The Global Youth Summit (GYS) 2025 has achieved a historic milestone, gathering over 40,000 young leaders, innovators, and advocates nationwide through simultaneous events across SM malls. Organized by SM Cares, the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Supermalls, in partnership with the Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Philippines, the summit showcased the Filipino youth as a powerful nationwide movement for change.
From Luzon to Mindanao, participants engaged in thought-provoking discussions, keynote sessions, and collaborative activities that amplified youth voices on empowerment, sustainability, innovation, and leadership.
“The youth are not just leaders of tomorrow—they are a driving force for change today. The Global Youth Summit proves what is possible when we empower young people nationwide,” said Royston Cabunag, SM Cares Program Director for Children and Youth.
Leonard Faustino, Executive Director of Global Peace Foundation Philippines, added: “Collaboration across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao has created one of the largest youth platforms in the country. This summit is proof that when given space and support, our youth can lead transformative change.”
Beyond the flagship SM Mall of Asia Arena leg, GYS 2025’s strength lay in its collective nationwide reach with simultaneous summits across 17 SM malls. Each provincial location anchored on one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ensuring comprehensive coverage of global priorities while enabling local communities to develop solutions aligned with their respective SDGs.
By empowering over 40,000 Filipino youth across regions, SM Cares and its partners demonstrate their commitment to inclusivity, accessibility, and meaningful youth participation on a national scale. The Global Youth Summit 2025 stands as one of the largest youth movements in the Philippines, uniting voices that will shape the country’s future.
Celebrating 40 Super Years of Evolving With Every You, SM Supermalls—one of Southeast Asia’s largest mall developers with 88 malls in the Philippines—marks four decades of growing with Filipinos while continuously evolving to redefine the malling experience through sustainability, innovation, and inclusive experiences.
