In photo: SM Supermalls Human Resources led by Cheryll Ruth L. Agsaoay, Group Head – SVP (center); Friezee Enciso, Section Head, Leadership & Engagement (fifth from left); and Cathy Hernandez, AVP for Org & Talent Solutions (fourth from right)

SM Supermalls earns 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

The Bronze Award for Excellence in Creating a Culture of Continuous Learning and Upskilling, presented to SM Supermalls at the Economic Times Human Capital Awards – Southeast Asia.
Personalized learning pathways can be accessed by SM employees anytime and anywhere through the Digi-U platform.

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 that offers curated, on-demand courses, and its competency-based development strategy that has reached 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 celebrates its wins at the HR Excellence Awards Philippines 2025, earning Gold for Excellence in Employee Volunteerism, and Silver awards for Excellence in HR Change Management and Excellence in Leadership Development.

SM Supermalls also took home 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 hours of service, positively impacting over 100,000 lives through community programs and disaster response efforts such as Operation Tulong Express.

Employee volunteers delivering relief packs to calamity-stricken communities through SM’s Operation Tulong Express.

It also received Silver for Excellence in HR Change Management for its BefoHR and AfteHR transformation journey, which redefined HR’s role from a support function to a strategic business partner, driving agility, adopting advanced technologies, and aligning HR with business goals.

The company’s award-winning employee experience model, SM Life, anchored on learning, growing, and giving back.

SM further earned Silver for Excellence in Leadership Development for flagship programs such as the Executive Development Plan (EDP), Masterclass, Mentoring, Coaching, and Leading with Empathy & Feedback. These initiatives have 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.”

The recognition of two prestigious HR awards in the region affirms SM Supermalls’ commitment to fostering a workplace culture rooted in excellence, inclusivity, and innovation. As the company celebrates 40 super years of evolving, these accolades underscore its dedication to empowering its people, enriching communities, and continuously shaping the future of retail through meaningful and transformative experiences.

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