San Fernando, La Union, Philippines — With climate change driving heavier rains and more frequent floods, proactive flood prevention has become a key part of building resilient communities.
SM City La Union, now the 30th mall of SM Prime
Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime) that features a rainwater catchment facility, expands
its network of climate-resilient infrastructure nationwide. For SM Supermalls,
catchment facilities are designed to collect
and store large volumes of stormwater, preventing runoff that could
otherwise overwhelm drainage networks.
During heavy rainfall, the catchment
temporarily holds stormwater, allowing gradual discharge through proper
channels. Collectively, SM City La
Union’s underground rainwater catchment system can provide a total capacity of 760 cubic meters
(Photo caption) The newly opened SM City La Union becomes the 30th SM mall to install a rainwater catchment system, supporting thousands of residents in flood-prone areas and demonstrating how business innovation protects communities.
(Photo caption) A design for tomorrow. SM Supermalls focuses on sustainable water use by managing available resources to meet the needs of future generations.
Each drop contributes to a safer, more sustainable future for all. Mapping every opportunity to achieve Water for Tomorrow, treating and reusing water as a supplemental water source also significantly decreases freshwater consumption. In 2024, SM Prime achieved a 26.23% increase in recycled water volume, rising from 4.42 million cubic meters in 2023 to 5.59 million cubic meters.
Social resilience is equally important as the
physical infrastructure. SM Cares raises awareness on water conservation and
adopting sustainable practices in daily life, helping to empower community
action.
“Our rainwater
catchment systems go beyond flood control — they help create safer spaces for
our communities. We hope to show how climate-smart infrastructure and
innovation can protect lives, livelihoods, and progress,” said SM
Supermalls President Steven Tan.
