SM Prime bats for stronger Protecting communities: SM Prime remains committed to disaster resiliency innovations
SM Prime Holdings yesterday said it will continue to expand its partnerships with government and other stakeholders to grow more resilient communities.
Hans Sy, SM Prime Holdings executive committee chairman, said government and private sector must work together in finding solutions for greater resiliency.
Ensuring the integration of climate adaptation and sustainability into its projects, SM Prime has identified disaster risk reduction as one of its core business strategies.
“Resilience is not just a word, it is a way of life. It is a commitment to ensure that we act on our responsibility to care for others and that no one is left behind,” Sy said.
SM Prime Holdings recently marked its 30th year as a publicly-listed company highlighted by its exemplary track record of sustainable development.
SM has set aside a significant portion of its capital expenditure to incorporate resiliency and sustainability in its infrastructure designs.
Sy, an engineer, noted the importance of constructing well-designed structures that are not only efficient, but strong and resilient.
Sy sits in the Philippine board of ARISE Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies of the United Nations.
Sy is co-chairman of the National Resilience Council, a private-public sector initiative whose goal is to strengthen resilience of local government units.
SM Prime said its mall arm, SM Supermalls, has been leading in climate adaption through effective mitigation of flood risks in the communities where these malls serve.
A prime example is the network of more than 25 rainwater catchment basins strategically positioned in SM malls across the country.
SM Prime these reservoirs act as crucial buffers during heavy downpours, collecting and holding excess rainwater to prevent flooding in surrounding communities.
Liza Silerio, SM Supermalls head of compliance and sustainability, said the catchment basins have spared communities around its malls from severe flooding during typhoons like Carina.
Silerio cited the SM Mall of Asia complex, designed with a sturdy seawall to protect the surrounding communities from potential storm surges or rising sea levels. The property also uses specialized foundation systems to provide more robust protection against liquefaction and seismic events.
The first of catchment basins, built at SM City Masinag in 2011, has a capacity of 17,681 cubic meters — equivalent to over seven Olympic-sized swimming pools. Located underneath the premises of these catchment basin malls, the combined rainwater reservoirs have a total capacity of 85,272 cubic meters, collecting floodwaters and protecting nearby communities.
Also, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction recognized SM City Marikina for being a prepared facility during calamities. Its proximity to the Marikina River and the area’s flood history necessitated the mall’s elevation onto 246 concrete stilts, allowing flood water to enter and flow through the structure away from residential areas and avoid damage to the mall itself.
Silerio assured SM malls that are being built have facilities and structures that take into account the natural hazards to protect communities around them.
