SM Supermalls has earned multiple accolades 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.
At the Economic Times Human Capital Awards – Southeast Asia, SM Supermalls took home the Bronze Award for Excellence in Creating a Culture of Continuous Learning and Upskilling. The recognition cited the success of the company’s Digital University (DIGI-U), an innovative online learning platform offering curated, on-demand courses, and its competency-based development strategy that has reached 100 percent of its workforce. These initiatives have helped employees grow, adapt, and lead in a rapidly evolving business environment.
SM Supermalls also secured 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 to contribute service hours, benefiting over 100,000 lives through community programs and disaster response efforts such as Operation Tulong Express.
Silver for Excellence in HR Change Management for its BefoHR and AfteHR transformation journey, which redefined HR’s role from a support unit to a strategic business partner, driving agility, adopting advanced technologies, and aligning HR with business goals.
Silver for Excellence in Leadership Development for flagship programs like the Executive Development Plan (EDP), Masterclass, Mentoring, Coaching, and Leading with Empathy & Feedback. These initiatives strengthened SM’s leadership pipeline, achieving 35 percent internal role fulfillment and a 97 percent retention rate for high-potential talent.
“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.”
The twin recognitions reinforce SM Supermalls’ commitment to building a workplace culture rooted in excellence, inclusivity, and innovation. As the company celebrates its 40th anniversary, the awards highlight its mission to empower employees, enrich communities, and shape the future of retail through transformative experiences.