With business interests across retail, property, banking, and investments, SM is committed to supporting the recently enacted Enterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET) Framework—a law designed to strengthen collaboration between industry and education sectors.
The EBET Framework promotes practical, industry-aligned training and apprenticeship programs that equip Filipinos with job-ready skills suited to actual labor market demands.
Equipping Filipinos with the right tools
“SM is able to function at its optimum because of the skills of our people,” said Frederic C. DyBuncio, president and CEO of SM Investments. “As our businesses continue to grow, so too is our need for more skilled and resilient professionals. We shall continue to do our share to upskill and professionalize the Filipino workforce to make them competitive in the ever-evolving job market.”
DyBuncio emphasized that SM’s efforts go beyond hiring talent for its own companies. He underscored SM’s broader commitment to empowering Filipinos—whether they work within or outside the group—through sustained investments in education.
“We are committed to equipping Filipinos with the right tools, as we have done through our educational institutions like National University and Asia Pacific College, both of which are non-profit, and through the SM Foundation, which has produced thousands of scholars over the past 40 years,” he added.
Anchoring jobs to skills development
As of 2024, the SM Group employs more than 142,000 people across the country, with many roles focused on sales, engineering, information technology, and other STEM-related fields.
SM’s focus on job generation is further amplified through Teresita Sy-Coson, SM Investments’ vice chair, who is a key member of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) – Education and Jobs group. Formed in 2022, this public-private partnership aims to resolve persistent employment gaps in the country.
Among its major initiatives is the J.O.B.S. (Job Opportunities Building Skills) program, which organizes large-scale job fairs in SM malls nationwide. From 2024 to May 2025, SM has hosted 244 job fairs, drawing 149,626 job seekers, with 20,616 hired on the spot from over 8,000 participating employers.
BDO Unibank, one of SM’s banking arms, also introduced an accelerated hiring process in 2024 for IT and cybersecurity roles, offering positions in project management, cloud operations, digital security, and CRM delivery—highlighting the rising demand for specialized tech talent.
Investing in education
The SM Foundation remains a pillar of SM’s workforce development strategy. In 2024 alone, it welcomed over 1,100 new scholars, its largest batch ever. To date, the program has supported more than 4,600 graduates, with 71 percent pursuing further education in advanced degrees or professional certifications.
The scholarship program provides full tuition, enrichment programs, part-time work opportunities, and even career placements within the SM Group.
Meanwhile, National University (NU)—acquired by SM in 2008—has been undergoing rapid expansion to make higher education more accessible. NU aims to serve 100,000 students by 2027, with a strong emphasis on Allied Health, Engineering, and Computing and Information Technologies. The latter includes future-oriented programs such as BS Computer Science with specializations in Digital Forensics and Machine Learning, and BS IT in Mobile/Web Development.
Asia Pacific College (APC), co-founded by SM Foundation and IBM Philippines, also maintains its focus on industry-based learning. Its Multimedia Arts program blends creativity and technology to meet the evolving demands of the digital landscape. APC recently reported a 97.28 percent employment rate among its 2024 graduates—proof of its success in preparing students for the real world. — Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
