SM Turns to Rain Water Harvesting a key to Living Flood Free

 

Climate change is real and Filipinos are among those who can attest to the devastating effects it brings to everyday life. Faced with about 20 typhoons a year, the Asian Development Bank reported that the total impact from storms has reached about US$20 billion from 1990 to 2020. It causes a temporary disruption due to mass evacuations which bring about an average of 2-8% reduction in gross domestic product annually.


Despite the reoccurring devastation felt during calamities, Filipinos still manage to see the humorous side of life and are often reported as one of the happiest people in the world. However, this may soon be tested as, according to the latest report of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, things are about to get worse as the planet heats up, accelerating the effects of climate change and making the Philippines more vulnerable to drastic changes in weather patterns.


On average, the Philippines receives about 2,400 millimeters of rainfall each year, one of the highest in the world. While this poses a problem for the country, there is a silver lining, as it can also be the solution to water scarcity. However, currently, the Philippines only harvests around 6% of its rainwater compared to India which harvests around 60% of the 700-millimeter average rainfall it receives each year.


Rain Water – a friend or a foe?
Water is a scarce resource. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number 6 identifies access to clean water as one of the global priorities to be achieved by 2030. Aligned to its environmental responsibility programs, SM takes a closer look at the use of water and how it can be turned from a foe to a friend.

SM builds its malls and integrated lifestyle cities with resilience and sustainability in mind. Understanding the value of water, SM builds rainwater catchments in its malls to harvest large volumes of rainwater, particularly in flood-prone areas.



“We approach it two ways: resilience – to help communities be flood-free, and sustainability – to optimize water which is a scarce resource so we can use it for other purposes rather than just waste it,” says Architect Fides Garcia-Hsu, Vice President at SM Engineering Design and Development.

Vermont Park and Vermont Royale are two communities that once saw rain as a foe. Every time it rained, their neighborhoods ended up underwater, damaging their homes. Today, homeowners welcome the rain as water that can be harvested and stored for future use. The reason? SM City Masinag’s rainwater catchment facility! It has a 17,681 cubic meter water capacity. The two communities connected their drainage systems to the mall which is equipped with three 30HP submersible pumps which are used to pump out accumulated rainwater.
 
“Wherever SM is, we try to help our communities become resilient to changing weather patterns,” explains Arch. Garcia-Hsu. “Nationwide, we have 20 malls equipped with rainwater catchment facilities that help rainwater management to avoid flash floods for surrounding communities.”


SM Supermalls will color you happy this summer!




Bursting with color starting in April, SM Supermalls is giving its shoppers of all ages a spectrum of hope, happiness, and fun with delightful and safe activities that everyone in the family can look forward to when they visit their favorite SM mall.

Snap-worthy rainbow play areas! Multifunctional play pods in all colors of the rainbow await you at the indoor and outdoor play pods that kids and kids-at-heart will love. From rainbow staircases to larger-than-life displays, you’ll have no trouble getting the best and most colorful #POTD entry!

Sizzling hot summer deals! What’s summer without a mall-wide sale? Go on a shopping spree and get all your summer essentials, including must-have toys, at the nearest SM mall. Delight your kids with sporty knick-knacks, inflatables, and bikes to amp up their summer activities even while at home. Visit the pop-up stores in select SM malls for great finds and exclusive deals!

Sweet treats and Summer Eats! Sip, eat, repeat, and satisfy those cravings with a wide array of food and drink choices at SM Summer Eats! A weekend al fresco market awaits you with delicious meals and refreshing drinks all in IG-worthy colorful dining spaces! Watch out for Summer Teas happening from April 16 to 30 where there will be lots of discounts on the best milk teas to quench your thirst too!

Summer fun under the sun! Time to flex that Tiktok talent! Be witty and wacky, colorful and bright, at the SM Summer Tiktok challenge which you can shoot at any of the malls’ colorful outdoor and indoor displays. For pawrents, you can have a furry fun time with your pets when you join the pet Olympics, go on a picnic with them, or treat them with a pampering session. For the fitness buff, there’s going to be a 7-day fitness blitz for adults and kids at select SM malls where you can blow off steam and sweat it out. Whatever your passion is, we have lots of summer fun activities lined up for you!

From safe dining to shopping and everything in between, make it a fun and colorful summer to remember at SM Supermalls! Make sure to visit www.smsupermalls.com or like and follow @smsupermalls on all social media platforms for the latest news, promos, and activities.







Easy Ways You Can Prepare Your Home for Incoming Hotter Weather


A Thermometer in sun - Image Courtesy of Pixabay

Spring is here, and summer will be soon. You probably got your spring cleaning done already, but you might need to prepare your home for hotter weather, which can be as bad as cold.

Give Your House a Weekly Check
Checking certain things in your home regularly is a good idea. The exterior of your home, for example, should be checked periodically. By regularly keeping an eye on these, you can catch minor problems before they become big nightmares. But you should also keep an eye on your house from the inside out. Many older houses have plumbing and electrical issues. Spring and summer are also stressful times for your HVAC system. As your pipes expand and cool due to dramatic temperature changes, they are also at risk of bursting. Keep an eye out for leaks.

Get Help from Experts
You can't do everything yourself, and you may not be qualified, so ask for help when you need it. If you don't have the skills to deal with complex house issues, you risk more than making the problem worse. In fact, your safety and the lives of others are also at risk. The best thing to do is hire a trustworthy contractor, such as this handyman near me in Mooresville, NC, and let them handle it. For instance, when you catch a common problem early on, like brittle roof tiles, you won't have to spend much money on repairs. So call in the professionals and get it fixed before your roof becomes more damaged and collapses in on you.

Stick to a Maintenance Schedule
It'll be a nightmare if you let your house maintenance get out of hand. As a result, you should organize your routines to save time. Create a list of things that are related to make it easier. For example, grass grows rather quickly in spring and summer, so mow the lawn every Saturday and Wednesday. And while you're out there, clear out some weeds. Basically, get some yard work done while you're there. But try not to do too much at once in hot weather, or you will overexert yourself. You can get the kids involved in some lighter tasks for Fortnite money.

Always Get the Right Tools for the Job
You need the right tools for every job, no matter what it is. You'll be a lot safer this way. Also, using the right equipment will save you a lot of hassle. It's a pain to clear weeds without a trowel, for instance. Essentially, you will have to work harder to do a lousy job. So make sure you get what you need. Try to buy gardening stuff now before the summer price increases. And it's also better to store your equipment correctly, like in garden boxes. When you leave your tools exposed to the hot sun, they'll get damaged just as much as in the rain and wind.

Summary
You don't have to worry about home maintenance. You can offset the most severe issues by sticking to a plan and checking for problems regularly. But sometimes expert help is needed.


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