A million smiles is worth P1M for needy Pinoy kids

MANILA, Philippines - A picture might be worth a thousand words, but a photographed smile could be worth a million. Sony Ericsson and SM Supermalls have teamed up to gather a million smiles with the price tag of P1 each. After collecting a million smiles using one of three Sony Ericsson Cyber-shot phones, Sony Ericsson would donate a million pesos to UNICEF’s educational programs. Patrick Larraga, Sony Ericsson marketing manager, said that based on UNICEF's data, only 6 out of 10 Filipino children finish their schooling. In a country where education is highly valued and 42 percent of the population are children, Larraga said a smile would be a great help. “We are known to be a country of smiles," said Larraga. “What better way to promote this than by raising a million smiles for a million pesos." Smile booths would be located in 17 areas to raise the million pesos. Of 17 locations, nine would be located in SM Supermalls namely SM North EDSA, SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, SM Cebu, SM Davao, SM Iloilo, SM Pampanga, and SM Manila. Meanwhile, a person who donates P20 would be entitled to a Digiprint photo printout, a spot on the Smile Wall, and a raffle ticket for a chance to win a Sony Ericsson C510. The Spread The Smiles campaign will run from May 13 to July 10, 2009. Sony Ericsson Cyber-shot phones C510 (3-megapixels), C903 (5-megapixel), and C905 (8.1-megapixels) are armed with a unique Smile Shutter that could focus and detect a person’s smile before the photo is taken. Smile shots could also be donated through Sony Ericsson’s campaign website where donors could send photos of themselves or their loved ones and friends smiling and write a note on how the smile was captured. Vanessa Tobin, UNICEF country representative was grateful for the campaign. “A smile is one of the most important things a child can have. When a child lives in poverty, it’s hard to get a smile." Tobin said in the campaign’s launch on Wednesday. "So we need to utilize this project for kids to smile more," she added. - GMANews.TV