SM painted the town PINK for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

by Info @Brand Zone | November 17, 2023

SM Cares, the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Supermalls, highlighted its solidarity with women, especially breast cancer patients and survivors, with various Pink Ribbon activities it co-hosted in October with partner organizations in various SM malls.

The I Can Dance I Can Serve event, honored survivors and supported fighters in SM City Tarlac.

Newly-opened SM Center San Pedro in Laguna lighted the mall’s grand staircase in pink.

SM employees joined watch parties nationwide to learn about breast health.

Pink Zumba Party at SM City Davao showcased an energetic display of support for Breast Cancer Warriors and Survivors

Pink Talks in SM City Molino, SM City Davao and SM City Cebu to raise awareness on breast cancer.

SM Supermalls President Mr. Steven Tan and Estee Lauder Country Manager Ms. Sharyn Wong launched the Look Good, Feel Good activities at SM Megamall.

One of the activities highlighted in the Pink Ribbon October was the #StoriesMatter campaign. SM Cares amplified the voices and experiences of breast cancer survivors and warriors through the retelling of their stories in the hope that they serve as inspiration for all patients and their loved ones.

#StoriesMatter featured amazing women who survived Breast Cancer:

Ms. Linda Abelides, Stage 4

Ms. Mary Ann Alcordo Solomon,

Ms. Behilda Cañezo, 11 Years

SM’s Pink Ribbon Month culminated with a touching ballet performance entitled the “Beautiful Girl: Odyssey of a Breast Cancer Patient.” In partnership with the Philippine Ballet Theater, the October 30 show was held at the Music Hall of SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

The Philippine Ballet Theater brought to life the inspiring story of hope for breast cancer patients.

Present in the October 30 tribute to breast cancer patients were: Mr. Richard Caluyo, SM Cares Asst. Vice President; Atty. Pearly Joan Jayagan Turley, SM Supermalls Asst. Vice President and SM Cares Program Director for Women; Ms. Socorro Pacificador, President of Bosom Buddies Inc; Maria Lourdes V. Cortez, Chairman, Kasuso Foundation; Ms. Nikoy De Guzman, President, I Can Serve Foundation; Atty Peter Pardo, Chief of Staff of Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano of Pasay City; Atty. Georgia M. Pangan, President, Kasuso Foundation; Dr. Clevelinda Calma, President, Philippine Breast Cancer Society; Dr. Melanie Cruz, Secretary, Philippine Breast Cancer Society.

Atty. Pearly Joan Jayagan Turley, SM Supermalls Asst. Vice President and SM Cares Program Director for Women; Atty. Peter Pardo, Chief of Staff of Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano of Pasay City; and Dr. Beverly Ho, Department of Health (DOH) Asst. Secretary warmly welcomed everyone to an evening of inspiration and empowerment.

‘‘Beautiful girl’ was attended by 382 breast cancer warriors, survivors, families, and advocates from partner organizations who aim to raise awareness and provide support for those affected by breast cancer.

SM Cares Program Director for Women and SM Supermalls Assistant Vice President for Corporate Compliance, Atty. Pearly Joan Jayagan Turley said “Tonight’s ballet is a salute to your beauty that no matter what happens to your physical attributes, whether you lose a part of your body, a hair, some friends along the way, at times you will be in despair but as long as you persevere, and have hope, love and faith you will always be a beautiful girl for your loved ones and in the eyes of god!” She further stated "let this show serve as a reminder of the incredible strength that resides within each one of us and as an opportunity to join hands in the fight against breast cancer.”

SM Cares is a strong advocate for enabling safe spaces that care for the welfare of women. The SM Pink Ribbon Month has been celebrated by SM since October 2017, with various programs such as access to free medical breast examination, motivational talks from breast cancer survivors and breast cancer awareness fora with health experts.

Happy Walk, handog ng DSAPI at SM Cares sa mga taong may Down Syndrome

ni Fely Ng @Bulgarific | March 1, 2023

Hello, Bulgarians! Isang masayang pagdiriwang ang ginanap sa SM Mall of Asia kamakailan para sa mga taong may Down Syndrome. Sa nasabing event, itinampok ang kantang "Natatanging Nilalang" ni Ronnie Lee na naglalarawan sa lahat ng katangiang nagpapa-espesyal sa mga indibidwal na ito. Ang pagbibigay-halaga sa mga taong may Down Syndrome at kanilang mga pamilya ay isa sa mga adbokasiya ng Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines, Inc. (DSAPI). Mula nang itatag ito noong 1991, naging aktibo ang organisasyon sa pagpapatupad ng mga inisyatiba na tumutugon sa mga taong ito, isa na rito ang Happy Walk for Down Syndrome sa pakikipagtulungan sa SM Cares.

Ang Happy Walk for Down Syndrome ay isang annual event kung saan nagtitipon ang mga taong may Down Syndrome at kanilang mga mahal sa buhay para sa isang buong araw na kaganapang nakatuon sa pamilya na puno ng masasayang aktibidad at entertainment. Idinaraos ito tuwing Pebrero bilang bahagi ng pagdiriwang ng National Down Syndrome Consciousness Month, naglalayon itong isulong ang kamalayan at mas mahusay na pang-unawa sa mga ganitong kondisyon.

“Happy Walk for Down Syndrome is all about bringing those with the condition and their families together. More importantly, the goal of the event is to give them a platform for their voices to be heard, so that the everyone can know more about them, about the challenges that they encounter every day, and what all of us can do to make life better for them,” sabi ni Engr. Bien C. Mateo, SM Supermalls Senior Vice President and SM Cares Program Director for Disability Affairs.

Kabilang sa iba pang PWD-friendly initiatives ng SM Cares ang Annual Angels Walk sa pakikipagtulungan ng Autism Society Philippines, na ginaganap tuwing Enero bilang pagdiriwang ng National Autism Consciousness Week; ang annual Sensitivity Training for Customers with Different Needs, na nagtuturo sa mga kawani ng mall at security personnel kung paano pangalagaan ang mga PWD; at ang Annual Emergency Preparedness Forum na nagtuturo sa mga PWD at senior citizen kung ano ang gagawin sa panahon ng mga emergency.

Ang SM Cares ay ang Corporate Social Responsibility arm ng SM Supermalls, na may mga programang sumusuporta sa mga komunidad, nagtataguyod ng panlipunang pagsasama, at nangangalaga sa kapaligiran. Bukod sa programa sa PWDs, kabilang sa mga adbokasiya nito ang Programs for the Environment, Women & Breastfeeding Mothers, Children & Youth, Senior Citizens, at ang SM Bike-friendly initiative. Para mas malaman pa ang ibang detalye, bisitahin ang www.smsupermalls.com/smcares.

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Para sa anumang impormasyon, opinyon, isyu o maging imbitasyon, mag-e-mail sa bulgarific@gmail.com o sumulat kay Ms. Bulgarific at ipadala sa Bulgar Bldg., 538 Quezon Avenue, Quezon City.

Autism advocates call for transformative innovation

by Info @Brand Zone | January 20, 2023

Youth on the autism spectrum have been working from home as data analysts since the

pandemic under the Autism Society Philippines’s Autism Works program. These

neurodiverse workers hail from all over the country -- Metro Manila, Laguna, Pampanga,

and Iloilo. Since ASP’s program began in 2016, this family support organization has made 250 positions available to job-ready youth on the autism spectrum, across various

industries and job disciplines.

“We have been very fortunate with partners who share our vision for a progressive

disability-inclusive future, " says Mona Magno-Veluz, ASP National President. “We work

with companies like New York-based Daivergent, Manulife, and Willis Towers Watson

which provide flexible work solutions. Our partnership with SM Markets enabled our

program to scale across 11 provinces in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao,” Magno-Veluz

adds. With the pandemic, the ASP seamlessly transitioned their support services, from

face-to-face, to virtual, recognizing the need to adapt to the needs of those on the

autism spectrum and the families who care for them. SM Supermalls SVP for Operations Engr. Bien Mateo is proud of their company’s longstanding

culture of disability inclusiveness and adoption of global best practices in disability welfare. “The multi-awarded SM Cares program began when a lost boy on the

spectrum in SM Megamall sparked the need for disability education in our frontliners.”

Disability sensitivity seminars are held twice a year for all of their 82 malls nationwide.

Their mall tenants have also been inspired to hire workers on the autism spectrum — with Pancake House and Dohtonbori leading the charge.

Undersecretary Eduardo M. Punay, the concurrent OIC of the National Council on

Disability Affairs, calls on duty-bearers from government agencies and rights-bearers

from civil society organizations to drive innovative programs that will change lives. “We

want persons on the autism spectrum and those with other disabilities to live with

dignity, enjoy equal rights and access, function independently, and contribute

productively.” He adds, ”Our society should strive beyond disability “consciousness” or

“awareness”. We need action that will change lives.”

"Building a Nation Powered by Transformative Autism-Inclusive Innovation" is the theme

of the 27th Philippine National Autism Consciousness Week. This annual observance is

made possible by President Fidel Ramos' Proclamation 711 of 1996. The week is

commemorated in national and local events.

The week’s highlight includes “AOK Pilipinas Live” a live talk show at the SM Megamall

Cinema 4 on 20 January 2023 at 1 pm. The event features best practices in autism

support services in the public and private sectors and a candid chat with Aubrey Miles,

Troy Montero, and Candy Pangilinan — celebrities whose lives were profoundly touched

by autism.

Stop using puzzle pieces to represent autism

The Autism Society Philippines, the oldest autism advocacy organization in the country,

calls for the tempering of the use of puzzle pieces to represent autism, as the nation

commemorates the 27th National Autism Consciousness Week.

The history of the autism puzzle piece traces back to 1963 when it was first used by the

London-based National Autistic Society. The puzzle was cemented in our collective

memories when US-based Autism Speaks was founded in 2005.

Global self-advocates acknowledge that autism was once a “puzzling condition”, but the

puzzle piece insinuates that autism makes them appear "incomplete". This imagery

perpetuates the idea among the growing number of Filipinos on the autism spectrum

that autism is a condition that makes them less than others.

"Filipinos on the autism spectrum are not "mind-boggling" nor "incomplete", according

to Mona Magno-Veluz, National President of the Autism Society Philippines. "We have

come to a point in our advocacy that we can go beyond "awareness" of autism and

elevate the conversations to innovative, transformative action." The group calls for

positive, empowering symbols that will inspire acceptance, accommodation, and

appreciation of those on the autism spectrum.

The Autism Society Philippines supports the Hidden Disability Sunflower campaign,

which uses the resilient sunflower as a globally-recognized symbol for non-apparent or

invisible disabilities, including autism.

The 34-year-old advocacy group celebrates the great strides the society has made

toward protecting the welfare of those on the autism spectrum and the families who care

for them. Those with disabilities are protected by laws such as the Magna Carta of

Persons with Disabilities, the Equal Opportunity Employment Act, the Anti-Bullying Act,

the Universal Healthcare Law, and the Inclusive Education Law. Manu LGUs, like

Mandaluyong, Carmona, Quezon City, and Valenzuela, have also developed unique

services for their citizens with exceptionalities.

"Building a Nation Powered by Transformative Autism-Inclusive Innovation" is the theme

of the 27th Philippine National Autism Consciousness Week. This annual observance is

made possible by President Fidel Ramos' Proclamation 711 of 1996. The week is

commemorated in national and local events.

The week’s highlight includes “AOK Pilipinas Live” a live talk show at the SM Megamall

Cinema 4 on 20 January 2023 at 1 pm. The event features best practices in autism

support services in the public and private sectors and a candid chat with Aubrey Miles,

Troy Montero, and Candy Pangilinan — celebrities whose lives were profoundly touched

by autism.

ASP Autism Primer NACW 2023 GamePlan

https://bit.ly/AutismPrimer-v21 https://bit.ly/NACW2023-gameplan

The Autism Society Philippines (ASP) is a national, non-profit organization working towards an environment that empowers persons on the autism spectrum to become the best of their potential -- self-reliant, independent, productive and socially accepted members of an AutismOK Philippines. ASP labors to establish institutional mechanisms to support neurodiverse persons and their families. Established in 1989, the organization -- composed of 13,000 members spread over 100 chapters -- has been at the forefront of providing services to families and individuals on the autism spectrum. #AutismOKnPH

The National Council on Disability Affairs is the national government agency mandated to formulate policies and coordinate the activities of all agencies, whether public or private, concerning disability issues and concerns. The NCDA is the lead agency tasked to steer the course of program development for persons with disabilities and the delivery of services to the sector.

SM Cares is the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Supermalls. It was launched in 2004 to organize sustainability and community support efforts, into a comprehensive program that tackles a wide range of initiatives. SM ensures that its CSR programs serve as catalysts for positive change in the community it serves.