Zambo Bajaus get gifts from SM City Mindpro, NCIP

 Contributed by Arnel Manahan, SM City Mindpro

Staying true to its commitment in supporting and serving its communities, SM City Mindpro, with the help of National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) IX staff headed by Engr. George Jocutan, distributed food packs to 100 individuals in a remote Indigenous People (IP) Community in Barangay Cabaluay. 

To note, SM Supermalls virtual Christmas countdown highlighted the 100 Days of Caring campaign which pledged donations to over 10,000 beneficiaries nationwide – to include communities in need, medical frontliners, and dedicated delivery partners.

“Many of us are worried, wondering about tomorrow. But just like you, we have faith that there will be better days ahead. Today, we invite you to begin a hundred days of caring – a time to be generous, to be kind, to care for each other and most of all, to not let this health crisis dampen our spirit,” said Steven Tan, SM Supermalls President, during the virtual launch of 100 Days of Caring.

The scorching weather and the challenges to transport the goods did not stop SM City Mindpro employee volunteers and NCIP IX representatives in sharing tangible gifts to Sama Bajau. 

One of the employee volunteers, SM City Mindpro Marketing Manager Masayuki Sakai, said how elated he was that SM shares the same value with him—serving the communities in need. “We saw the smiles, not just from their faces, but in their hearts. These little help extended to the community is just a start as we begin the Christmas season,” he added. 

Provincial Legal Officer of NCIP IX Atty. Gibran Abubakar, on the other hand, added that NCIP IX is grateful for choosing one of the IP communities in the city as a recipient of SM’s donation drive. “This bajau community in Cabaluay is worth extending our help since it was just recently when this was known to us and little help has been given to this group,” he shared during the planning stage of the activity.

We may be in the middle of a pandemic, times may be tough, and many of us may be physically apart, but let’s not forget what this season truly means. (DIS/PIA9-Zamboanga City, SM City Mindpro Press Release)