SM Cares will be sponsoring the 2021 National Bike Lane Awards of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) in celebration of National Bicycle Day celebrated every fourth Sunday of November. This initiative forms part of SM’s efforts to support sustainable and active urban transportation through multi-stakeholder partnerships.
The National Bike Lane Awards is a program of the DILG and DOTr which aims to recognize local government units (LGUs) that have showcased exemplary efforts in promoting active transport through various programs, projects, and policies.
SM Cares will be supporting the program by sponsoring bicycles and helmets as prizes for the winning LGUs in the following categories: Highly-urbanized cities; 1st to 3rd class Municipalities; and 3rd to 5th class Municipalities.
Aside from this, SM Cares will also be holding an SM-to-SM bike ride event together with partner advocacy groups including MNL Moves, Bicycle Friendly Philippines, and Pinay Bike Commuters Community on November 27 at the following SM malls: SM Cherry Antipolo, SM Masinag, SM Marikina, SM Pasig, SM Megamall, and SM Mall of Asia.
These are just some of the many initiatives of SM Cares aimed at promoting sustainable urban transportation in the country. Its Bike-Friendly SM Program has put up 86 bike repair stations
and 1,155 bike parking facilities across all SM malls nationwide, accommodating more than 8,500 bicycles.
SM has also put up 19.75 km of dedicated and shared bike lanes at the SM Mall of Asia and SM Seaside Cebu; Bike trails in SM Pulilan, SM Seaside, and SM Batangas for recreation, and Bike-and-dine facilities in several malls. The company also printed one hundred seventy-five thousand bike manuals in English and Filipino, which can be downloaded from the SM Cares website.
“The Bike-Friendly SM Program is a public service of SM Cares, driven by consultative, collaborative, and inclusive partnerships, that encourages a culture of biking as a sustainable means of transportation. SM Cares is more than honored to be a partner of this landmark event. We thank the DOTr and DILG for the trust,” said SM’s AVP for Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility, Chito Bauzon.
“This National Bicycle Day is the perfect time to recognize all the efforts of our LGUs in creating more inclusive roads for bikers. This is the time to recognize their programs that have made biking safer and more enjoyable for everyone,” said MNL Moves Founder Aldrin Pelicano.
“We believe in the power of private-public partnerships. It can leave a lasting and positive impact on our society. This partnership is an example of how working together can help us achieve greater things, promoting the Philippines to be more conducive to sustainable and inclusive transport. DOTr remains committed to supporting an inclusive and safe use of our roads,” said DOTr Assistant Secretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure Mark Steven C. Pastor.
SM Cares is the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of SM Supermalls, with programs to support communities and promote social inclusion and care for the environment. Its CSR advocacies include Programs for the Environment, Persons with Disabilities, Women & Breastfeeding Mothers, Children & Youth, Senior Citizens, and the creation of bike-friendly SM Malls across the country.
Learn more by visiting www.smsupermalls.com/smcares.
