Employee growth has always been a priority at Universal Robina Corporation (URC), and its efforts over the past year have earned the company international recognition. URC received the Silver Award for Excellence in Employer Branding at the 2025 Economic Times Human Capital Awards (ETHCA) Southeast Asia, held last July at the One Farrer Hotel in Singapore. This win underscores the company's commitment in fostering a supportive, inclusiv0e, and growth-oriented workplace.
The Human Capital Awards is an annual event recognizing organizations that have exceeded conventional standards for empowering their workforces and elevating workplace culture. The awards are organized by The Economic Times, one of the world's leading business news publications. With its win at the 2025 ETHCA in Southeast Asia, URC has cemented its place as one of the region's leaders in employee growth.
“This affirms our ongoing efforts to be an employer of choice by placing people at the center of URC’s success,” said Irwin Lee, URC President and CEO. “This award highlights the strength of our culture - where people are empowered to lead, grow, and succeed with purpose.”
From left to right: Mark Kevin Lanuzo, Officer for HR Solutions; Roland Villareal, Global Head for Learning and Talent Management; Alex Gomez, Manager for Talent Acquisition and Corporate Programs; and Angelina Chua, HR Director of COFCO International and member of the ETHCA Southeast Asia 2025 award jury.
Central to URC’s employee growth program is its “Grow Beyond UR Job” program. Grow Beyond UR Job is a collaboration among human resources representatives from URC’s Philippine and international business units. The initiative has become core to URC’s “people programs”, including talent acquisition, onboarding, employee recognition and leadership communications.
“What started as a message has become a mindset,” said Lee. “Grow beyond UR job has become a cultural foundation that drives how we build careers, celebrate potential, and grow leaders from within.”
“It reflects our belief that growth happens when people are trusted to lead, equipped to stretch, and inspired to make a difference,” he added.
URC was earlier named by Time Magazine and online data firm Statista as among the Asia-Pacific’s best 500 companies of 2025 for, among others, its robust employee satisfaction program. In compiling its list of Asia-Pacific’s best companies, Time and Statista used a 2023 survey data of over 50,000 employees across the Asia-Pacific to measure employee satisfaction.
With its win at the 2025 ETHCA Southeast Asia, URC continues to create winning moments not only for itself, but also for the people who make all its success possible.
Learn more about the Economic Times Human Capital Awards at this link. For more information about URC, visit urc.com.ph.
