Doing the Good Work: SM underscores practical sustainability at industry forum

PASAY CITY, Philippines, Oct. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- SM Investments Corporation (SM Investments), the parent company of the SM group, emphasized its practical approach to sustainability at The Dirty Work of Doing Good, a sustainability conference organized by the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines.

Addressing industry leaders, sustainability advocates, and changemakers, SM Investments Head of Investor Relations and Sustainability Timothy Daniels said that sustainability for SM must be "practical, scalable, and felt by stakeholders, especially the communities we serve," given the breadth of its core businesses in property, retail, banking, and strategic investments in logistics and renewable energy.

"For us, sustainability has to be practical. It's not about making easy promises, but about creating shared value. The strategy has to be a win for all our stakeholders, not just the business. The ecosystem must move together for the common good," Mr. Daniels said.

Building resilient communities

With the Philippines among the most climate-vulnerable countries, Daniels stressed that disaster resilience is a shared responsibility. Since 2005, SM has dedicated 10% of its capital expenditures to disaster-resilient and sustainable infrastructure.

SM City Marikina, for example, is built on 246 stilts to withstand river overflows during typhoon season and has served as a refuge for nearby communities. Meanwhile, 41 rainwater catchment facilities across SM properties can collectively store 85,400 cubic meters of water, enough to fill more than 34 Olympic-sized pools to help mitigate flooding in surrounding areas.

Enabling inclusive growth

Mr. Daniels also highlighted SM's focus on inclusive development through its integrated city model, which combines retail, offices, hotels, convention centers, and education facilities such as National University (NU) campuses to meet the evolving needs of communities.

Over 100,000 MSME partners are part of SM Retail's value chain, while SM's banking arms, BDO and China Bank extended Php72 billion in loans to MSMEs in 2024.

SM has likewise invested in renewable energy through the Philippine Geothermal Production Company (PGPC), which operates geothermal steam fields in Tiwi, Albay and Mak-Ban in Laguna and Batangas, while exploring five additional concession areas, including Mt. Malinao in Albay.

"At the end of the day, our vision is serious. We're not just here to be a big company. We're here to help build and develop the communities we serve," Mr. Daniels added.

About SM Investments Corporation

SM Investments Corporation is one of the leading Philippine companies that is invested in market-leading businesses in retail, banking, and property. It also invests in ventures that capture high growth opportunities in the emerging Philippine economy.

SM's retail operations are the country's largest and most diversified, consisting of grocery stores, department stores and specialty retail stores. SM's property arm, SM Prime Holdings, Inc., is the largest integrated property developer in the Philippines with interests in malls, residences, offices, hotels, and convention centers as well as tourism-related property developments. SM's interests in banking are in BDO Unibank, Inc., the country's largest bank, and China Banking Corporation, the fourth largest private domestic bank.

For more information, please visit www.sminvestments.com 

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