SM Supermalls received recognition from two prestigious HR award-giving bodies in Southeast Asia and the Philippines—the Economic Times Human Capital Awards (ETHCA) and the HR Excellence Awards (HREA) Philippines—for its commitment to people-first innovation, continuous learning, and transformative leadership.
Driving a culture of learning and growth
At the Economic Times Human Capital Awards – Southeast Asia, SM Supermalls received the Bronze Award for Creating a Culture of Continuous Learning and Upskilling. This recognition highlights the success of Digital University (DIGI-U), the company’s innovative online learning platform offering curated, on-demand courses, and its competency-based development strategy reaching 100% of its workforce. This initiative has empowered employees to grow, adapt, and lead in a fast-evolving business landscape.
Championing volunteerism, change, and leadership
SM Supermalls earned three major honors at the HR Excellence Awards Philippines 2025: Gold for Excellence in Employee Volunteerism for the SM Cares Volunteer Movement, which mobilized thousands of employees contributing service hours and positively impacting over 100,000 lives through community programs and disaster response efforts such as Operation Tulong Express.
The company also received Silver for Excellence in HR Change Management for its BefoHR and AfteHR transformation journey, redefining HR’s role from support function to strategic business partner by driving agility, adopting advanced technologies, and aligning HR with business goals.
SM further earned Silver for Excellence in Leadership Development for flagship programs including the Executive Development Plan (EDP), Masterclass, Mentoring, Coaching, and Leading with Empathy & Feedback. These initiatives strengthened SM’s leadership pipeline, achieving 35% internal role fulfillment and an impressive 97% retention rate for high-potential talent.
Leading with a purpose
“The future needs an evolution of how we lead, not just a change in what we do,” said Cheryll Ruth L. Agsaoay, SM Supermalls’ Senior Vice President for Human Resources. “These awards affirm that when we put our people at the center of what we do, we create not just a stronger organization, but a lasting positive impact on the people we serve.”
These prestigious regional HR awards affirm SM Supermalls’ commitment to fostering workplace culture rooted in excellence, inclusivity, and innovation. As the company celebrates 40 super years of evolving, these accolades underscore its dedication to empowering people, enriching communities, and continuously shaping retail’s future through meaningful, transformative experiences.
