Sy receives RVR Award for Nation Building

MANILA, Philippines - Henry Sy Sr., the man behind the SM empire, is the latest recipient of the Ramon V. Del Rosario (RVR) Award for Nation Building.

“To us there is a special prestige in this award because of the friendship my father carried with Ambassador Del Rosario Sr. They learned from each other, or I should even say my father learned a lot from him, too. It’s a special award,” son and SM Prime Holdings president Hans Sy said.

“This award is especially meaningful to my dad because my dad always enjoyed his time in Manila Jaycees. It is here where he learned a lot from other members. My dad indeed has fond memories of his Jaycee days,” added daughter Tessie Sy-Coson, SM Investments vice chair.

The RVR award, named after the businessman and former Philippine ambassador, is a project of the Junior Chamber International Manila—formerly known as the Manila Jaycees—in partnership with the Asian Institute of Management’s Center for Corporate Social Responsibility.

According to Tessie, Del Rosario Sr. served as among the biggest inspirations to her father. She said the Sy patriarch’s respect to RVR never wavered. “Mr. Del Rosario Sr. was not only an exceptional businessman but also an outstanding civic leader and philanthropist who served as a role model for younger men like my father who joined the Jaycees,” she said.

“It was through Jaycees that my father was able to learn more about entrepreneurship as well as the importance of nation building and corporate social responsibility which he continues to apply today. These are the principles which he instilled in us, his children as well as his organization,” Coson said.

Both businessmen, after all, shared the same traits which made them not only successful but also influential.

“He exuded the same stamina for work and vision for business like Ramon Del Rosario Sr.  He is a good listener and I’m sure he has gotten good advice from his talks with RVR. Their business may be in different industry but they are made of same type of sturdy substance,” Coson said.

Henry Sy Sr. built his first shoe store in Quiapo in 1948 and later opened two more outlets namely Plaza, Paris and Park Avenue stores.

Ten years later, Sy consolidated his holdings in the three stores and built a bigger shoe store in 1958 in Carriedo and named it ShoeMart.

From an annual sales of approximately 200,000 pairs of shoes when the store in Carriedo made an indelible mark in the Philippine shoe business, the SM Store now sells millions of shoes every year.

The Sy family has successfully transformed the business landscape of retailing in the Philippines by enhancing customer experience through added services such as bills payments, concert ticket sales, and government requirements.

Its business empire has likewise expanded outside retailing and now covers real estate and banking.

The RVR award recognizes individuals who best exemplify outstanding corporate citizenship and have an underlying passion for nation-building.

Last year’s recipient was PLDT chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan. List of previous awardees also include Jesus Tambunting, Senen Bacani, Oscar Lopez, Washington Sycip, Vicente Paterno, and Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala.