TWENTY years ago, high school student Rizaly Lim and her four siblings would watch in awe every time they pass by the construction of the first SM City in her hometown Sta. Rosa, Laguna. All five children, packed in the tricycle their father rides for a living, were all excitedly looking forward to happy family weekends they would be spending at the huge mall.

Today, after graduating summa cum laude through a scholarship from SM Foundation, Rizaly is now a certified public accountant (CPA) working as accounting manager for the head office of SM Prime Holdings, a leading property developer in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.