The Blackout Zone: SM Cares, CHED Turn Experience Into Understanding

SM Cares, in partnership with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), brought The Blackout Zone to the CHED Central Office Auditorium at the Higher Education Development Center Building in Diliman, Quezon City from July 21 to 22, 2026.

Developed through SM’s Mall for All drive on inclusivity, the immersive exhibit invited students, educators, and members of the academic community to experience life without sight in a controlled and safe environment. Participants were guided through everyday activities designed to encourage them to look beyond limitations and recognize the abilities, independence, and resilience of people with visual impairments.

“Sometimes, understanding begins when we are willing to step outside what is familiar,” said Richard V. Caluyo, Senior Assistant Vice President for SM Cares. “By bringing The Blackout Zone closer to schools and the academic community, we hope to inspire young people and educators to help build learning environments where every person feels seen, respected, and included.”

For a few moments, participants stepped into complete darkness. Without relying on sight, they navigated familiar tasks through touch, sound, scent, and the reassuring guidance of others.

What emerged was something lasting: a deeper appreciation of how persons with visual impairments experience and move through the world each day.

Previously mounted in SM malls, The Blackout Zone has featured sensory and everyday activities such as tying a shoe, preparing coffee and sandwiches, identifying candy and scents, and experiencing Movies for the Blind. Its CHED installation marked a meaningful step beyond the mall setting, allowing the initiative to reach people who help shape classrooms, institutions, and future generations.

Through its partnership with CHED, SM Cares hopes to deepen conversations around accessibility and encourage higher education institutions to strengthen inclusive practices both inside and outside the classroom.

“Our united goal with SM for The Blackout Zone is for the program to serve as a catalyst for meaningful action,” said CHED Commissioner Michelle A. Ong. “Empathy allows us to dismantle the barriers that hamper inclusion and education of Filipinos with vision impairments. Through this shared effort, we hope to further guide policies tightly woven with real-life experiences to serve this sector better. The experience also served as a reminder that inclusion is not built through awareness alone. It grows through empathy translated into thoughtful actions—from offering clear assistance and respecting independence to creating spaces where people of all abilities can participate fully. The Blackout Zone forms part of SM Cares’ continuing programs for persons with disabilities, which promote accessibility, sensitivity, inclusive employment, and meaningful participation in community life.

Because while participants entered the exhibit without sight, many left seeing inclusion more clearly.

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About SM Supermalls
SM Supermalls is one of Southeast Asia’s largest mall developers and operators, with 90 malls in the Philippines and 9 in China. Every Filipino has an SM story. For generations, SM has been more than a place to shop. It has become part of everyday Filipino life, a place where families gather, friendships grow, milestones are celebrated, passions are discovered, and communities come together. As Filipinos’ lifestyles continue to evolve, SM continues to transform its destinations through My SM creating malls that are more connected, experiential, and meaningful, while remaining the place Filipinos know, trust, and call home. My SM. Your Most Loved Supermall.

About SM Cares

As the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of SM Supermalls, SM Cares is focused on enriching the lives of Filipinos through socially conscious and environmentally responsible programs meant to Empower Communities into long-lasting, impactful improvement.