In line with the enhanced community quarantine implemented last Mar. 16, SM Supermalls and the Gokongwei Group will each donate P100 million in funds to help the country in the battle against COVID-19. The allotment is expected to fund protective equipment and supplies for hospitals and medical frontliners.

The Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF), the philanthropic arm of the Gokongwei Group, states that their allocation is also meant to help the rapid production of test kits. “The U.P. Medical Foundation and PGH Medical Foundation are among the select institutions in GBF’s priority list,” according to a statement read from the John Gokongwei Summit Corporate Affairs.

Both SM and Robinsons Land Corporations (RLC) will also be waiving rentals to all non-operational tenants nationwide during the quarantine period.

This action was decided in order to relieve some tenants from any added stress of having to pay for mall rentals during the 30-day period of quarantine wherein they will also not have any customers and income. For SM, the mall tenants are then expected to lend more assistance to their employees during the quarantine. RLC aims to assist their tenants in reallocating the funds to their employees during the emergency.

SM Supermalls President Steven T. Tan expresses his concerns during this pandemic. “We share our tenants’ partners’ concerns at the unfortunate situation and will waive rental charges for those affected and unable to operate during this period,” he said.

Gokongwei’s food manufacturing arm Universal Robina Corp., will also be donating their products such as Great Taste coffee, Magic Crackers, Nissin Cup Noodles and Refresh Mineral Water to health workers in hospitals.

SM Supermalls, owned by SM Prime Holdings, is the country’s largest shopping mall operator with 74 malls across the country and seven malls in China. The Gokongwei Group, led by the John Gokongwei Summit Holdings, Inc., owns various companies in the country including the Universal Robina Corporation, Cebu Pacific, PLDT Inc., and Summit Media. Their efforts in offering P100 million are greatly appreciated.

Header photos courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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