DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara and HOPE Founder Nanette Medved-Po join representatives from seven brand partners in a united show of support to build classrooms and uplift Filipino education. Photo source: SM Supermalls

Education empowers the nation. It creates well-informed citizens who engage in national issues, decision-making, and has the desire to help drive economic growth. Moreover, equips individuals with knowledge and skills necessary for a prosperous society.

However, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) for every 10 Filipinos, nine have basic literacy, while only seven have functional literacy or the ability to read, write, compute, and most importantly a high level of comprehension which requires being able to integrate two or more pieces of information and making inferences based on the given information. These statistics call for a stronger push for education in the country. 

Through the collaborative efforts of different private and government institutions, there is a good chance for our nation to improve the country's literacy rate.

SM Supermalls is proud to partner with HOPE and the Department of Education for Generation Hope—a collaborative campaign that aims to transform everyday consumer purchases into tangible support for Filipino students by helping build classrooms across the country.

Nanette Medved-Po and Steven Tan assembled puzzle pieces at the Generation HOPE launch, symbolizing SM's support in building classrooms for Filipino students. Photo source: SM Supermalls

Launched on May 26, 2025, at Samsung Hall in SM Aura, the initiative brings together a coalition of brands, including SM Supermalls, BDO, Aivee, Carmen's Best, Grab, Penshoppe, and Sunnies, united in a shared goal: to help bridge the country's classroom gap.

Steven Tan reflects on a lesson from the late Henry Sy, Sr.: 'The greatest equalizer is really in education. That is why we push education so much,' underscoring SM's deep commitment to educational advocacy. Photo source: SM Supermalls

In addition to SM Foundation's long-standing efforts—having built 110 school buildings with 374 classrooms—SM Supermalls is further extending its commitment to education by supporting Generation HOPE's Build a Classroom Project, which aims to construct 10 new public school classrooms, funded in part through the sale of specially branded SM Bottled Water. Every purchase directly contributes to the classroom fund—empowering customers to be part of a nationwide solution.

"At SM, we believe that investing in education is investing in the future," said Steven Tan, President of SM Supermalls. "Through this partnership, we hope to empower the next generation of Filipino students by creating safe, inclusive spaces where they can learn, grow, and thrive."

"We are grateful to our partners for joining us in turning everyday actions—like buying bottled water—into lasting change," said Nanette Medved-Po, Founder of HOPE.

"Generation Hope is a reflection of our commitment to make quality education accessible to all," said Department of Education Secretary Sonny Angara.

DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara delivers his closing remarks at the Generation HOPE launch event, reaffirming the government's commitment to partnerships that uplift public education and build brighter futures for Filipino learners. Photo source: SM Supermalls

This partnership aligns with SM Cares' advocacy for children and youth empowerment, and invites every Filipino to make a difference, one bottle at a time.

Every bottle makes a difference—by choosing SM Bottled Water, customers directly contribute to building much-needed classrooms for Filipino students across the country. Start making an impact today by picking up a bottle at any SM mall and be part of the movement to empower education, one sip at a time.