• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Tycoon Hans Sy, chairman of the executive committee of SM Prime Holdings Inc., will be the honorary mayor of Bacolod during the city’s celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year on Jan. 29, 2025.
This as the Sangguniang Panlungsod unanimously passed a resolution Dec. 4 declaring Sy as adopted son of Bacolod and will be the honorary mayor during the BacoLaodiat Festival celebration of the Year of the Snake.
Mayor Alfredo Benitez, in his letter-request to the SP dated Dec. 3, said that Sy, a distinguished member of the Filipino-Chinese community, “has made exceptional contributions to economic development, business leadership, and philanthropy, serving as an enduring role model for community progress and innovation.”
“Mr. Sy’s leadership has not only driven growth in business and investment in Bacolod City, but has also reflected a profound commitment to social responsibility, family values, and civic engagement that resonate deeply with the ideals of our Chinese brethren,” Benitez said.
The Bacolaodiat Inc., an organization of Filipino-Chinese that’s been taking the lead in the BacoLaodiat Festival celebration over the years, also earlier passed a resolution unanimously choosing Sy as adopted son of Bacolod, and wants to confer on him the honorary mayor title during the festival highlight.
The celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year highlights values, such as unity, progress, and generosity, which are deeply embedded in the Filipino-Chinese community, and serve as an inspiration for generations to come, the Bacolaodiat Inc. officials, led by John Stephen Sy, said in the Board resolution.
They added that Sy’s “unparalleled achievements and dedication to advancing the welfare of the community make him a deserving recipient of the title ‘Adopted Son of Bacolod City’.”
Sy, who was president of SM Prime until September 2016, also held key positions in several companies engaged in banking, real estate development, mall operations, as well as leisure and entertainment, as per the SM Prime website.
He is currently an adviser to the Board of SM Investments Corporation, and is the chairman of China Banking Corporation, as well as National University, the company added. | CGC
