Screengrab from viral video

There’s been a lot of buzz online about a viral TikTok video showing an incident involving a young girl and a security guard outside SM Megamall. If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s a quick rundown: the video captures a moment where the guard is seen shooing the girl, who’s still in her school uniform, away from the mall’s entrance. It gets worse—the guard then takes the sampaguita garlands she was selling and damages them, leading the girl to fight back with the ruined flowers.

Naturally, the video spread like wildfire, with netizens expressing their outrage and calling for action. Well, SM Megamall has officially responded, and here’s what they had to say:

"We regret and sympathize with the young girl who experienced an unfortunate incident outside our mall. We have called the attention of the security agency to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation. The Security Guard has been dismissed and will no longer be allowed to service any of our malls. As SM Supermalls always promotes inclusivity for all, we strongly condemn this act committed against her."

It’s clear that SM is taking the situation seriously, and the guard involved has been let go. The mall also emphasized their commitment to inclusivity and made it known that such behavior won’t be tolerated.

This incident has certainly sparked a conversation about how we treat street vendors and the importance of compassion. Let’s hope this serves as a reminder to be kinder and more understanding towards everyone, especially those trying to make an honest living. What are your thoughts on this? Let’s chat in the comments!