WINNING | SM links transparency to community impact strategy

Insider Spotlight

• SM is tying clearer corporate reporting to long-term decision-making and community programs.
• Its integrated and sustainability reporting reflects a broader push to connect business performance with accountability.
• Community initiatives across SM Supermalls extend that approach into inclusion, environment, culture and public engagement.

SM Group is strengthening the link between corporate transparency and community engagement, positioning clearer reporting and locally focused programs as complementary parts of its long-term business strategy.

Why it matters

That approach earned the Philippine conglomerate 12 Stevie Awards at the 2026 International Business Awards, spanning parent-company reporting and programs delivered through its malls and communities, the Sy family-controlled conglomerate said in a statement.

SM Investments Corp., the group’s parent company, received four awards, including Gold Stevies for Conglomerates (Large) and Best Annual Report (Publicly Held Corporations) for its 2025 Integrated Report. Its 2025 Sustainability Report and SM Sustainability School each received Bronze.

What they’re saying

“Clear reporting gives investors and other stakeholders a better view of how we make decisions, manage the business and plan for the long term,” said Frederic DyBuncio, president and CEO of SM Investments. “The other awards show how that same sense of responsibility is carried through by our businesses in the communities they serve.”

Zoom in

SM Supermalls accounted for eight recognitions, covering consumer experiences, corporate social responsibility, environmental programs, diversity and inclusion, creative projects and community engagement.

“People experience a mall through the things they do there, not through what we say about it,” said SM Supermalls president Steven Tan. “A place to read, an event that brings local art to more people, or a program that makes the mall easier to use can make a practical difference to a community.”

The Philippine International Pyromusical Competition won Gold for Brand Experience of the Year (Consumer), while Find Your SM received Silver.

The bigger picture

Other recognized initiatives included the SM Green Movement, SM Cares Coastal Cleanup, A Mall for All, Book Nook, Empowering Communities and SM Mindanao Art.

The programs range from making mall spaces more inclusive and encouraging environmental action to providing reading spaces and expanding public exposure for Mindanaoan artists.

By the numbers

More than 300 business professionals participated in two months of judging, with winners determined by average scores.

The International Business Awards, now in their 23rd year, recognize organizations, executives, entrepreneurs and teams worldwide.

— Edited by Daxim L. Lucas