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SM Prime: Building strong foundations of responsible development

The topic of sustainability in property development has surged since the world experienced Covid-19. Having to redefine the use of spaces, people soon realized how instrumental real estate is in the journey towards a more sustainable way of life. With the threat of climate change looming on the horizon and a growing population to sustain, the need to build more sustainable and resilient cities only continues to rise.

SM Prime traces its journey on sustainable design and development way before the concept has gone mainstream. At the heart of SM is its commitment to serve its customers – designing its malls to bring better comfort and an enjoyable experience in every visit to SM Supermalls.

Sustainable Comfort
Built through several phases of development, SM Megamall, among SM’s 78 malls across the country, has grown into the complex it is today with 800 shops including 250 dining outlets and 16 anchor tenants. Customers explore the expanse of the 10-hectare development from its convenient parking grounds, relaxed atmosphere, and beautiful façade. Behind this is sophisticated engineering anchored on sustainable design and technology.


  • SM Megamall is energy and water-efficient. The building is enveloped with EIFS or Exterior Insulation Finishing Systems board which helps boost wall insulation, making it more resistant to heat. It only uses an LED lighting system allowing a 50% energy saving. The mall also tracks a lighting operating schedule following the supply requirement of our mall activity and does not contribute to environmental lighting pollution so as not to disturb nocturnal animals. It also uses sensor-activated escalators that contribute to about 30% energy savings. Its air handling system uses high-efficiency air-conditioning system that has greater environmental stewardship. Lastly, it uses efficient water fixtures for water savings and recycles water.

SM Megamall

  • SM Megamall works with the natural environment. The mall utilizes green walls, skylights, and clerestory or a high section wall that contains windows above eye level to increase the flow of natural light. It is surrounded by plants of local varieties and a selection of trees and shrubs.

SM Megamall Bicycle Racks

  • SM Megamall promotes mobility. Situated in the middle of EDSA, SM Megamall brings 550 buses into one integrated system to promote easier mobility. Green hybrid transports provide options for the more environmentally conscious passengers. All public transport is required to meet mandated emission levels in support of the Clean Air Act. The mall is pedestrian-friendly with about 1,595 square meters of covered walkways. Throughout the mall, designated bike lanes and parking spaces are provided. Lastly, parking sensors not only make parking easier but have also reduced emissions in the parking areas.

SM MegaTower

  • SM Megamall practices responsible materials management. The mall uses an Echostop ceiling finish for noise absorption which is made from gypsum and paper liner made from 100% reclaimed and recycled paper. The Mega Tower uses insulated glass units which keep heat out during summer months and Low E-glass to minimize the amount of ultraviolet light that comes through the windows, with both features maximizing energy savings. It also has a Material Recovery Facility dividing recyclables, biodegradable waste, residual waste, and hazardous waste

Environmental Strategy
All these initiatives are aligned with SM Prime's environmental strategy of developing, designing, and building integrated lifestyle cities with sustainability and resiliency considerations in mind.

Echoing these efforts, SM Prime continues on its transition to clean energy. Aside from investing in energy efficiency programs, the company is broadening its renewable energy investments. SM Prime targets to increase its demand for electricity sourced from renewables by more than 50% across all of its business segments by end of 2022 in support of the Department of Energy's goal of moving the country's renewable energy supply component up to 35% by the end of the decade.

Moreover, as part of a growing movement of responsible and sustainability-centered enterprises, SM Prime has joined the 2,500 organizations worldwide in supporting the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and its goal of creating a more resilient financial system through better climate risk disclosures. Through this, it hopes to continue to drive its business to adopt more sustainability initiatives related to climate change.

At Hamilo Coast, SM property in Nasugbu, Batangas, it continues to uphold its commitment to sustainability and conservation as it planted 50,000 more mangroves which cover 100,000 square meters of the estate. This is also touted as one of the largest mangrove areas in Nasugbu. Hamilo Coast continues to protect its mangrove ecosystem together with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines—a partnership it has nurtured since 2007.

Hamilo Coast also undertook the initiative to declare three of its coves, namely Pico de Loro, Etayo, and Santelmo as Marine Protected Areas in 2009.

SM is regreening the countryside through its tree-planting program led by SM City Baguio. This is in partnership with the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Cordillera Administrative Region (DENR-CAR), Baguio Water District, the local government of Baguio City, and 25 media organizations in Baguio.

As of January 2022, over 600,000 trees have already been planted in Baguio City and neighboring towns in Benguet.

SM further promotes sustainable practices through water recycling and the adoption of technologies that promote smart water use. In 2020, it was able to recycle 28.9 million cubic meters of water.

In terms of solid waste management, SM Prime has intensified its campaign by requiring all contractors to implement proper waste management procedures during construction. A long-running program through SM Cares, the monthly Trash to Cash (TTC) provides an avenue for the community, including properties’ tenants, to participate in solid waste management. This initiative ran for nine months in 74 malls and five SM Development Corporation properties in 2020, saving 134,067 seven-year-old trees to date.

It also undertakes paper recycling in partnership with the Trust International Paper Corporation and the responsible transport, treatment, storage, and disposal or processing of the properties’ generated hazardous waste, compliant to the government’s implementing rules and regulations.

Resiliency as a Necessity
While SM serves millions of customers every day, its impact goes beyond its businesses – touching the lives of millions more in the communities wherever it is present. For a country like the Philippines, the impact of climate change can already be felt with typhoons getting stronger and more frequent.

Hans T. Sy, chairman of the Executive Committee of SM Prime has served in leadership roles in both national and international organizations focused on disaster resiliency and its impact on business and society. Leading by example, SM integrates disaster resiliency in its business strategy as well as its city and mall designs and developments. This, not only allows SM businesses to operate during calamities, instead, also helps communities become more resilient to typhoons.

“I believe in an age-old adage; an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. SM Prime has taken deliberate steps to reinforce resiliency across its properties and provide a focused approach on sustainability in order to preserve communities and save lives,” said Mr. Sy.

Such is the impact created by SM Masinag.

Vermont Park Phase 1 is located near SM Masinag. For years, it would undergo flooding during typhoons. However, the story has changed. Since SM Masinag opened to serve the community, it has been equipped with a water catchment facility that can detain 17,681 cubic meters of water, which is equivalent to 7 Olympic size swimming pools. This helped control the flooding of nearby villages during typhoons.


Meanwhile, SM Marikina, which is also in a high-flood rate zone, is able to serve as a first responder and a safe haven to affected families during times of calamities. This is because it is standing on 246 stilts with an elevation higher than the highest recorded water level rise in Marikina City.

Sustainability and Resiliency as Strong Foundations for Responsible Development
SM Prime anchors its development on both sustainability and disaster resiliency. For SM, both serve as strong foundations for responsible development – to address the increasing demand for urban areas and to address the threat of climate change.

From the onset of concept design, SM Prime allocates around 10% of capital expenditure to incorporate sustainability features and disaster resilience when building malls, offices, and even integrated lifestyle cities.

"The safety of the communities, employees, customers, and the facility structure remains top priorities in all SM Prime developments. As I tell my design teams ever so frequently, ensuring safety is the only way I can sleep well,” Mr. Sy said.”

For SM, this means the hard infrastructure capacities as well as how spaces are designed to facilitate mobility, green transport options, greener buildings, and even green technology such as being powered by solar energy. As such, wherever SM operates, SM Prime makes every effort to help create the spaces and cities we need in order to sustain ourselves into the future.
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SM reinvents ‘Building on Stilts’ as a Climate Resilient Design for the Futur

 Floods and rising water levels brought about by typhoons are perennial problems in Marikina city, which is considered as one of the low-lying areas of Metro Manila. During typhoons, the Marikina River’s water can rise up to 23 meters compared to its normal average level of 13 meters. While this causes the communities surrounding the Marikina Watershed to be underwater, SM Marikina stands tall, serving as a safe haven to its neighboring communities.

The secret? It is sitting on 246 stilts.

SM City Marikina is uniquely designed. The 6-hectare mall property which is located within the Marikina River Watershed is an elevated mall built on top of 246 stilts.

“A critical part of building climate resilient structures is to understand weather patterns and how it affects the environment where your city or building will be,” explained Architect Fides Garcia-Hsu, Vice President of SM Engineering Design and Development (SM EDD). “During the design phase of SM City Marikina, we considered the long-term flood cycles of the Marikina Watershed, which was identified to be a high-risk area by the World Bank in 1977.”

Building on stilts traces back to ancient civilizations from different parts of the world. The answer lies in its powerful functionality. Elevated construction had been the way earliest people groups would protect themselves from flooding, moisture, and surface organisms. It also gives them provision for open space storage or cultural activities. Lastly, it reduces the cost of modifying natural terrain. While building on stilts has been adopted by modern architects through the years, people had lost interest in it during the rise of urbanization.

SM revisited the functionality of ‘building on stilts’ and reinvented the concept as a climate resilient feature. This design was complemented with other disaster preparedness considerations to help reduce the risk of damages during extreme flooding. As such, SM City Marikina was built an additional 20 meters farther than the suggested 90-meter distance from the Marikina River centerline. Moreover, the ground floor parking was purposely laid out as an open-design, without walls to allow water to flow, while the second floor was elevated at 20.5 meters, which is higher than the maximum recorded flood levels.




During super typhoons, SM Marikina’s resiliency saves an average of Php1 billion in terms of losses from business sales alone. This means that it is able to help its tenants, especially the micro, small and medium enterprises that depend on the mall for their business continuity and growth.

For its neighboring communities, SM Marikina also serves as a safe haven and a first responder to families who are affected during calamities. It also provides free parking spaces for those who are stranded and need a safe place to wait for floodwater to recede.

“Our ultimate goal is to help build the resilience of our stakeholders. This begins by building our own resilience to serve as a good foundation they could rely on especially during calamities,” Garcia-Hsu said.

Beyond the city of Marikina, building on stilts may be experiencing a revival in other parts of the world as urbanization begins to rise along with a greater demand for greener spaces. This would allow for high-rise developments while keeping ground levels reserved for much-needed green open spaces.

While it took SM an additional 15% in its capital investments to make SM City Marikina a disaster-resilient mall, the group sees it as an essential investment in its commitment to creating shared value for its stakeholders. This, complemented with a science-based approach to climate scenario risk analysis, allows SM City Marikina to defy odds and prove that integrating resiliency is the way to a climate-resilient future.












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5 Tips For Planning Your New Home

When it comes to your future, you want to plan and buy a house so that you can have something to pass through the generations, something to decorate, and something to be proud of. No one gets home buying right the first time, but you can get it right the next time if you plan it correctly. You don't want to make mistakes when you are buying a house and that’s why you need to plan it correctly.


Whether you choose to buy an established house or you buy one of the beautiful homestead house design options that are out there, you need to know how to plan this properly so that you don't make any new mistakes from it. So, we’ve helpfully put together five simple tips for planning your new home so that you can get it right the first time and avoid anything going wrong.


Image Source: Pexels



  1. Know the legal requirements. Before you build a house, you need to know exactly what the legal requirements are and what the permissions are that you need. The best thing that you can do is contact your local council and tell them all about your development plans, and they will be able to walk you through the things that are realistic and what really isn't!

  2. Consider the design. Whether you plan to design your home yourself or you choose to choose a company that can help you with the design, you need to think about so many different things to make it work. You need to look at how you can use the landscape, what the safety parameters are and how you can ensure that your home is going to be built in the best possible way. You should also consider things like the eco-friendly design and the green living options that you have so that you can make your home feel like yours.

  3. Get yourself a designer. If you don't have the time and all you want to do is plan the pretty things in your home, you need to think about hiring a designer to help. A designer will help you with the drawings and the planning of your home and you will also be able to see your ideas become a reality. 

  4. Get a builder. You can have all the plans and designs in the world but without a builder, you’re going to fail a little along the way. Ask friends and family for recommendations and get online with a local internet search. This will help you to find the right one. You can then interview and check the credentials of the builders you’ve been recommended and make the best possible choice. Planning your new home is going to be much easier with this one!

  5. Enjoy it. The process can be long but watching your home ideas come to life is pretty impressive. You can feel inspired by the work put in to build your house from the ground up - it’s awesome to watch.
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Effective Tips For Making Your Home Feel More Luxurious

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For some people, home is where to relax and let loose after keeping up appearances out in the world. Since the pandemic started, many people have been spending more time at home. The statistics vary from country to country, but generally, there is a decrease in the time spent outdoors. So, it makes sense to create a space that you would look forward to being in. Most of the time, people associate luxury with pricey, but it is not always the case. If you are looking to make your home feel more luxurious, here are some tips to consider. The good news is that some of them will not require you to without breaking the bank.

Layering
There is something about layers that makes any space look plush. You can layer colors, textures, and style to give any space some character, personality, and dimension. Experts recommend layering pieces that complement each other. The first step will be to define the purpose of the room and what it will achieve. Based on that information, you will choose colors, materials, etc. For example, if you are switching up the living room, then choose pieces that are welcoming and inviting since you are most likely to host guests there. You can do this with the throw pillows, curtains, etc. You can also start with big pieces and use smaller ones to complement them.

Use more neutral colors
Neutral colors are great because they give any space a sophisticated look. Additionally, they allow a space to grow with you, so you can easily switch things up anytime you want. You can include pops of color here and there to spice things up. Experts recommend using solid colors in this regard for that luxurious feel. Colors have been known to affect mood, and it will be prudent to conduct a little research on which ones would work in which parts of your home. For example, blue, purple, and green are known to represent calmness, sadness, and indifference, while red, orange, and yellow trigger higher arousal emotions like happiness and passion. Depending on your budget, you can either use paint for this or wallpaper.

Use scents
How a place smells can do a lot for the ambiance. The first place people think of when it comes to scents is in the bathroom. However, putting fragrances in other parts of your home could make those places feel more luxurious. So consider getting candles or diffusers for your home. Candles are great if you like the atmospheric light they also offer. Diffusers are generally longer-lasting than room sprays and have a classy look. Some luxurious scents include citrus, spices, florals, and wood.

Use mirrors
You can change any room by hanging mirrors, and they open up a space by reflecting light. It also gives it a chic, classy look without costing too much. The good thing about mirrors is that you can use them anywhere in your house, from the kitchen to hallways. There are a few tips to get it right. First, position the mirror to face something worthy. Also, instead of boring panels, you can use antique ones. There are also resources on the internet that you can use to decorate the borders of your mirror. Experts say that the bigger, the better, so you can either buy a big mirror or dedicate one wall to that. If you go for the latter, consider using vinyl sticker mirrors. They are relatively inexpensive, and you can easily install them yourself.

Switch up your lighting
The kind of lighting you use can affect the atmosphere in your home. So you can choose the light fixtures to create a luxurious look in your home. One of the things that experts recommend is the minimalist approach. This includes ensuring that the different styles are consistent and complement other things in the home. Layering your lighting is also recommended. Also, you can use lighting to highlight some of the centerpieces in the space. You can keep lamps at vantage points so that you don't have to keep the main lights on if you don't need them. Currently, there are energy-efficient bulbs you can use to help you save on utility bills. You can also opt for built-in lights for some added classes.

Go bigger with art
When it comes to making a room more luxurious with wall art, experts recommend staying away from the extremes. That means using a gallery wall might be too much, while a single art piece in a big space might be too small. Therefore, according to the dimensions of the wall, one big piece of art will be ideal. You can either purchase a piece or make one yourself with the help of resources on the internet. If you have a mat you like, you can frame it and put it up. This idea works well if you have a hallway or a plain wall as the focal point.

Use luxurious towels
Your towel doesn't have to be plain and boring, especially since access to more luxurious ones is no longer difficult. Look out for towels with a more high-end look and feel to make your shower time something to look forward to. You can also go ahead to get hotel bathrobes or spa-quality robes for your bathroom and your guestrooms.

Hang your curtains from the ceiling to the floor
There's something about tall curtains that make them look posher, and experts recommend hanging your curtains or drapes as high as possible. They also recommend extending your window panels past the window, making it easy to open and let sunlight in. These panels do not have to be boring, and you can go for outstanding designs to make your room look expensive. Weighing the curtains down is also a good way to make an area look luxurious compared to having flying ones. It is also advisable to get rid of wrinkles in your curtains and arrange your pleats neatly to add to the general organization of the room.
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Where Can Water Get Into Your Home?

It is quite possible that you could experience water leakage issues if you live in an older house or building. Thanks to modern technology, it’s possible to stop leaks from happening and causing more damage to your property. Preventing water leaks in your house is as easy as following these basic measures.

Photo by Luis Quintero from Pexels


Water Heater Leaking
Hot water seeping into the attic in older houses is a regular issue. Leaking water heaters can cause damage to your ceiling and attic, as well as contribute to mold growth. Regularly inspect your gas or electric water heater for leaks, such as rust spots or leaking from faucets near your heater. If you find a leak, call a plumber straight away to get it fixed before any damage occurs. If the damage is already done, you’ll need different expert help, and it’s best to look for water damage restoration services. Of course, if the leak is ongoing, you will require a plumber as well.


Shower Faucet Needs Sealing
The showerhead is another major source of leaks. You will save money and energy by preventing water from escaping from your showerhead faucet’s defective sealing. Inspect your showerhead to ensure it is in good working order. If you notice water pouring from it or chips in it, you should replace it right away since this wear and tear might create leaks.

Many people can do this themselves, and the parts you will need are easily available online.

Frozen Pipes Under Basement Floor
Frozen pipes in a cold environment, like your basement, are often believed to do no harm. Perhaps this is the idea you have too, and maybe you haven’t checked on the pipes or ensured that they won’t freeze because it’s one extra job that doesn’t make any difference.

The truth is that these pipes can do a lot of damage. To begin with, they won’t thaw on their own, meaning that once they are frozen, they can stay that way until someone intervenes to fix the issue. Secondly, they can burst, and if they are underground, that water can quickly cause a lot of damage to the floors and walls of your basement or even your foundations.

The best thing to do is ensure that your pipes are all adequately insulated. If you can’t do this due to their location, you’ll need to keep your basement heated all winter.

Pipes Cracking From Frost Outside Foundation Wall
Water pipes that are exposed to cold conditions may – and often do – burst. As a result, your walls will begin to leak, which can be pretty expensive to fix. In order to protect water pipes from frost, they should be buried at least six inches below the ground level in an outside wall. Make sure exposed pipes in the basement or crawl area are insulated when the weather turns chilly.

Windows Need Sealing
Home windows not only let heat escape, but they also let water in, which can lead to extensive water damage. If you have double-paned windows in your house, they may not be properly sealed. If you don’t have the time or inclination to conduct the repairs yourself, you can hire a window repair service to do it for you. Once you have sealed up your windows, or replaced them entirely, you must look into Window Treatments as well, as you want to ensure that your windows are fully operational and will keep your home protected as well as ventilated.


It’s critical to locate and control water leaks as early as possible since the damage they do to your house and your finances can’t be overstated.
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