Looking for the sweetest Valentine? SM Supermalls’ gotchu!

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Whether you’re single but not going solo, in a committed relationship, or just happy and in love with the fam, SM Supermalls will give you the sweetest Valentine’s Day ever!


SM Supermalls has got a slew of activities coming up for you from February 1 to 14. So if you are looking for ways to celebrate the sweetest valentine, look no further because SM Supermalls’ gotchu!


Keep the love burning with the sweetest dining deals

They say food is the way to a man’s heart. So why not treat your SO to a sumptuous dining experience? With hundreds of restaurants to choose from, SM got lotsa lovin’ vibe to share and the sweetest dining deals to offer. Plus, there are very cute dining spots and IG-worthy outdoor hubs to dine into. But if you want a more romantic ambiance, there are also alfresco spots available for you!

Self-love is the best kind of love

Experience the euphoria of self-love at your favorite SM mall when you gift yourself with a few pampering items. From skin care packages and discounts on fashion items to solo dining promos, SM will definitely shower you with tons of sweet self-love deals to enjoy a love-filled month.


Sweets for your sweet at the Sweet A-fair

What’s Valentine’s Day without a Sweet A-fair? If you’re looking for the sweetest Valentine’s gifts, there’s no need to scour far and wide just to get them. Check out SM Supermalls’ pop-up bazaar and get your hands on sweet items like chocolates, cakes, and other treats to spoil your loved ones.


Dance to sweet beats and retro nights

This season of love, give your fangirl/fanboy self a sweet reward at the mini-concert held every weekend from February 1 to 14. Your favorite DJs and Tiktok artists will play beats from the 1980s to the 2000s so be there and catch their one-of-a-kind performances.


Make room for Sweet Vibes only!

Everyone deserves a special someone who can take good IG photos. But if you don’t have one, it’s A-ok. You can grab your friends and capture the love at the Sweet Beats Stage or at the V-day installations that will surely make this year's heart's day extra memorable for you.


Kiss and Treat at the furry kissing booth

Let your furry friends sashay away in Valentine’s Day-inspired costumes at the activity center and get a chance to win amazing prizes.


Or, if you don’t have pets to flex, you can still experience sweet puppy love. Check out SM Supermalls’ cutest and sweetest Kissing Booth featuring trained dogs. And the best part is, it’s absolutely free!


Nothing says "sweet valentine's day" like shopping, dining, and getting entertained at SM Supermalls. So come and celebrate the sweetest Valentine’s at your favorite SM mall!


For more sweet V-day ideas, visit www.smsupermalls.com or follow @smsupermalls on social media.

Anti-mining groups condemn the violent incident in Sibuyan

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Two Sibuyan residents were hurt when mining trucks of Altai Philippines Mining Company carrying nickel ore pushed their way through the barricades put up by the community as they demanded the suspension of mining operations to protect their island’s ecosystems.

Sibuyan residents tried to prevent the trucks from passing through but unfortunately failed as the trucks, aided by the police, forced their way through the human barricade and left two injured.

“We strongly condemn this violent incident. We strongly condemn the connivance of the mining company and the Philippine National Police including local politicians,” said Rodne Galicha, Executive-Director of Living Laudato Si.

“Hinahanap naming ang tunay na batas sa Sibuyan. Bakit ang mga tumutulong para maipatupad ang batas, lalo na ang pangangalaga sa kalikasan ay siyang tinuturing na kalaban?” said Elizabeth Ibanez, Coordinator of Sibuyanons Against Mining (SAM).

Jaybee Garganera, National Coordinator of Alyansa Tigil Mina, said “the violent incident involving the police no less, is a direct affront to the will of the Sibuyan residents.”

“The police should have ensured a peaceful protest and respected the position of the Sibuyan people against the mining company. They have no business taking the side of the mining company, especially that the Altai mining have no necessary permits for their operations,” he said.

Galicha also said “this act of protecting the mining company is unacceptable knowing that there are violations and deception from the very start, from when they first stepped foot on our island.”

“This calls for status quo and multi-sectoral and transparent investigation,” he said. “We urge the municipal mayor and the provincial governor to issue cease and desist order by virtue of the general welfare close of the Local Government Code of 1991. We urge the House of Representatives and the Senate to conduct an immediate hearing in aid of legislation, and for the Commission on Human Rights to be present on the ground. We demand that a national team of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources come to Sibuyan Island within the week to address all issues and concerns.”

#IAmOneWithSibuyan #notomininginsibuyanisland #notomininginsibuyan

Philippine Agencies Unite to Combat Wildlife Traffickers

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Over forty officers from eleven Philippine enforcement agencies underwent joint specialized training in Palawan to identify and dismantle organized crime networks that are targeting the country’s wildlife. Officers also received training in how to care for wild animals that they seize from traffickers.

“Because criminals are working together across borders to make money from trafficking wildlife species, so too must law enforcement agencies band together and intensify their cooperation and collaboration to stop the looting and exploitation of endangered plants and animals,” said Katherine Custodio, Executive Director of WWF-Philippines, which co-hosted the event.

“We go to great lengths to protect and conserve nature and biodiversity, especially because we are part of the Coral Triangle, a globally-recognized center of marine biodiversity. Organized transboundary wildlife trafficking needs to be disrupted and dismantled while rescued animals have to be handled properly so that our conservation efforts do not go to waste,” she added.

 

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) estimated that the total cost of the illegal trade is around P50 billion per year in the Philippines alone. This amount already includes the losses to damaged habitats from poaching and loss in potential ecotourism revenues.

Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, in the Southeast Asian archipelago, have been facing challenges related to the illegal wildlife trade of threatened species such as pangolins, marine turtles, and sharks, among others. Enforcement of laws on wildlife trafficking has been difficult given the wide marine borders in the Sulu and Celebes Seas and the lack of strong cooperation between the countries’ security and intelligence agencies.

A U.S. government-sponsored project called TRIPOD (“Targeting Regional Investigations for Policing Opportunities and Development”) conducted instructional sessions in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, that improved the cooperation between law enforcement agencies. Topics of the training focused on sharing of critical, actionable intelligence, building holistic interagency approaches between police, judicial, anti-corruption, and financial crime agencies, and teaching of analytical tools that help in identifying criminal supply chains. The next step in TRIPOD is to help convene Philippine agencies with their counterparts in Indonesia and Malaysia to share information and agree on ways to target cross-border illicit supply chains that are trafficking marine turtles, pangolins, sharks, and many other species.

Developed by WWF’s partner, Freeland, the “CTOC” (Countering Transnational and Organized Crime) training course was held from January 16 to 20 with 30 participants from law enforcement agencies including DENR, PNP, NBI, PCG, BFAR, Anti-Money Laundering Council, Philippine Ports Authority, and Philippine Center on Transnational Crime. Local NGO Tanggol Kalikasan provided technical support.

The second training session, Care for Confiscated Wildlife (CCW), with partner International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), was held from January 23 to 26 with 29 participants (half staying on from the first session), including enforcement agencies, wildlife rescue agencies, veterinarians, and animal experts.

“Seizures of live animals are particularly challenging for enforcement agencies combatting wildlife crime. Trafficked animals are discovered in poor condition and require urgent attention. Animal handling techniques are essential to ensure the safety of personnel and to safeguard animal welfare” said Lois Lelanchon, Wildlife Rescue Program Manager at IFAW.

As part of this training, WWF, LAMAVE, University of the Philippines and Department of Environment and Natural Resources led a session on ShellBank, a marine turtle trade traceability toolkit. ShellBank brings together multiple organizations, nations, and communities to collectively develop a global repository for marine turtle genetic data to enable trade to be traced back to poached turtle populations. “Extracting DNA from seized items can pinpoint the nesting origin of the turtle killed and enable authorities to crackdown on poaching hotspots” said Chris Madden Hof, WWF’s Global Marine Turtle Conservation Lead.

The TRIPOD project is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), and is implemented by Freeland together with WWF and IFAW. The DENR-Biodiversity Management Bureau-Wildlife Resources Division serves as the primary government partner of the project. An INL statement on the program added: “We are pleased to support this initiative, which was designed in response to the Philippine partner agency’s requests for capacity building that would foster and enhance both the analytical skills of participants, as well as interagency cooperation.”

“With the improved capacity and collaboration of our partner law enforcement agencies, criminal syndicates looking to profit from endangered wildlife species will think twice before they target the rich flora and fauna in the Philippines and neighboring countries,” said Custodio. Steven Galster, Founder of Freeland, agreed and added: “Law enforcement networking and training is a low cost-high impact approach to deterring and dismantling organized wildlife crime.”