SM Store CSR

SM Store and SM Beauty recognize the Super Nanays of Zambales

June 20, 2023

INSPIRED TO PAY FORWARD. With happiness and pride, employees from SM Stores Olongapo Central & Downtown came together to recognize the “Super Nanays” of Sitio Olpoy through beauty & hygiene kits from SM Beauty.

When we give, we never expect anything in return. But the mothers in this Aeta Indigenous People’s (IP) community in Iba Zambales made us realize that giving goes beyond charity. That giving is a two-way street and empowerment goes both ways.

The “Super Nanays” of Sitio Olpoy in Barangay Amungan had no idea that they would give their community glory. They volunteered to be a part of the home learning program in the midst of the pandemic. Initially, the ten (10) mothers, mostly IP’s, roamed around their neighborhood to check on the children in need of academic tutoring. Every day for two hours, in shifts, the mothers manage their time to do their housework and work with the students.

Last April 2022, the SM store with a group of corporate volunteers and partner Rotary Club of Subic went to Sitio Olpoy to distribute toys, school supplies and books from WS Pacific Publishing. With the aid of the Super Nanay group, the gift giving was a breeze. In the same year, with the assistance of the school teachers of Doña Lusia Obieta Elementary School (DLOES) teachers, the mothers won DepED’s Best Functional Home Learning Awards as a district champion then first runner-up in the regional level.

SIMPLE TREAT FOR EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN. The mothers of SItio Olpoy received products from the SM Beauty Department. These are nothing compared to the job they did during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Super Nanay”

DLOES school head John Arex Ocampo informed the SM Store that their Home Learning Program won. He said that the IP mothers were instrumental in the implementation. Though they already started home teaching 2019, the initiative was amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We started with just a few of us going around the neighborhood to check if the children need help with their studies,” said Kimberly Ravaca.

The mothers underwent training for a week. Then, they were shadowed by a school teacher to check their competencies until they were confident on their own.

“We made a lot of adjustments. Everyone here did not even finish high school,” Marife Cayabyab added. “This is our way to repay. We barely buy supplies for the children because they provide these for us.”

All they wanted was just to assist. For them, they learn as they teach.

“We didn’t assist the Super Nanay program to win. We supported the mothers to help the children thrive,” said Ocampo. “The winning part is a reward for their efforts.”

HANDS ON AND HEAD ON. The immersions in the communities fostered deeper relations between groups, communities and the SM Store.

“We”

To reach Sitio Olpoy, one has to carefully drive towards the “daang kalabaw”- a long rough road of boulders and dust. The land was a relocation site for the IP’s impacted by the Mt. Pinatubo’s eruption in 1991. The school was a parcel donation by Doña Luisa Obieta, thus the school’s name.

“No one told us that SM will be here again. Last year, with bulk of donations the group brought, we thought it was for one time only. We’re surprised that all of you came back,” DLOES’ school groundskeeper Lorna Mora said. “Most just came and went, but this is the first time that a stakeholder came back just for the mothers.”

These noble women were treated with gift packs from SM Beauty along with other items from the SM Stores Olongapo Downtown and Central. During the SM Store’s interaction with the mothers, they discussed what they need personally. They would answer skin whitening products in jest or cologne so that their husbands won’t feel bad coming home to an empty house while they were on teaching duty. “This is the first time we were given gifts just for us. “This is how it felt like to be important,” says Abigail Castillo.

SM Store and the mothers of Sitio Olpoy

SM has a proven track record of supporting women. The company won two major awards in the United Nations Women Empowerment Principles in 2021 and 2022. The SM Store’s initiatives had given aid to communities but the Super Nanays made the gift giving more meaningful -a group of mothers whose aim is to pay forward by learning first before teaching others. Financially unrewarded, they kept on doing the task despite their husbands complaining of being neglected. For them, teaching children is a vocation. The self-care kits were nothing compared to the sense of purpose they manifest.

“It’s uplifting to hear that communities don’t just regard the SM Store’s giving initiatives as donations but as a tool to do more good in their communities,” said Rose Marie Chua, SM Olongapo Central’s Branch manager. “This motivates us more to engage with our shoppers and immerse our employees in the communities to make a difference.”

The mothers taught us that giving is a two-way street. They were offered something that may seem insignificant to us but they have the capacity to maximize the benefits. They made it a point that all of these will matter if they, as mothers, get their heads and hearts together to educate their young. Knowing that literacy is the key to everything.

About: SM Store is the Philippines’ largest department store chain with several branches nationwide. Since our first store opened in 1958, SM Store has been a long-time favorite one-stop-shop with the best product variety, shopping convenience, and value for money. We offer a great selection of menswear, womenswear, children’s wear, all kinds of beauty products, and things for the home. You can also find stationery, electronic gadgets, snacks, toys, hardware, and fun Philippine souvenirs here.