SM Foundation (SMFI), in partnership with UNIQLO Philippines, announced today that the newly improved Montalban Infirmary Hospital was turned over to the local government unit and people of Rodriguez, Rizal on October 14, 2021.

Now ready to provide quality healthcare services, the health facility now boasts the following improvements: patients waiting lounge, reception area, out-patient department, male and female wards, pharmacy, emergency room, treatment area, birthing facility, mobile play cabinet for children, and a laboratory – all stocked with basic medical equipment.

UNIQLO Philippines Chief Operating Officer Masayoshi Nakamura underscored the importance of collaborative efforts in bringing social good to grassroots communities, “Today, we are pleased to open the health clinic that we constructed in partnership with SM Foundation. UNIQLO is grateful and honored to play a role in improving the health infrastructure in your area. Through our partnership efforts, we hope to uplift the people living in your community and ensure that everyone has access to primary medical care.”

This was seconded by SMFI Executive Director for Health and Medical Programs Connie Angeles, “At SM Foundation, we believe that working alone as a single entity yields lesser benefits than when working together as a team. The formation of partnerships through our multi-sector approach has played a very significant role in our CSR programs. Such partnerships bring businesses, people and organizations together in order to achieve our social good goals.”

Angeles further expressed her gratitude to UNIQLO for this sustained collaboration, “There is much more that needs to be done, but with partners like UNIQLO, we at SM Foundation are confident that we will be able to attain our social good goals sooner rather than later. Thank you, UNIQLO, for spreading social good with us through this project!”

Empowering the frontliners

The newly improved Montalban Infirmary Hospital boosts the capacity of the frontliners in protecting the community from various health threats, especially during the pandemic. Through this social development project, the health center was able to transition to the new normal.

“Our medical frontliners must be supported by a strong medical infrastructure, which in turn, will ensure the welfare of the patients and communities that they serve. We hope that through this project with UNIQLO, we are able to provide our medical frontliners with a fully equipped medical infrastructure that will empower them to spread social good through health and wellness,” Angeles said.

Aside from the Montalban Infirmary Hospital, UNIQLO Philippines and SM Foundation are also set to launch and turn over six improved health centers in the months to come.

SM Foundation, through its Health and Medical Programs, upgrades public health centers in its host communities, complemented by its medical caravans across the country. To date, it has renovated more than 170 health and wellness centers and served more than 1.1 million patients during its medical missions.