The awards ceremony was held in Brunei Darussalam on May 13, 2025 where the SEC reaffirmed its position as a trailblazer in corporate governance and sustainability.
For the fifth consecutive year, the SEC received accolades, this time bagging the 3G Leadership Award for Advocacy and Commitment to Corporate Governance and the 3G Championship Award in ESG Practice. These distinctions celebrate organizations with outstanding dedication to ethical governance and sustainability.
True driver of change in corporate sector
The 3G Leadership Award recognizes entities that actively implement corporate governance codes and sustainability reporting guidelines, promoting transparency and ethical business conduct.
The 3G Championship Award in ESG Practice, which the SEC also won in 2023, highlights organizations that champion sustainable growth and innovative practices that positively impact society.
“Since 2018, we have implemented policies that transformed ‘sustainability’ from a mere buzzword into a true driver of change in the corporate sector,” SEC Chair Emilio B. Aquino said in a statement. “These 3G Awards from Cambridge IFA strengthen our commitment to continue reforms that promote transparency and sustainability.”
The SEC’s efforts date back to 2019, when it mandated publicly listed companies (PLCs) to submit sustainability reports under SEC Memorandum Circular No. 4, Series of 2019. This mandate is set to expand by 2026 to include large capital non-listed entities.
Raising awareness
To further embed sustainability across the corporate spectrum, the Commission launched the SMILEES Roadshow—an initiative designed to raise awareness and create effective sustainability measurement and monitoring tools for small, medium, and large enterprises.
In its digital transformation efforts, the SEC also rolled out the SEC Zuper Easy Registration Online (ZERO) system in April, facilitating paperless and fully online company registration.
The Commission’s pioneering work in sustainability has previously earned it the ISAR Honours from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in 2019. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
