This Is the Best Philippine Company With 'Strongest Adherence to Corporate Governance,' Says Report

Sy-owned SM Investments Corporation (SMIC) was named the best company in the Philippines with the “strongest adherence to corporate governance,” according to Hong Kong-headquartered investment magazine Alpha Southeast Asia. The award, marking the ninth win of the conglomerate, was based on votes from more than 500 investors and analysts in the region, as well as in Europe and the United States.

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“At SM, we uphold the highest standards of corporate governance in keeping our commitment to attain shared value for our stakeholders toward responsible and sustainable development for the communities we serve,” Frederic DyBuncio, president and CEO of SMIC, said in a statement.

SMIC was further recognized as among the top five performing companies in the categories of Most Organized Investor Relations and Best Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The results were extracted from a total of 38 publicly-listed firms across Southeast Asia, representing the “crème-de-la crème of best practices” in corporate governance, investor relations, financial management, dividend policy, and CSR, to name a few.

Other best-managed companies in the Philippines alongside SMIC were conglomerate GT Capital Holdings; container terminal operator ICTSI; mining giant Semirara Mining; F&B company Monde Nissin Corporation; telecommunications giant PLDT; as well as real estate firms Robinsons Land Corporation and VistaREIT, Inc.

The poll led by Alpha Southeast Asia—which claims to be the first and only institutional investment magazine focused on the region—included fund managers with investment interests in Southeast Asia, as well as big-name institutional investors, insurance companies, private banks, equity and fixed income brokers, and buy and sell-side analysts, among others.

Summit Media, which publishes Esquire Philippines, is a Gokongwei family-owned unit, similar to Robinsons Land.