Kevin Hartigan-Go, Chief Operating Officer, Digital Advantage Corporation (DAC); Chef Jessie Sincioco; Jaime Alfonso Zobel De Ayala, Non-Executive Director at Globe; Teresita Sy-Coson, Chairperson of SM Retail, Inc.; Jay Beltran, Head of Sales and Marketing, DAC; Yoly Crisanto, Chief Sustainability & Corporate Communications Officer, Globe Group; and Monday Gonzalez, Senior Director for Content Management & Creative Services, Globe Group come together to reaffirm their commitment to work together for the Hapag Movement, the Globe-led program that aims to address involuntary hunger among Filipinos affected by the pandemic and economic challenges.
As the season of giving unfolded last year, SM Advantage Card (SMAC), the loyalty program of the Sy family’s SM Retail Inc., joined hands with the Hapag Movement to bridge the food gap in the country.
SM Retail, known for its commitment to social responsibility, provided much-needed support to those experiencing hunger and scarcity, fostering a sense of community.
The campaign, which ran from December 15, 2022, to January 15, 2023, raised P5.5 million in donations, bolstering the supplementary feeding and livelihood initiatives led by The Hapag Movement in partnership with the Ayala family’s Globe.
Jeanette ‘Jay’ Beltran, the head of Sales and Marketing for SMAC, acknowledged the generosity displayed by SMAC members, as well as the support extended by SM brands and their affiliates.
Beltran further highlighted how the sales of every SMAC membership card and all purchases made with the card exceeded expectations in terms of the donation amounts generated. With SMAC serving as a conduit, members were able to extend a helping hand to those experiencing involuntary hunger, making their shopping experience more meaningful.
With every purchase of the card, a generous donation of P50 is made to the Hapag Movement and other programs supported by the SM Foundation Inc.
Moreover, SMAC members who patronize select items from SM’s wide array of retail businesses including The SM Store, SM Beauty, SM Appliance, and other affiliate brands including Kultura, Surplus, Our Home, Baby Company, Crate and Barrel, Levi’s, The Body Shop, Forever21, Ecco, and Miniso earn up to 1,000 extra SMAC points. Notably, half of these points are donated to the movement.
Yoly Crisanto, the chief sustainability and corporate communications officer of Globe, said that this initiative aims to extend its outreach efforts this year in order to provide assistance to a larger number of vulnerable Filipinos.
According to the latest Social Weather Stations survey, an estimated 2.7 million Filipino families experienced involuntary hunger in the first quarter of the year.
