SM Cares and SM Supermalls received the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Award and Disability-Friendly Establishment Awards during the 30th Apolinario Mabini Awards at the Heroes Hall in Malacañang Palace July 18.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, representing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., presented the awards to SM Supermalls’ president Steven Tan and senior vice president Bien Mateo.
Taking the only gold award for Disability-Friendly Establishment was SM City Grand Central (Caloocan), while SM City Telebastagan (Pampanga) and SM City Urdaneta (Pangasinan) were bronze awardees.
SM Cares, the corporate social responsibility program of SM Supermalls, won the Empowerment with Disabilities Award, while five SM Malls, including SM City Bacolod, were given special recognition for their disability-friendliness and implementation of related programs.
The other awardees were SM City Tanza, Iloilo; CDO Uptown, and Dasmariñas.
On the retail side, the SM Store and SM Offices also won awards, bringing the total award count to 20 for the SM Group, a press release from the mall said.
Spearheaded by the Philippine Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled Inc., or PFRD, the Apolinario Mabini Awards gives recognition to individuals, groups, and organizations who have rendered outstanding service to people with disabilities.
The Awards also honors persons with disabilities, who serve as role models and excel in their chosen careers. It is named after one of the country’s foremost heroes, Apolinario Mabini, who was also known as the Sublime Paralytic.
A Hall of Famer of the Apolinario Mabini Awards, SM Supermalls has a long-standing reputation for having the most PWD-friendly malls in the country, setting the bar on serving people with disabilities providing them easy access and convenience. ||
