Posts

Think You Know Coconut? Discover 5 Ideas That May Surprise You

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From Gen Z innovation to zero-waste businesses, Filipino coco-preneurs are taking coconut somewhere new. A coconut may be familiar, but what Filipino entrepreneurs are doing with it is anything but. A college feasibility study has become a Gen Z-run coconut milk business. Surplus coconut shells are being transformed into handcrafted bags while helping provide livelihood to more than 100 workers. And one entrepreneur has developed around 40 products by finding new uses for virtually every part of the coconut. These are among the ideas and founder stories waiting to be discovered at the DTI-Bagong Pilipinas COCONUTPhilippines Trade Fair 2026, now underway at SMX Convention Center Manila until August 30. “Over the next five days, we bring our coco-preneurs, our buyers, shoppers and partners together under one roof here in SMX as we celebrate National Coconut Week,” said DTI Assistant Secretary Nylah Rizza Bautista during the opening ceremony. Mounted by the Department of Trade and Industr...
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SM Megamall Becomes Part of Metro Manila’s Transit Backbone with Busway Link

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As ridership on the EDSA Bus Carousel increases, infrastructure evolves to meet daily demand Every day, over 170,000 commuters board the EDSA Bus Carousel to get to work, school, and everywhere in between – and this passenger count continues to climb. As more Filipinos turn to the EDSA busway as their daily mode of transportation, the infrastructure around its busiest stations is being pushed to keep pace, with one of the initiatives being a direct walkway linking the bus station to SM Megamall. The SM Megamall EDSA Busway Concourse, which opened to the public on April 2026, is an elevated, weather-protected walkway that connects the EDSA Bus Carousel’s SM Megamall station to SM Megamall Building A, eliminating the need for commuters to traverse the lengthy stretch across EDSA. It houses escalators and elevators to ensure convenient access for all, including commuters with disabilities, senior citizens, and pregnant women. The concourse was developed by your most loved SM Supermalls in...
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7 Reasons You Can’t Miss BÚTLAK: The 40th Negros Trade Fair

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Forty years. Generations of makers. One landmark celebration of everything Negros—back at SM Some fairs are worth visiting for the shopping. Others for the food. BÚTLAK: The 40th Negros Trade Fair gives you 40 years of reasons to come. From September 22 to 27, 2026, the country’s longest-running provincial trade fair returns to SMX Convention Center Aura, bringing the best of Negros closer to Metro Manila shoppers for its milestone 40th anniversary. Through SM for MSMEs, SM Supermalls continues its collaboration with the Association of Negros Producers (ANP), helping provide Negrense entrepreneurs a highly visible marketplace where their products, stories and craftsmanship can connect with more customers and potential markets. This year’s theme, BÚTLAK, celebrates a legacy moving forward with fresh energy: honoring the flavors, craftsmanship and stories that made the fair an institution while giving Negrense creativity a distinctly contemporary spin. Whether you come to eat, shop, disc...
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SM and PMAP Mega Job Fair, Creating an Employment Ecosystem

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Neither rain nor disrupted schedules could stop jobseekers from pursuing their next opportunity. After being rescheduled to August 17–18 due to inclement weather in Metro Manila, the PMAP Mega Job Fair 2026, held in collaboration with SM Job Fair, pushed through at the SM City North EDSA Skydome—connecting jobseekers with employers, career coaches, upskilling opportunities, and employment support services under one roof. The two-day event brought together around 30 employers and hundreds of jobseekers, with several applicants hired on the spot (HOTS). Held in celebration of the People Management Association of the Philippines' (PMAP) 70th Anniversary, the career fair carried the theme “HumanITy Forward 2026: Empowering Talent in a Digital World,” putting the spotlight not only on getting Filipinos hired, but also on helping them become better prepared for the changing world of work. More than getting hired For Ghie Lara, Chairperson of PMAP's Employability Committee, the event ...
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Less Walking, More Convenience: My SM Is Changing the EDSA Commute

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For millions of Filipinos navigating EDSA, the daily commute could soon become safe, more seamless, and more convenient. As SM continues its transformation journey beyond its retail and shared spaces, its malls are also evolving to make getting to and from key transport hubs easier for commuters. In the coming months, mallgoers can look forward to improved connections through the SM Megamall EDSA Busway Concourse and Pedestrian Bridge and SM North EDSA MRT-7 link. The projects aim to shorten long walks to transportation hubs while giving commuters familiar, well-lit, and ventilated access and departure points. The completion of the SM Megamall EDSA Busway link, which connects SM Megamall to the Ortigas station of the EDSA Bus Carousel, provides an accessible entrance and exit point for commuters. Prior to the completion of the elevated walkway, commuters had to pass through the congested MRT-3 footbridge to reach the EDSA Carousel. The new pedestrian bridge significantly shortens the l...
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SM City Baguio Shares the Love of Learning Through AI, Connecting Generations in the Digital Age

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Learning knows no age. At SM City Baguio, children and senior citizens came together to discover the possibilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI) during an interactive learning session held in partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology – Cordillera Administrative Region (DICT-CAR). More than an introduction to emerging technology, the session created a space where generations could learn together, ask questions, and discover how AI can be used responsibly in everyday life. For young participants, the activity encouraged curiosity and creativity, showing how AI can support learning and inspire new ideas. Ten-year-old Jacob Jimenez, a Grade 5 student, was eager to explore more. “I want to know more about AI because it is futuristic technology. I tried a game where you have to use AI, and I also made an app,” Jacob shared. His mother, Joan Jimenez, appreciated the opportunity for children to become more familiar with technology that is increasingly part ...
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Universal Accessibility by Design and Practice earns SM Group 23 industry distinctions

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With inclusivity and access as a key pillar in SM’s corporate purpose, inclusive spaces and facilities enhance the SM Group’s portfolio of malls, offices, and retail spaces. It is this universal implementation of accessible environments, and commitment to advance disability inclusion that bagged SM Group industry distinctions from The Philippine Foundation For the Rehabilitation of the Disabled Inc. (PFRD) and the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA). Through its Corporate Social Responsibility arm, SM Cares, disability-friendly facilities are overseen and supported nationwide with manpower training in line with industry standards to effectively accommodate Persons With Disabilities. “Every single person entering and engaging in the spaces built by SM deserves to feel welcomed and accommodated,” said Engr. Junias M. Eusebio, SM Supermalls Vice President for Operations and Program Director for Disability Affairs, SM Cares. “Our benchmark for true inclusivity expressed well is w...
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