On its 3rd year of committed service to promote an environment of continuous learning and values- education for the young, SM malls in Bulacan, together with the SM Committee on Youth and Children’s Welfare, promoted reading on National Children’s Book Day (July 19), simultaneously, with 41 SM malls across the Philippines and additional malls in China, namely: SM City Xiamen, SM City Chengdu and SM International Square in Jinjiang.

In line with Rizal’s 150th anniversary this year, we commemorate the publication of Dr. Jose Rizal’s “Ang Pagong at ang Matsing” (at the Trubner’s Oriental Record in London), every 3rd Tuesday of July or the National Children’s Book Day. Such festivity is held yearly to inspire love of reading and to call attention to children’s books.

“With more than 3 million customers going to our malls daily, and approximately 1.3 million being children, we have put it upon ourselves to make our malls not just child-friendly, but more importantly, an avenue for a kid’s growth and learning.” said SM City Baliwag Assistant Mall Manager Ms. Ardee Tolentino. “SM has grown beyond shopping, entertainment, and leisure. We have grown to be venues for affirmative action and social development. We have grown into becoming instruments for caring for children.” furthered Arch. Dang Estrella of SM City Marilao.

Together with partners from the Department of Education (DepEd), the National Book Development Board (NBDB), Inquirer Read Along, Vibal Publishing, BDO Foundation and SM Foundation, a number of “activity-campaigns” during the children’s book day, aims to cultivate a habit for reading that would further boost a child’s development at an early age. The event was highlighted by a turnover of new, hardbound books to Baliwag North and South Elementary Schools as well as Ibayo Elementary School in support of DepEd’s Adopt-A-School program as well as UN’s Millennium Development Goals (or MDGs) to better education and improve literacy.

The primary objective of SM Cares campaign is for kids to have fun in learning, by experiencing the wonderful world of books through digital storytelling with celebrities, book-character parade, literary exhibits, book donation drive, “write shops” for children’s literature and many more activities that would instill proper values and reinforce a child’s rich and colorful imagination. For more information on the latest schedule of activities, please visit SM City Marilao and SM City Baliwag.