SM Supermalls president is Global Filipino Executive of the Year
Steven Tan, president of SM Supermalls, was awarded Grand Winner for Global Filipino Executive of the Year in the recently concluded Asia CEO Awards.
The Asia CEO Awards honors Filipino companies, entrepreneurs, and executives that have both excelled, and have made a significant positive impact on society. Finalists are included in a Circle of Excellence from which a Grand Winner is chosen.
Under the leadership of Tan, SM Supermalls withstood the difficulties of the pandemic, and experienced a strong rebound and the economy opened. The company managed to recover its mall revenue, occupancy, and foot traffic targets. SM continued to be the first choice for market entry of new global brands to the Philippines, with the opening of the largest IKEA in the world at SM Mall of Asia Complex. SM was the only mall operator to open new developments from 2020 until 2022. SM Supermalls also partnered with LGUs nationwide and became a key player in helping the country and the economy bounce back from the pandemic through its COVID-19 testing and vaccination program with over 10.5M jabs delivered.
“We are simply people helping other people, and giving back to our communities has always been a part of SM’s mission and DNA,” said Steven Tan.
Rising stronger from the pandemic, SM launched “Safe Malling at SM”, a comprehensive campaign that reinvented the malling experience, ensuring that every customer is safe and protected against COVID-19 in all its malls. Part of this campaign is the launch of its e-commerce platform, SM Malls Online, giving customers the option to shop for essentials from home. New and safe malling experiences such as DOH’s Farmers’ Produce Markets, Paw Parks, outdoor dining, and bike lanes among others were also introduced.
“On behalf of SM Supermalls and the Sy family, I am honored and grateful to receive this recognition, and I dedicate this to our team, the Sy family and Mr Henry Sy for his inspiration. With this award, we at SM Supermalls promise to remain committed in serving our communities, constantly evolving and innovating to build a better future for the Filipinos,” Tan said.
The announcement of the winners of the 2022 Asia CEO Award was held last October 11 at the Manila Marriott Grand Ballroom.
Acnes launched in PH
Japanese acne care brand Acnes is here in the Philippines.
Backed by years of extensive research, Acnes offers skincare solutions that contain the best quality acne-fighting ingredients to control oil, unclog pores, clear up the skin, and give it a healthy-looking glow.
Acnes is a brand developed by Rohto Pharmaceutical Company and The Mentholatum Company. All of its products contain Centella Asiatica or Cica extract that’s proven to aid in the recovery of blemishes.
The brand’s range of products include Anti-Acne Spot Gel, Anti-Acne Pimple Patch, Creamy Wash, Powder Lotion; and Oil-Control Moisturizer.
Continuing education opportunities
Mapúa Malayan Digital College (MMDC) and Sutherland Global Services announced a partnership that allows employees to continue their college education, and for MMDC graduates to pursue careers in the digital transformation space through Sutherland.
MMDC is providing Continuing Education Scholarships to Sutherland’s deserving employees.
This will allow qualified employees to study at MMDC with a tuition-free education for 45 units, or the equivalent of one year.
By partnering with firms such as Sutherland, MMDC also provides career opportunities for its students and graduates.
With over 20,000 employees around the Philippines, Sutherland and MMDC offer the proximity that would be critical for choosing both education and career options.
Empowering Filipino youth
“Bayad: Sapat Dapat, ” an advocacy of Bayad and the Department of Education (DepEd) recently concluded its Sapat Dapat Quizbee on Financial Literacy, where majority of the secondary public and private schools in all divisions of Region 7 and Region 4A participated.
The eliminations started last February with remaining 45 students competing for the finals, held virtually last September 8 under the supervision of DepEd, Bayad, and Marylindbert International Inc.
After a series of case studies and questions on financial management, savings, and priority-setting, the City of Bogo Science and Arts Academy from Bogo Cebu emerged as this year’s Quizbee Champion, represented by its Grade 9 student, Angel Mollona and coach Natasha Jane Estrera.
Bayad and DepEd’s Sapat Dapat Comprehensive School Program is on its third year of molding future financial leaders in the Grades 9 to 12 students of 40 adopted schools in Regions 7 and 4A.
UK study finds vaping far less harmful than smoking
The latest medical research by the United Kingdom’s Department of Health and Social Care (UK-DHSC) has revealed that vaping is indeed a healthier and safer alternative to smoking.
According to the UK-DHSC’s findings, vaping has a lower chance of causing cancer and other ailments related to the heart and lungs. That said, the Department also recommended vaping as a therapeutic tool to help smokers gradually quit the habit.
The study also revealed that smokers who used vaping to wean themselves from nicotine-based products (cigarettes and tobacco) have a 64.9% success rate. A much better number compared to the 58.6% success rate of those who tried to quit “cold turkey”.
In the Philippines, Dr. Francis Buendia, MD, concurred with the UK study, and believes that it can also apply to the Filipino smoking population.
“Nicotine addiction is a problem that plagues at least 20% of Filipino adults,” he remarked.
“And quitting is a major challenge because it develops dependency, especially to those who see it as stress relief,” he continued.
According to statistics from Macrotrends.net over 25 million adult Filipinos are active smokers. Data from the Philippines’s Department of Health also showed that 87,600 Filipinos die annually because of health complications from smoking.
“When persuading people to stop something as addictive and harmful as smoking, one way of getting people off it is by giving an alternative. This alternative should be able to minimize the risks while slowly weaning them away from the habit.” Buendia said.
FedEx Express wins big
FedEx Express was recognized with multiple gold awards, recognizing its efforts towards ‘Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion’ and ‘Excellence in HR Communication Strategy’, in the recently concluded HR Excellence Awards Philippines 2022.
Organized by Asia’s leading human resources platform Human Resources Online, the prestigious HR Excellence Awards honors best-in-class human resources (HR) teams and individuals for their remarkable work executed across the entire HR function.
FedEx received the gold award for promoting workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion. The company also works with the Philippine National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) to set in place programs for inclusion, participation, and development of persons with disabilities within the organization.
For demonstrating ‘Excellence in HR Communication Strategy’ during relocation to its new Gateway facility in Clark, FedEx was recognized with the gold award. FedEx was able to leverage internal communication channels to facilitate a smooth transition through proactive sharing, and build understanding and cooperation among team members.
Packworks launches Sari IQ
Packworks has officially launched its business intelligence tool Sari IQ which provides data analytics on the behavior and spending habits of consumers who buy their needs in traditional “mom-and-pop stores” known locally as “sari-sari” stores.
The Sari IQ dashboard provides real-time and historic information on consumer spending and can be configured to develop an analysis for product types sold in small retail formats.
It gives retailers and multinational brands complete visibility into sari-sari stores’ operations, allowing them to extend their slow-moving products and services to a wider pool of customers.
Analysis through the platform also helps them come up with data-driven decisions to increase sales of sari-sari store owners by understanding and predicting consumer demand within their area.
The platform tracks information from Packworks’ broad network of almost 200,000 sari-sari stores nationwide that use its super app called ‘Super Sari Store.’
Best bank for diversity, inclusion
Security Bank Corp. (SECB) has been named the Philippines’ Best Bank for Diversity and Inclusion by premiere financial magazine Asiamoney at the 2022 Asiamoney Best Bank Awards.
“At Security Bank, gender equality is at the center of its mission to build stronger communities and empower the creation of innovative new businesses. In December, social media firm LinkedIn chose the bank for its annual Diversity Champion award. The platform emphasized Security Bank’s success in ensuring equal consideration for pay raises, promotions, and decision-making processes,” said Asiamoney.
“The bank stands out in the region because of the progress it has made toward a gender-neutral view of recruitment and the number of women in middle and senior management positions. Women hold about 58 percent of the senior management positions, and the bank has consistently come top in the Philippines in recent years for this metric,” added Asiamoney.
Sending donations the easy way
Lalamove has partnered with Caritas Manila to encourage users to send donations for the organization’s Segunda Mana program.
The Segunda Mana program aids less fortunate students in school and provides livelihood to families in high-need areas.
For interested donors, Lalamove has provided the promo code LALACARITASMNL, which gives users P50 off when they use Lalamove’s motorcycle and sedans for their donation deliveries.
This code is valid until December 31 and gives users access to fast and hassle-free delivery through Lalamove.
