SM Cares and SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime) recently led the turnover ceremony of bike food carts to the pioneer beneficiaries of the SM PadyaKabuhayan Program, an initiative that aims to provide sustainable sources of income to those in need with a focus on sustainable mobility. 

The ceremony was held last Dec. 5 at Pasay City Hall and was graced by representatives from SM Cares, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the City’s local government unit, and Kalye Negosyo.

Among the attendees were Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano, Pasay City Social Welfare Development Head Angelica Yu, Pasay City Social Welfare Development Officer Evelyn Marquez, DTI Chief of Trade and Industry Development and Area Director Olivia Rivera, Think Bizz Trading Corp. President Neil Sicat (for Kalye Negosyo) and SM Supermalls Senior Vice President & SM Cares Director for Bicycle-Friendly SM Bien Mateo.

PadyaKabuhayan is a livelihood program for Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries that provides a means of earning for families in need, highlights the economic benefit of environment-friendly bikes, and enables the private sector to extend resources for the greater good.

During the ceremony, a total of six beneficiaries from Pasay City were each awarded with PadyaKabuhayan Carts, which are bike food carts outfitted with food storage and cooking equipment. They were also given cash assistance from the DTI amounting to P10,000 per recipient. The beneficiaries were selected in partnership with the Pasay City Social Welfare and Development Office.

Prior to the turnover, the beneficiaries were provided with free technical training through a three-day Entrepreneurial Bootcamp, where they were taught how to think like an entrepreneur, how to do product development, product costing, and food preparation, and how to do accounting and marketing while understanding financial literacy, among other topics.

“SM Cares is about ‘Supporting Communities’ and this project aligns perfectly to our advocacies for the Environment and a Bicycle-Friendly SM as we promote the use of bikes as eco-friendly means to improve the quality of life of Filipinos. Isang padyak ng bisikleta; Isang padyak patungo sa kaunlaran,” said Mr. Bien Mateo, SM Supermalls Senior Vice President and SM Cares Program Director.

“For our beneficiaries, we hope to plant the seed of entrepreneurship, perseverance and hard work, as inspired by the story of our Founder, Mr. Henry Sy Sr. As he famously said, ‘You have to have a dream, whether big or small. Then plan well, focus, work hard, and be very determined to achieve your goals.'”

The SM PadyaKabuhayan Program is in line with SM Cares’ Programs for the Environment and the Bike-friendly SM initiative, and supports the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals SDGs, particularly “SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth,” and “SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.” 

SM Cares is the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Supermalls, responsible for initiatives focused on sustainability and community development. Aside from its Program on Environment and Bike-Friendly SM initiative, its other Programs include those on Women and Breastfeeding Mothers, Persons with Disabilities, Senior Citizens, and Children and Youth.

To learn more about these programs, visit www.smsupermalls.com/smcares.