General Santos City, Philippines — October 14, 2026 — More than a return to retail, the reopening of UNIQLO at SM City General Santos on October 15 represents a renewed commitment to a community rebuilding after adversity, combining disaster recovery assistance, educational investments, and accessible everyday clothing as the city moves toward a more hopeful future.
Branded “Maayong Pagbalik,” the reopening celebrates the strength and resilience of General Santos residents following the June 2026 earthquake that affected households and businesses across the city. It also highlights how corporate social responsibility can extend beyond immediate relief, creating opportunities for communities to recover, rebuild, and pursue a better future.
In the aftermath of the earthquake, UNIQLO maintained its presence in the community by opening a temporary pop-up store while supporting affected families in partnership with ABS-CBN Foundation. Its assistance included LifeWear apparel, AIRism innerwear, hot meals, and financial support for people affected by the disaster.
These efforts received additional backing from Fast Retailing, UNIQLO’s parent company, which donated JPY 30 million, equivalent to approximately PHP 11.3 million, to SM Foundation and ABS-CBN Foundation. UNIQLO Philippines also mobilized PHP 1 million in emergency cash assistance, AIRism clothing, and RE.UNIQLO donations, helping support more than 7,000 individuals across affected communities.
The combined initiatives underscored the importance of sustained private-sector engagement in disaster recovery, particularly when families are working to restore their daily routines and regain a sense of stability.
“At UNIQLO, we believe that clothing has the power to support people through everyday life, especially during challenging times,” said Geraldine Sia, chief operating officer of UNIQLO Philippines.
“The reopening of our General Santos store represents more than the return of a retail space. It reflects the resilience of the local community and our continued commitment to stand alongside our customers as they rebuild and move forward,” she added.
From Disaster Relief to Lasting Community Impact
While emergency assistance addresses immediate needs, UNIQLO is extending its community engagement toward a longer-term investment in education, recognizing that access to safe and adequate learning facilities is essential to building stronger communities.
Coinciding with the reopening is the completion of the first classroom under the company’s “Supporting Brighter Futures Through Education” initiative. Supported by customer purchases of select AIRism products, the program helps fund learning spaces intended to improve educational access in underserved communities.
Implemented in partnership with HOPE Foundation, the newly completed classroom is located at Bagong Silang High School in Barangay San Jose, General Santos City. The school primarily serves learners from Indigenous communities, including members of the B’laan and T’boli tribes.
The school’s history illustrates the challenges that many underserved communities continue to face in providing young people with suitable educational facilities.
When Bagong Silang High School was established in 2017, it had only 66 learners and lacked classrooms of its own. Students and teachers often had to share facilities with a nearby elementary school or conduct lessons in a semi-covered court, leaving classes vulnerable to disruptions during heavy rains.
Nearly a decade later, enrollment has increased to 164 students from Grades 7 to 12, creating a growing need for permanent and adequate learning spaces.
The completed classroom provides an improved environment where students can pursue their education in greater comfort and safety. Beyond adding physical infrastructure, the project represents an investment in the aspirations of Indigenous learners and the communities that support them.
UNIQLO will also donate 200 AIRism shirts to students and teachers at the school, offering lightweight clothing designed to provide comfort in the Philippines’ tropical climate.
The initiative demonstrates how a company’s products, customer participation, and partnerships with social development organizations can be linked to tangible community benefits. By connecting retail activity with educational support, the program creates an avenue for customers to contribute indirectly to initiatives that help expand opportunities for young people.
LifeWear Returns to General Santos
Alongside its social impact initiatives, the reopening restores customers’ access to UNIQLO’s LifeWear collection at SM City General Santos.
LifeWear is the Japanese apparel brand’s approach to everyday clothing: practical, high-quality, and thoughtfully designed pieces intended to meet the needs of people across different ages and lifestyles. Its offerings include versatile essentials, comfortable casual wear, and functional apparel suited to the country’s warm and humid conditions.
The return of the store provides shoppers in General Santos and nearby communities with renewed access to clothing designed for daily use, from work and school to travel and leisure.
To mark the occasion, UNIQLO is offering a series of reopening treats and limited-time promotions from October 15 to 21.
From October 15 to 18, the first 100 customers will receive pastries from Butter and Spoon as part of the store’s welcome-back celebration.
Customers who make a minimum single-receipt purchase of PHP 3,000 from October 15 to 21 will also receive a UNIQLO drawstring bag, subject to applicable promotional terms and availability.
Selected LifeWear items will be available at promotional prices during the same period, offering shoppers savings across women’s, men’s, and children’s collections.
Selected reopening offers
Women’s collection
- Crew Neck Short Sleeve T-Shirt — PHP 390, reduced from PHP 590
- Sweat Straight Pants — PHP 1,490, reduced from PHP 1,990
- Ultra Stretch AIRism UV Protection Full-Zip Hoodie — PHP 990, reduced from PHP 1,490
- Polo Sweater — PHP 990, reduced from PHP 1,490
- Linen Blend Easy Pants — PHP 790, reduced from PHP 990
Men’s collection
- Crew Neck Short Sleeve T-Shirt — PHP 390, reduced from PHP 590
- AIRism Cotton Pique Short Sleeve Polo Shirt — PHP 790, reduced from PHP 990
- Sweat Wide Pants — PHP 1,490, reduced from PHP 1,990
- DRY-EX UV Protection Full-Zip Hoodie — PHP 990, reduced from PHP 1,490
Kids’ collection
- AIRism Cotton Graphic Crew Neck T-Shirt — PHP 390, reduced from PHP 490
- AIRism Cotton Striped Crew Neck T-Shirt — PHP 390, reduced from PHP 490
The promotional selection gives customers opportunities to refresh everyday wardrobes while exploring UNIQLO’s emphasis on functional design, comfort, and versatility.
Customers are encouraged to visit the reopened store at SM City General Santos during the promotional period and check in-store availability and applicable terms for individual offers.
A Corporate Commitment That Goes Beyond the Store
UNIQLO’s return to General Santos brings together three dimensions of corporate engagement: immediate disaster response, long-term community development, and the restoration of everyday retail services.
Its post-earthquake assistance helped address the immediate needs of affected families, while the classroom project extends support to education, an area with lasting implications for children’s development and community resilience. The reopening, meanwhile, restores a familiar shopping destination and brings renewed commercial activity to the area.
The initiatives also demonstrate the role that partnerships can play in corporate social responsibility. Through collaboration with ABS-CBN Foundation, SM Foundation, and HOPE Foundation, UNIQLO and Fast Retailing have supported relief and development efforts that extend beyond their core retail operations.
For General Santos, the significance of the reopening lies not simply in the return of a retail brand but in the continuing work of rebuilding livelihoods, improving access to essential services, and creating opportunities for the next generation.
The completion of the classroom at Bagong Silang High School is particularly meaningful in this regard. For students who previously attended classes in shared facilities or a semi-covered court, an improved learning space offers a more suitable setting for education and personal development. The school’s growing enrollment further highlights the need for sustained investments in educational infrastructure, especially for communities that have historically faced limited access to resources.
As the city continues to recover from the earthquake, these efforts serve as a reminder that resilience is strengthened not only by responding to crises but also by investing in the people and institutions that shape a community’s future.
Through its “Maayong Pagbalik” reopening, UNIQLO is positioning its return as both a business milestone and a reaffirmation of its commitment to the people of General Santos. By bringing together disaster assistance, educational support, and its LifeWear retail experience, the company is seeking to remain part of the community’s journey toward recovery and renewed opportunity.
About UNIQLO LifeWear
LifeWear is UNIQLO’s concept of clothing made for all, designed to make everyday life better. It combines simplicity, quality, practical functionality, and thoughtful details to create timeless clothing that continues to evolve with people’s needs.
About UNIQLO and Fast Retailing
UNIQLO is a brand of Fast Retailing Co., Ltd., a Japanese retail holding company headquartered in Tokyo. Fast Retailing’s portfolio includes UNIQLO, GU, Theory, PLST, Comptoir des Cotonniers, Princesse tam.tam, J Brand, and Helmut Lang.
For the fiscal year ending August 31, 2025, Fast Retailing reported global sales of approximately JPY 3.4 trillion. UNIQLO operates more than 2,500 stores worldwide, while the group’s brands collectively operate more than 3,500 stores.
Guided by its corporate statement of changing clothes, changing conventional wisdom, and changing the world, Fast Retailing aims to create clothing with new and distinctive value that enriches people’s lives.
For more information, visit www.uniqlo.com and www.fastretailing.com.