SM employees paint houses for Sendong survivors

AT LEAST 50 employees of SM City painted the houses for the survivors of Tropical Storm Sendong in Barangay Canitoan on Saturday.

Clara Elizaga, SM City mall manager, thanked her staff, some of whom are off duty but still managed to wake up early and helped repaint the houses built by Gawad Kalinga and funded by SM Prime Holdings.

Elizaga said the activity is part of SM’s corporate social responsibility aimed at giving back to the community what the company has received.

The event also forms part of SM’s 10th year anniversary on November 15.

“We wanted to make sure that all the houses that would be turned over to the beneficiaries in time for our anniversary will be made extra special,” Elizaga said.

She added that their team will come back every Saturday until all the 300 houses will be repainted.

Constantine Arce, SM assistant mall manager, said construction of the 200 houses was funded by SM Prime Holdings while Banco de Oro (BDO) helped fund 100 houses.

“Aside from providing houses to the victims of Sendong, we want to make sure that these beneficiaries will be given livelihood projects. Whatever livelihood projects that Gawad Kalinga will provide to the beneficiaries will be supported by SM,” Arce said.