Saturday, February 7, 2026

Pickleball continues to find its home in SM Supermalls.

 SM Supermalls expands its nationwide presence for Pickleball: Largest number of pickleball courts at 61 across 25 properties by end of 2025

 

Through the SM Sports and Lifestyle Center (SLC), SM expands its permanent pickleball court locations to SM Center Shaw and SM Center Muntinlupa, giving the all-inclusive sport, its athletes, and enthusiasts even more venues for their next friendly or c ompetitive matches. Because of this, SM closed 2025 with 61 court locations across the Philippines with 37 total permanent courts—the largest among mall operators.

 

SM empowers the thriving local pickleball scene with maxed-out sports experiences for picklers and the active lifestyle community nationwide. Through its launch of SM Active Hub, the country's largest sports playground, partnered with SM SLC's mission of revolutionizing fitness and sports engagement in the country, it encourages tournament play, friendly competition, and fun bonding moments. 

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"SM launched SM Active Hub in March last year with the strong intention of giving athletes, sports enthusiasts, and even casual players alike high-quality and easily accessible spaces that can house their best sports experiences—whether that's lighthearted fun or high adrenaline competition," said Joaquin San Agustin, SM Supermalls Executive Vice President for Marketing. "Closing 2025 with our largest pickleball court locations while adding two new permanent courts in SM Center Shaw and SM Center Muntinlupa in Metro Manila is evidence that sports remains not just a strong interest, but a new way of life for our customers."C:\Users\SARAH~1.RAM\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\clip_image002.png

 

Opened in partnership with Paloo, the pickleball court locations of SM Center Shaw and SM Center Muntinlupa boast three outdoor and four indoor permanent courts respectively, both intuitively designed to accommodate experienced and novice players, with accessible rates.

 

The Home of Elevated Sports Experiences 

Through Active Hub, SM gave local picklers the ultimate spot to maximize movement and active lifestyles, meeting the athletic appetite of customers through its modular court approach. With the integration of the SM Malls Online app, players can easily sign up to be part of the community, discover upcoming events, and gain exclusive access to the best deals that maximize experiences they'll love.


"On top of the permanent courts, we also have 24 semi-permanent courts all over the country to accommodate the maximum amount of activity our customers seek,” said San Agustin.

 

This holistic approach has made SM the favorite go-to pickleball hangout place for customers, almost doubling the 44 courts initially constructed through the rise of interest in the sport. Also following strong demand and fully booked courts until the end of 2025, SM's upcoming thrust focuses on building more permanent courts to increase its inventory to close to 80 in 2026. 

 

"The high volume of bookings across all our courts hints that pickleball isn't an exclusive sport—anyone can play. And because it is inclusive and easy to learn, SM saw this as an opportunity to naturally drive active lifestyles for our customers," said San Agustin. 

 

A Favorite for Maxed-out pickleball gatherings

Active Hub caters to a wide group of picklers—from competitive enthusiasts to casual first timers looking to play or find a new and fun bonding activity with their friends, every kind of player can find an event that encourages them to keep playing.

 

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Out-of-the-box creative concepts like the Glow Ball pickleball event giving the game a fun and exciting glow in the dark twist, while enrichment activities such as free coached Pickleball Clinics encouraged newbies and young players to try the sport out. 

 

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Active Hub is also home of the major competition SM Pickleball Super Series in partnership with Toby's Sports running alongside local tournaments and events.

It initiated the Pickleball Power Tour with Filipino-American, world-ranked pro-athlete Lauren Mercado igniting passion for the sport among the next generation of players. The event was such a massive hit that SM will be hosting a second iteration within the first half of 2026. 

 

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"This is a testament to SM's desire of hosting the most creative and commercially attuned sports events that our customers can always look forward to. As long as the Filipino desire for community and activity remains ablaze, SM is determined to continually give that passion for sports a home," said San Agustin.

 

Join SM Active Hub

SM Active Hub is the premier sports and fitness initiative by SM Supermalls, offering a dynamic and inclusive environment for sports lovers across the Philippines. Designed to bring communities together, SM Active Hub provides accessible venues, expert-led training, and exciting events that cater to all levels of fitness and athleticism.

Don’t miss out! Discover a range of SM Active Hub events on the SM Malls Online app and be the first to earn rewards, discounts, and freebies: http://click.smmallsonline.com/DFqS/SMACTIVEHUB 

SM Prime’s Green Movement maximizes scalable sustainability through SM Supermalls

MANILA, Philippines 23 January 2026 — Since its launch the SM Green Movement has demonstrated the power of strategic, collective action in effectively tackling environmental challenges to achieve one goal--the protection and preservation of the planet's resources for present and future generations. 

Even before the industry mandate on sustainability, SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SM Prime) recognized that meaningful sustainability can only be achieved through long-term, consistent, community driven efforts. This understanding guided the development of programs designed to evolve alongside stakeholder priorities and shareholder responsibilities. 

Leveraging on the scale and reach of its nationwide network of supermalls, SM Prime embedded sustainability efforts within malls operations, actively engaging customers, tenants and communities in its environmental journey. 

This "micro to macro" approach strengthened the SM Green Movement unifying efforts under a practical and scalable framework built on three core pillars of environmental action: waste management, water stewardship, energy efficiency and renewable energy.  

“What began as simple actions—reducing waste, conserving water, and adopting cleaner energy—has grown into an interconnected ecosystem involving partners, tenants, employees, and millions of mallgoers nationwide,” said Joaquin San Agustin, SM Supermalls Executive Vice President for Marketing. “By turning everyday habits into systemic results, the SM Green Movement extends beyond corporate spaces and into the heart of Filipino communities.”

 

Focusing on three core pillars: Water, Waste, and Energy

At the core of the waste pillar, SM works closely with recycling partners and SM GUUN — the circularity platform of the SM Green Movement — to divert paper, plastics, multi-layer packaging, compostables, and other materials away from landfills and back into productive use.

SM Prime’s water stewardship is anchored in long-term water management systems and conservation practices that promote a water-resilient future.  SM Supermalls pioneered water recycling in retail spaces, with early sewage treatment plants and low-flow fixtures that reduced consumption across properties.  

Energy management is another cornerstone of the SM Green Movement where efficiency and renewable generation converge to reduce environmental impact while enhancing comfort and reliability in SM properties. The 100MWp celebrations in SM City North Edsa are a milestone of the program’s expansion of solar generation capacity across malls nationwide — a visible demonstration of how clean energy supports both climate action and everyday mall experiences. 

 

Shared Responsibility, Lasting Impact 

What unites these three pillars is the belief that sustainability thrives when communities are invited into the conversation and, when scaled collectively, can reshape systems. For SM Prime, sustainability is not just a corporate mandate but a shared journey that requires awareness, participation, and collective action.  

With measurable progress, growing partnerships, and visible results across waste, water, and energy portfolios, the SM Green Movement is laying the foundation for lasting change, one where sustainability becomes part of everyday life for Filipinos and communities across the archipelago. 

“The SM Green Movement reflects our vision to scale simple, everyday acts into systemic impact,” said San Agustin. “By advancing energy, water, and waste initiatives together in our malls, we safeguard communities and build a more sustainable future.” 


Cyberzone Made E-Waste Disposal Easy: 14,000+ kg Collected Through Strategic Drop-off Points


Good Habits Made Accessible by Cyberzone 

Truly embodying the Cyberzone #TechWeLikeZoneWeLove promise, we’re continuing to make responsible tech disposal easy and accessible, right where people already are: inside SM Supermalls. 

Cyberzone, in partnership with SM Cares, helps turn e-waste disposal into a simple, safer habit through dedicated drop-off points rolled out nationwide in partnership with Smart Communications and PLDT Home, beginning in June 2024.  

Across participating SM Supermalls, these collection bins give mallgoers a clear, accessible place to drop  off old gadgets and broken electronics that are in need of proper disposal. Instead of ending up in drawers  or landfills, e-waste can be responsibly handled through a system designed for everyday convenience and  better environmental discipline. 

14,327 kg Properly Collected and Segregated 

Since the partnership began, Cyberzone’s E-Waste Collection Drop Boxes have helped gather 14,327 kg  of electronic waste across 89 SM Supermalls, 69 of which are located in the Cyberzone area. This  ensures materials are properly collected and segregated for responsible handling. Serving as a reflection  on the growing community habit made easier through clear drop-off points and a consistent, accessible  mall experience. 

“We take pride in being the go-to tech destination for shoppers,” said Patrick Pacla, Vice President for  Cyberzone Operations and Marketing at SM Supermalls. “But as gadgets evolve, so does the need to  dispose of old electronics responsibly. Everyone has a role to play, and Cyberzone is committed to making  it simpler and safer to do the right thing, so tech does not end up harming the planet.” 

Curious about what happens to your broken and old devices after dropping them in e-waste collection bins at Cyberzone and SM Supermalls? Watch this video:
https://youtu.be/jSsJkP8rGMQ?si=6a4tu1LL2oQBFWBY 

Sustainability Built to Grow Through Partnerships 

Our dedication to responsible tech consumption is built for the long run. Cyberzone and SM Cares, together  with Smart Communications and PLDT Home, will continue expanding e-waste collection bins as new malls  open. Today, drop-off points are available in Cyberzone branches and SM Supermalls, helping move  communities closer to an #SMWasteFreeFuture. 

For updates, follow SM Cyberzone on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok

And for immersive tech experiences and always something exciting to discover, Cyberzone  #TechWeLikeZoneWeLove keeps you on the loop, in-store and online. 

Visit www.smcyberzone.com for more information.