For many Filipino families, back-to-school season does not begin inside a classroom. It begins at home — usually before sunrise, while someone is packing baon, searching for a matching lunchbox lid, charging gadgets, ironing uniforms, and trying to create enough space for homework later that evening.
This year, SM Home is leaning into that reality with Start Smart for School, the latest installment of the SM Home Masterclass series which happened Friday, May 22 at SM Home Megamall, Lower Ground Floor, SM Store Megamall Building B.
More than just a one-day event, the kickoff opens a full month-long back-to-school program across participating SM Home branches nationwide, complete with online content, expert-led sessions, featured product highlights, and promos of up to 50% off on selected items throughout May.
And honestly, the timing makes sense.
Hybrid learning may no longer dominate headlines, but many Filipino households are still operating as “classroom, canteen, and command center” all at once — often before 8AM.
“The school year is one of the most home-intensive seasons of any Filipino family’s life,” said Janice T. Yang, Business Unit Head of SM Home. “Our role is to make that transition seamless, sustainable, and stress-free — not by adding more, but by helping families set up the systems that actually hold a school year together.”
The May Masterclass brings together two familiar struggles every parent understands during the school year: baon preparation and creating a focused study space at home.
Leading The Baon System module is Nikki Garcia (@mrsnikkigarcia_), the mother of three behind the popular #nikkimbento community, where packed lunches are reframed less as aesthetic projects and more as practical acts of family care. Garcia will lead guests through her real-world baon system developed over years of preparing meals for her own children, including an interactive bento assembly session for attendees.
“Baon is the first conversation you have with your child every day, and they’re not even there for it,” Garcia shared. “It’s the way you tell them: I thought about you this morning. I packed this for you. Eat well.”
Her recommendations focus heavily on systems that make mornings lighter instead of more stressful.
Among the featured products in the SM Home back-to-school edit is the Locknlock Stainless Lunch Box with Divider 700ml (now ₱879 from ₱1,099), designed to keep rice and ulam properly separated even after hours inside a school bag. Families who regularly pack soup, lugaw, or hot meals may appreciate the Locknlock Yummy Vacuum Lunch Box (now ₱1,999.20 from ₱2,499), while the Thermos Vacuum Insulated Bottles in 530ml and 710ml variants (starting at ₱1,839.20) help keep drinks cold throughout the school day.
Meal prep also became part of the conversation. Garcia recommended separating prep from assembly and doing as much work as possible the night before. Supporting that system are the Locknlock Glass Food Keepers Cube Series (starting at ₱399.20), designed for organizing ingredients and prepped meals ahead of time, plus the Locknlock Handy Lunchbag (₱1,199), which fits both the lunchbox and insulated bottle without taking over the entire backpack.
And perhaps one of the most relatable products in the lineup for parents: the Imarflex Aromatech Coffee Maker (₱1,999).
“We are not trying to turn baon into a project,” Garcia explained. “We are trying to make it lighter. The tools should do the work so the love comes through.”
The second half of the event shifts focus from the kitchen to the study corner.
Leading The Study Zone module is Teacher Mariel Martinez of Project Playtime (@project.playtime), a licensed speech-language pathologist from the University of the Philippines Manila with more than twelve years of clinical experience and founder of BOOST Therapy Center in Makati. Through her bite-sized #EducReels and educational content online, she has worked with more than a thousand Filipino families, helping parents better understand how routines, environment, and structure affect learning and communication.
Her session focuses on helping families create focused, distraction-free learning spaces at home — even if all they have is a small corner beside the bed or dining area.
One of the practical takeaways discussed during the Masterclass was the “90-90-90” sitting rule:
90-degree elbows while writing, 90-degree hips while seated, and 90-degree knees with feet flat on the floor.
It sounds simple, but many Filipino kids are still attending online classes or doing homework using dining chairs, monoblocs, or setups never really designed for long study sessions.
To help address that, SM Home curated several study-zone products from trusted brands including Umbra, Lunarx, Tefal, Thermos, Imarflex, and Locknlock.
The Moment Study Table (now ₱7,195 from ₱7,995) serves as the centerpiece of the setup with enough space for notebooks, gadgets, and school supplies, while the Hosh Study Shelf (now ₱4,796 from ₱5,995) adds vertical storage to help reduce desk clutter.
For seating, the Knit Office Chair (now ₱1,500 from ₱2,495) offers a more budget-friendly ergonomic option for students spending long hours seated, while the Mr. Big Rebacka Back Support Pillow (now ₱3,199.20 from ₱3,999) adds extra comfort during extended study sessions.
Lighting also became part of the discussion. The Lunarx Rechargeable Table Lamp (₱599) was highlighted as a practical option for Filipino homes navigating shared spaces and occasional power interruptions.
Around the study area, organizers quietly do much of the heavy lifting. The Umbra Bellwood Organizer Series (starting at ₱1,499) helps keep desks, counters, and baon stations organized, while the Charlotte Basket with Chalkboard (starting at ₱549) allows parents to create flexible labeled storage systems that can evolve throughout the school year.
The event itself may only last an afternoon, but SM Home’s larger goal is clearly bigger than that. Start Smart for School is the third installment of the SM Home Masterclass campaign, following previous themes like Best Sleep 101 in March and The Smart Summer Home Masterclass in April. Throughout the month of May, the campaign expands online and across stores nationwide with curated product displays, expert content, and limited-time discounts while supplies last.
For Filipino families preparing for another school year, the biggest upgrades may not necessarily be gadgets or expensive renovations.
Sometimes it’s simply having a proper chair, a desk lamp that works during brownouts, an organized baon station, and systems that make mornings feel just a little less chaotic.
