MANILA, Philippines — SM Investments Corp. (SMIC), the listed holding company of the Sy family, has earned recognition from Hong Kong-based investment publication Alpha Southeast Asia for its corporate governance and sustainability reporting, reflecting strong investor and analyst confidence in the company’s management and transparency in reporting its performance.
In the publication’s 16th annual poll of Southeast Asia’s top companies, SMIC was named the Philippines’ Best in Strategic CSR & ESG Reporting.
The parent company of the SM Group also ranked among the top five Philippine companies for Strongest Adherence to Corporate Governance and Best Senior Management in Investor Relations Support.
SMIC executive vice president for treasury, finance and planning, Erwin Pato, was also named the Best CFO in the Philippines.
SMIC president and chief executive officer Frederic DyBuncio cited the importance of the recognition as it reflects the confidence of investors and analysts.
“Good corporate governance is about making sound decisions, being transparent about our performance and creating long-term value. Sustainability is a very important part of how we do that,” DyBuncio said.
SMIC sees sustainability as part of good governance, helping guide decision-making, strengthen accountability and support the company’s long-term growth while creating value for shareholders and other stakeholders.
Alpha Southeast Asia’s annual poll is one of the region’s leading perception-based surveys, recognizing listed companies for excellence in financial management, corporate governance, strategic CSR (corporate social responsibility) and ESG (environmental, social and governance) reporting and investor relations.
The annual poll gathered responses from more than 580 investors and analysts across Southeast Asia, the United States and Europe, including fund managers, institutional investors, insurance companies, pension funds, private banks, and buy- and sell-side analysts.
“These awards point to a company that not only communicates sustainability priorities clearly, but also pairs that with visible leadership engagement and sound governance discipline,” Alpha Southeast Asia publisher Siddiq Bazarwala said.