For his contribution to nation-building and resiliency through sustainability and disaster risk reduction, SM Prime's Hans T. Sy was recently recognized at The Outstanding Filipino or TOFIL Awards 2022. The event was held on 12 December at the Rizal Park Hotel, Manila.

Sy was joined by other notable awardees this year, including Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Maria Catalina Estamo Cabral, Public Attorney's Office Chief Persida V. Rueda-Acosta, horticultural innovator and scientist Ruben L.Villareal and the pioneer of Imaginative Figurism in the Philippines Nemesio Miranda Jr. Also present at the ceremony were Civil Service Commission Chairperson Karlo Alexei Nograles and Sen. Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito.

The TOFIL Awards was first established in 1988 by the JCI Senate Philippines. It was created to institutionalize public recognition of the exemplary achievements and contributions to public welfare and community building of Filipinos 41 years of age and older. Also dubbed the Filipino equivalent of the Nobel Prize, the TOFIL Awards seeks to recognize truly outstanding Filipinos who have dedicated themselves to serving the nation.

"TOFIL Awards, is among the most prestigious awards given in our country to deserving Filipinos of good moral character, whose dedication to his or her profession or vocation has made significant contributions to the advancement of his or her calling," Nograles said. "The honorees are chosen based on the strength of their character, the strength of their integrity, and the impact of their achievements in their field of work."

Resiliency always key
This year's TOFIL Awards follow the theme "Resiliency in Rebuilding Our Nation"; as such, Sy's recognition comes from his success in integrating sustainability and resilience into the framework of the SM Group's operations. Under Sy's leadership, SM has been a major player in disaster relief efforts and community assistance through initiatives such as the SM Yolanda Housing Program and Covid-19 vaccination programs. Sy has also helped in the formation of the ARISE Philippine Network, which fosters more public-private sector partnerships for capacity building, technological innovation, and sustainability in underserved communities.

"My father, the late Henry Sy Sr., taught us a multitude of lessons growing up, one of them being the importance of goodwill and inclusivity. This evoked in me a passion for helping others and uplifting their lives through sustainability, disaster preparedness, and infrastructure resiliency programs at SM," Sy, chairman of the Executive Committee at SM Prime, said in his acceptance speech.

"My firsthand experiences with disasters and rehabilitation pushed me to strongly advocate for disaster resiliency in everything we do across the SM Group, by placing sustainability and resiliency at the core of our operations."