SM Prime’s Hans T. Sy was recently
recognized for his contribution to nation-
building and resiliency through sustainability and disaster risk
reduction at The Outstanding Filipino
(TOFIL) Awards 2022.
accepts his TOFIL award / Photo from SM Supermalls
With the theme centered on “Resiliency in
Rebuilding Our Nation,” this year’s TOFIL
Awards, held Monday, December 10, at Rizal Park Hotel, recognized Sy for his success in
integrating sustainability and resilience in
the framework of the SM Group’s
operations. Under Sy’s leadership, SM has
been a major player in disaster relief efforts
and community assistance through
initiatives such as the SM Yolanda Housing
Program and Covid-19 vaccination
programs. Sy has also helped in the
formation of the ARISE Philippine Network,
which fosters more public-private sector
partnerships for capacity building,
technological innovation and sustainability
in underserved communities.
In his acceptance speech, Sy, chairman of
the executive committee at SM Prime, stressed the importance of sustainability
and disaster resiliency as a means of
uplifting the lives of the Filipino people. “Our
role as private sector members is to
supplement public sector assistance with
our expert knowledge and available
resources,” he said. “In doing so, we can lift
the majority away from hazards of disasters
and enable a sustainable society we all
aspire for.”
“My father, the late Henry Sy Sr., taught us
a multitude of lessons growing up, one of
them being the importance of goodwill and
inclusivity. This evoked in me a passion for
helping others and uplifting their lives
through sustainability, disaster
preparedness, and infrastructure resiliency
programs at SM,” added Sy. “My firsthand
experiences with disasters and
rehabilitation pushed me to strongly
advocate for disaster resiliency in
everything we do across the SM Group, by placing sustainability and resiliency at the core of our operations.”
Maria Catalina Estamo Cabral, lawyer Persida
V. Rueda-Acosta, Hon. Karlo Alexei B.
Nograles, SM Prime Holdings, Inc. chairman of the
executive committee Hans T. Sy, Dr. Ruben L.Villareal, and
Nemesio R. Miranda Jr / Photo from SM Supermalls
Sy was joined by other notable awardees this year, including Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Maria Catalina Estamo Cabral, Public Attorney’s Office Chief Persida V. Rueda-Acosta, horticultural innovator and scientist Ruben L.Villareal and the pioneer of Imaginative Figurism in the Philippines Nemesio R. Miranda Jr. Also present at the ceremony were Civil Service Commission Chairperson Karlo Alexei B. Nograles and Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito.
The TOFIL Awards was first established in 1988 by the JCI Senate Philippines (JCISP). It was created with the intention of institutionalizing public recognition of the exemplary achievements and contributions to public welfare and community building of Filipinos 41 years of age and older. Also dubbed the Filipino equivalent of the Nobel Prize, the TOFIL Awards seeks to recognize truly outstanding Filipinos who have dedicated themselves to serving the nation.
plaque and trophy from ANSA Foundation
president Anthony Philip A. Nocom (LEFT)
and JCI Senate Philippines (JCISP)-TOFIL
Foundation president Rogelio V. Garcia
(RIGHT) / Photo from SM Supermalls
“The Outstanding Filipino, or TOFIL
Awards, is among the most prestigious
awards given in our country to deserving Filipinos of good moral character, whose
dedication to his or her profession or
vocation has made significant contributions
to the advancement of his or her calling,”
said Nograles. “The honorees are chosen
based on the strength of their character, the
strength of their integrity and the impact of
their achievements in their field of work.”
“I dream about having a resilient and
sustainable society that the next
generations can benefit from, and I want
you to join me in that endeavor where no
one is left behind, and where everyone can
experience a safer, better future for us all,”
Sy concluded.
