The Filipino tradition of starting the Christmas holiday season super-early, as soon as the ‘-ber’ months commence, is a long cherished custom; all part of bringing early joy and anticipation to the general public. With our year and a half of COVID-related community quarantines, and the ongoing spread of the COVID variants, it’s only right that we seek a more subdued, yet impactful way, of marking this ‘100 Days to Christmas’.

As SM Supermalls President Steven Tan explained during their virtual ‘100 Days of Caring & Giving’ launch, the decision was made by the Malls to share, to care, and bring joy - as part of being hopeful and thankful, and producing an initiative with more meaning. Targeted as beneficiaries are the communities situated near these Malls, and those who play an important role in keeping the Mall business relevant and thriving. Theres no time like now to find ways to be everyday heroes to so many around us, who are in need.

A special message from Department of Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat echoed this message of fortitude and hope. Yes, these are challenging times; but it’s also more reason to find ways to ‘care and give’ - and she commended SM Supermalls for embarking on this 100 Days initiative.

To kickstart this 100 Days of Caring & Giving, pledges were made to donate over 100,000 care packages and/or products to specific communities in need, to the hardworking SM employees, and to the dedicated delivery partners. It’s for those hardest hit by the pandemic, whose quality of life has been compromised; and to the tireless SM employees and delivery partners, and the proximate communities who’ve been supporting the SM Supermalls over the years.

What this means is that each of the 76 SM Supermalls would find their own unique way of making their ‘100’ count. And this would be happening from as far North as Tuguegarao, to down South in Cagayan de Oro. In our NCR, SM North EDSA would give 100 pairs of World Balance sneakers to senior citizens of Quezon City, while SM Megamall would gift the frontliner delivery riders with 100 packages of groceries, outfits, and toiletries. Over at SM Center Pasig, 100 Noche Buena baskets would be delivered to delivery riders and senior citizens, and SM Mall of Asia have put together 100 care packages of face masks and shields, Ensure milk, vitamins and supplements for seniors. A stone’s throw away, SM By the Bay & S’Maison have arranged for 100 sets of raincoats and PPE’s for delivery riders and frontliners.

SM Supermalls in the provinces are getting into the act as well. SM Baguio will gift 100 families from Atok, Benguet with blankets, scarves and bonnets, while SM City Rosales and SM Dagupan have assembled 100 sets of fishing supplies for the local fishermen. Down South, in SM Davao and SM Lanang Premier, there are 100 farming tools for local farmers. It’s each Mall finding a way to offer something essential to the people around them.

During the virtual launch, one guest offering the gift of mental health and comfort was Dra. Gia Sison, MD, a mental health advocate and co-founder of PH Livestrong Foundation. Dra. Sison hosts a show on CNN, and on this ‘Call to Share’ segment, she talked about those who are struggling with anxieties as this pandemic lingers, and about those isolated and alone for whatever health or social-economic reason.

And what is a Filipino holiday season without music and singing? We all share a passion for music, even when we can’t carry a tune. So what SM Supermalls did was bring together three of our best divas - Bituin Escalante, Radha, and Frenchie Dy to regale us with tunes of the heart - like the ever popular Lean On Me. Then the three kicked off a song of 100 voices, composed of artists, singers, SM employees and stakeholders, belting a rousing rendition of What the World Needs Now.

By putting together well-thought gifts that are relevant & practical, and of real use to the recipients, SM Supermalls is making this 2021 Christmas countdown meaningful and bright. The virtual launch was brought to us by SM Supermalls, SM Cares, SM Foundation, McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Philusa. It’s caring & giving; especially important as it precisely isn’t the best of times. But we can’t let this pandemic defeat us, and SM Supermalls is doing its part to show us the way.

To view the event, go to WatchSM on YouTube.

For more information, visit www.smsupermalls.com and follow @smsupermalls on all social media accounts.