities and senior citizens.
As testament to its success, SM Prime received the 2015 Apolinario Mabini Hall of Fame Award for going “beyond full compliance” in providing for the needs of persons with disabilities. It was also recognized by the ASEAN Corporate Sustainability Summit and Awards 2015 and The People Management Association of the Philippines.
The United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Philippines, Mr. Ola Almgren, took part in the event, commending SM Supermalls’ commitment towards reducing the risks of the most vulnerable persons of society.
He reminded participants that the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires that persons with disabilities benefit from and participate in disaster relief, emergency response and disaster risk reduction strategies.
Persons with disabilities, senior citizens and the private sector are also singled out in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction is a 15-year global blueprint adopted by the international community in March last year.
The Sendai Framework marks a crucial shift from managing disasters to managing risk and has a strong all-of-society approach.
Last year also saw the creation of the UNISDR Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies, known for short as ARISE. SM Prime’s president, Mr. Hans Sy, is on ARISE’s 12-member board.
Wednesday’s conference was held in partnership with the Metro Manila Development and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, aided by the ARISE Philippine Chapter, of which SM Prime is the secretariat.
In his remarks, Mr. Almgren underlined the role of ARISE globally and in the Philippines in energizing the private sector to help implement the Sendai Framework.