- Philippines tops the list of breast cancer incidences in Asia.
- SM Cares brought Pink Ribbon Day to SM City North EDSA.
- Pink Ribbon Day is SM’s project that focuses on spreading awareness on breast cancer.
SM Prime Holdings, through its Corporate Social Responsibility arm SM Cares, highlights the need to inform and educate women on breast cancer. Through Pink Ribbon Day, SM Cares aims to spread awareness about it. This is because the Philippines tops the list of breast cancer incidences in Asia, with one in every 13 Filipinas at risk of getting it in her lifetime.
This year’s Pink Ribbon Day is held in celebration of the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, organized by SM Cares in partnership with the Philippine Breast Cancer Society (PBCS) and SM City North EDSA. With a total of 1,000 attendees comprising of different women’s groups, doctors and advocates, the project aims to encourage women to have their breasts examined for early detection and early intervention.
“Coming from the success of last year’s Pink Ribbon Day, this year’s celebration continues to promote awareness, early detection, and early intervention to help fight breast cancer among women. We at SM Cares make it our duty to reach out and empower Filipinas all over the country. Breast cancer is a fight that can be won with early detection, prayers, and support of family and friends,” said Berna Velasco, SM Cares Program on Women and Breastfeeding program director.
The event was held at the Skydome of SM City North EDSA, where free clinical breast examinations took place. Pink Ribbon Day also featured a Zumba session led by Regine Tolentino, inspirational stories from celebrity breast cancer survivors and advocates Maritoni Fernandez, Alya Honasan, and Toni Abad, as well as talks conducted by the Philippine Breast Cancer Society on how to detect and protect women against the risk of breast cancer.
As a division that supports communities, SM Cares makes it a point to help support women in communities where SM Supermalls are present. Breastfeeding stations across all SM Supermalls nationwide are provided as part of its program to allow mothers the convenience and freedom in nourishing their babies. Last August, Breastfeeding Pinays and DOH joined in the annual “Hakab Na!” simultaneous breastfeeding event at SMX, attended by over 6,000 mothers, children, family members and advocacy supporters.
Through Pink Ribbon Day, SM Cares looks forward to serving women in the community by promoting regular breast examinations for early detection and a healthy lifestyle.
