BIZ BUZZ: URC’s best ingredient? Its people

Universal Robina Corp. (URC) has found another reason to celebrate beyond supermarket shelves—this time for what happens inside its offices.

The Gokongwei-led food and beverage giant was recently named one of the Philippines’ top employer brands, earning recognition at the Philippines’ Best Employer Brand Awards 2026 for its workplace culture and employee development initiatives.

The award, given by the Employer Branding Institute and the World HRD Congress, recognizes companies that stand out in attracting, developing and retaining talent through strong people practices.

URC said the recognition reflects its “grow beyond UR job” employer value proposition, which focuses on helping employees build careers through leadership development, continuous learning and opportunities for advancement.

President and CEO Irwin Lee said the latest accolade reinforces the company’s belief that long-term business success begins with investing in its people. Over the years, URC has expanded programs covering leadership training, early-career development and employee engagement as it works to build a more agile workforce.

The latest honor adds to a growing list of workplace recognitions for the company. Last year, URC was named one of Asia’s Best Companies to Work for by HR Asia for a third straight year and also received awards for recruitment and talent development initiatives.