SMDC The Good Guys Weekend Market: Providing a source of income and expanding chances
What makes a community thrive? It's more than meets the eye for SM Development Corporation (SMDC).
In the Philippines, SMDC has always been at the forefront of community development. Even when the COVID-19 issue occurred, SMDC's enthusiasm in developing activities targeted at establishing, influencing, and building thriving communities was unaffected.
"Our strong network of communities is the lifeblood of our organization." "Through our community-building initiatives, we have highlighted the necessity of establishing living environments where people not only live but thrive," stated Jose Mari Banzon, SMDC's President.
Embracing every possibility, opening doors
The pandemic has wreaked havoc on Filipinos' lives on a large scale. Even individuals who live at SMDC have been impacted, since they have been laid off from both domestic and international occupations.
Filipinos' resilience shone as they found new ways to make a living as they were forced to stay at home for their safety.
As commercial activity were limited during the pandemic, online companies exploded. The number of resident homepreneurs continued to rise, and SMDC did not miss out on this potential. They believed that they could provide so much more to their inhabitants than just a safe haven, and that they could be a trustworthy community partner to their adjacent barangays. As a result, the SMDC's The Good Guys Weekend Market was born. The curriculum is based on SM founder Mr. Henry Sy, Srbelief .'s that everyone can be an entrepreneur.
The weekend meeting of homepreneurs inside and outside of SMDC was intended at empowering every Filipino to think like an entrepreneur. SMDC saw its inhabitants' potential and opened its doors to nearby barangays to help strengthen the economy by allowing them to launch a business that would eventually provide employment.
One community at a time, a neighborhood of companies
The Weekend Market began as a tiny cooperation between a barangay in the metro and an SMDC property. However, as other developments followed suit, it gradually grew. More SMDC developments have opened weekend markets, demonstrating that a business district can be established one community at a time.
The program not only provides fresh food and locally produced goods to the communities, but it has also provided a safe environment for homepreneurs to develop their entrepreneurial mindset. It also provided assistance to local farmers, small business owners, and suppliers so that they could continue to operate during the pandemic.
The Weekend Market went from being a one-time event to a year-round project for the SMDC. "We never imagined that a single Weekend Market could stoke the entrepreneurial spirit of our community. We've demonstrated that there are more ways to serve our community through projects like this," Banzon added.
SMDC's Resident Entrepreneurship Program continues to offer value to the entrepreneurial attitude of SMDC residents and communities outside of SMDC. This program provides guidance through traditional business online courses and supports exchange scenes such as The Good Guys Weekend Market and The Good Guys Bazaar, which it founded.
A community-building winner, as well as an industry winner
The SMDC's efforts to inspire and boost the entrepreneurial mindset in its communities were not in vain. In fact, the industry took notice of its outstanding result: a thriving business community both within and outside of SMDC.
At the 57th Anvil Gabi ng Parangal, organized by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines, SMDC's The Good Guys Weekend Market won a Silver Anvil in the PR Tools category.
"We are ecstatic to be recognized by a major award-giving body once again for our efforts to create and nurture happy, healthy, and successful communities. "Our people, partner cities, and barangays can rest assured that we have more programs in the works to help them grow and thrive here at SMDC," Banzon said.
SMDC places community at the heart of its services, in addition to providing secure, safe, and sustainable living areas with resort-style amenities. In the midst of the country's most difficult circumstances, the country's foremost real estate corporation has been ahead of the curve in establishing initiatives that are aimed to build deeper community bonds and a better quality of life for its residents—including assisting companies to grow.