SM Mall of Asia
(MOA) security personnel
Jay Jess Aquino and Rebecca Flores pose with
their sensitivity training
manuals on how to care
for patrons with different
needs.
20 September
- Pasay City, Philippines– When people are
accepted, they become
empowered and feel appreciated and recognized.
In celebration
of the International Day
of Sign Language, SM
Cares of the SM Group,
continues its mission to
provide inclusive spaces
as a mall for all through its
yearly sensitivity training
for its frontline employees.
The training equips them
with skills to better serve
customers with different
needs or persons with disabilities (PWDs).
Engr. Bien Mateo, Senior Vice President
for Mall Operations and
Program Director of SM
Cares Disability Affairs
noted the company’s dedication to creating positive
impacts within its communities.
“Genuine inclusion starts with us,” he
said. “One of the integral
steps in line with this effort
is by conducting sensitivity
training for our employees.”
A PWD-friendly
mall for all
Apart from SM
Supermalls’ facilities, the
shopping malls of SM
Prime Holdings, Inc. promotes inclusive spaces
through features such as
ramps, handlebars in comfort rooms, and Braille-labeled elevator buttons.
The efforts to promote
inclusivity within the malls
also rely on equipping its
workers with the knowledge and best practices
for assisting PWDs.
Jay Jess Aquino, a security personnel
in SM Mall of Asia for 15
years shared how helpful the annual sensitivity
training is on learning how
to respectfully assist customers who have different
needs.
With daily interactions from different
PWD communities, he
shared how a simple act
of acknowledging guests
on the autism spectrum
or persons with Down
syndrome every time they
playfully salute them goes
a long way.
“Pagpasok po
nila sa mall, sumalaudo po
sila sa amin mga guards,
he said. “Natutuwa rin po
kami kasi kahit sa simpleng pag-acknowledge
po namin, eh napapangiti
na po namin sila.”
(They salute us
guards as they enter the
mall. We are also pleased
because even with our
simple acknowledgment,
we can already make
them smile.)
As SM frontliners, they must be quick
to recognize guests with
mobility issues to provide
alternative solutions such
as wheelchairs and even
drive them via golf karts
when available. The mall’s
administration office is
also open to serve as a
safe and quiet space for
guests who may be sensitive to several sensory
inputs.
His colleague
and fellow security staff
Rebecca Flores in Mall of
Asia expressed how the
sensitivity training has
made her more confident
to assist patrons with autism spectrum disorder
(ASD) over her nine-year
experience in SM.
She emphasized
the importance of maintaining open communication and building rapport
with customers on the
spectrum before they enter. This approach helps
dismiss any notion that
security guards are intimidating.
“Opo. Sa entrance pa lang
talaga hina-hi (saying hi/
hello) na namin sila,” Ms
Flores said. “Nagrerespond sila. Bumati ka sa
kanila para di sila matakot sa guard. Para kahit
mawala sila, di sila matatakot lumapit sa guard. Kasi
maalala nila ay ito yung
bumati sa akin.”
(We see to it that we give
them a lively greeting as
they enter the mall because they remember you.
Even in the unfortunate
event of being lost in the
mall, they won’t hesitate to
approach you to find their
way since they will recall
the friendly face who said
hi to them.)
Ms. Flores even recalled
to her initial experience
when a child on the autism
spectrum playfully kicked
her. She remembered how
shocked she was during
the exchange. And although the child’s parent
immediately explained the
situation, Ms. Flores recalled in jest how the child
tried to get her again on
the way out.
“Di ako nagalit. Mas nagpasalamat ako sa training
kasi may kaalaman kami,”
she said.
(I didn’t get mad. I’m
thankful because the training imparted learnings on
this.)
SM Cares, the corporate
social responsibility arm
of SM Supermalls and a
division of SM Foundation,
Inc. ensures a barrier-free
and disability-inclusive environment for PWDs in all
of its malls nationwide.
