The transformation has earned Palawan Group back-to-back international recognition. It won the Human Capital Management Transformation Award at the SAP Customer Excellence Awards for Southeast Asia 2026 on Aug. 4 in Singapore, a day after being recognized as one of Asia's Best Employer Brands 2026 by the World HRD Congress. Palawan Group was the only Philippine organization to receive the SAP HCM award.
By the numbers
Its implementation of SAP SuccessFactors delivered 88 percent Time Tracking adoption and made employee data updates 80 percent faster. Payroll processing improved by 1.5 days, six major manual payroll reports were eliminated, and performance goal completion rates consistently exceeded 97 percent.
The big picture
The gains give HR teams and business leaders more room to focus on employee development, engagement and well-being instead of administrative processes. That people strategy supports Palawan Pawnshop, Palawan Express Pera Padala, Palawan ProtekTODO, Palawan Credit and PalawanPay.
What they're saying
“Our greatest asset is not our vast network. It is our passionate and dedicated employees. We are humbled and grateful of how they navigate the everyday realities and challenges in the Philippines,” Palawan Group chief human resource officer Korina Castro-Fernando said in a press statement.
“They consistently lead with competence, integrity, and Malasakit: a beautiful Filipino word for deep, genuine compassion. They are not simply our workforce; they are the heart of our service. This award affirms our core belief that when an organization puts its people first, business success naturally follows,” Castro-Fernando said.
Zoom out
Palawan Group marked its 40th anniversary in 2025, four decades after starting with a single pawnshop. It has since grown into a financial services group with more than 70,000 branches, Pera Padala outlets and PalawanPay Money Shops nationwide.
What's next
The company is betting that continued investment in technology and its workforce can strengthen service as its physical and digital financial-services footprint expands.
“Technology will continue to evolve, but our purpose remains the same: to empower our people so they can serve with excellence. Everything we do: whether it is investing in our employees, strengthening our systems, or expanding access to financial services, is ultimately for the people: our associates, our customers, and the communities we are privileged to serve," added Castro-Fernando. —Vanessa Hidalgo| Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
