Universal Robina Corporation stands among the Philippines’ best-managed companies, according to a recently concluded survey of hundreds of investors, brokers, and analysts across Southeast Asia.
URC, one of the country’s largest branded consumer food and beverage product companies, was strongly represented in Alpha Southeast Asia’s annual poll to determine the top companies in the region. The survey results were announced on July 12, 2023, at Alpha Southeast Asia’s 13th Institutional Investor Corporate Awards held in Hong Kong.
Making its presence felt in three of the five major award categories, URC was named among the Philippines’ Top 5 firms with the Best Senior Management Investor Relations Support, the Strongest Adherence to Corporate Governance, and the Most Consistent Dividend Policy.
“These accolades affirm URC's place in a rarefied field of Philippine companies that have been delivering exemplary products and services while consistently contributing to national prosperity,” said URC president and CEO Irwin Lee. “For decades, URC has been delighting consumers in the Philippines and around the world with good food choices, while playing a steady role in driving economic growth.”
URC produces iconic brands such as Great Taste, C2 Cool & Clean, Piattos, Maxx candy, and Cream-O cookies, which have been part of Filipinos’ lives for decades. Outside of the Philippines, the company also has a significant and growing presence in ASEAN. Its leading regional brands include Lexus, Tivoli, and Fun-O.
The honorees at the 13th Institutional Investor Corporate Awards were based on tallied votes among 586 investors and analysts with exposure to Southeast Asia, including fund managers, large institutional investors, and equity and fixed-income brokers.
The awards are presented by Alpha Southeast Asia, a leading institutional investment, banking and capital market magazine covering Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Alpha’s yearly poll is regarded as the leading perceptions-based survey measuring performance in financial management, adherence to corporate governance, integrated reporting, corporate social responsibility, and investor relations.
URC continues to grow in Southeast Asia, having made significant inroads in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. IMAGE URC
In total, 39 publicly listed companies from across the ASEAN region were ranked in the survey that took place from January to June of this year. Investors were free to nominate up to three companies that they felt had the Most Organized Investor Relations, Best Senior Management IR Support, Strongest Adherence to Corporate Governance, Most Consistent Dividend Policy, and Best Strategic CSR. Investors were also asked to name a single company that has the Best CFO, Best Annual Report, Most Improved Investor Relations, and Strongest Commitment to Sustainable Energy in Southeast Asia. Votes by publicly listed corporates or individuals with vague, unverifiable contact details were excluded from the final survey tally.
“This list represents the crème-de-la crème of best practices whether it be on corporate governance, investor relations, disclosure, transparency, financial management, integrated reporting, CSR and/or dividend policy,” said Siddiq Bazarwala, CEO and Publisher of Alpha Southeast Asia.
“As one of Asia’s leading conglomerates, URC is among a handful of companies that is well positioned given its diversified retail network and company-wide commitment to sustainability, inclusive growth, and value creation,” added Bazarwala.
For more information on URC, visit urc.com.ph
