Twenty of Philippines finest entrepreneurs and business leaders were awarded at the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards 2016 at an auspicious gala dinner in Dusit Thani Manila, Philippines. Over 300 attendees were present at the by-invitation only event, comprising of industry leaders, leading entrepreneurs, dignitaries and the who’s who of the business world, including, Tan Sri Dr Fong Chan Onn, Chairman of Enterprise Asia, Honorable Congresswoman Gwendolyn F. Gracia, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines and Advisor to Enterprise Asia, and Dato’ William Ng, President of Enterprise Asia.
The Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards also known as APEA, is a regional recognition program organized by Enterprise Asia, the region’s foremost association and think-tank for entrepreneurship. The Awards are presented to a handful of entrepreneurs across Asia Pacific each year, with award ceremonies held in over thirteen countries every year.
The Awards is often compared to the Olympics for the stringent entry criteria and highly competitive judging parameters. The Nominations of the Awards includes a series of selections by-invitation, past and current awardees, supporting trade association or the organizing committee of Enterprise Asia. Nominees are then subjected to a sequence of rigorous tests, including financial verification through an appointed audit firm and a mandatory physical site audit and interview, culminating in a confidential balloting process by Enterprise Asia’s organizing committee.
Awardees are expected to be torchbearers of entrepreneurship and business leaders in their respective countries, and adhere to a strict standard of personal and business ethics.
“We can say with certainty that the recipients of the APEA are like none others. Not only do they have to prove their entrepreneurial skills and experience in one of the toughest contests in the world, they also subject themselves to a pledge to uphold the highest standards of entrepreneurship, which includes allegiance to the two founding pillars of Enterprise Asia, namely Investment in People and Responsible Entrepreneurship”, says Dato’ William Ng, President of Enterprise Asia.
The final twenty were announced by Enterprise Asia at the awards ceremony in Philippines at the Dusit Thani Manila. Among the recipients were Three outstanding individuals who were the highlight of the night, Mr Henry Sy, Sr, Chairman of SM Investment Corporation who received the iconic Life Time Achievement Award. Mr Edgar Injap Sia II, Chairman and CEO of Doubledragon Properties Corporation and Dr Milagros O. How, Executive Vice President of Universal Harvester, Inc were respectively honoured with the APEA 2016 Philippines Entrepreneur of The Year for their remarkable achievements in their respective industries.
For its 3rd year, the APEA has recognized business leaders of Philippines as the drivers and backbone of Philippines’s economy. The recipients were selected from among 80 shortlisted candidates, ranging from talented young entrepreneurs to experienced industrialists. It is through this recognition program that Enterprise Asia hopes to continue and encourage to stimulate economic growth throughout the region.
Mr Ng explained, “The APEA is aimed at promoting entrepreneurship. Beyond recognizing the efforts of these entrepreneurs, we hope to encourage them to continue taking their businesses to the next level, and in the process, providing more job opportunities to the people in the region, and help to drive the economy forward”.
The twenty deserving individuals were awarded under the APEA 2016 Winners and Special Categories representing various Enterprises and focus areas.
RECIPIENT LIST OF ASIA PACIFIC ENTREPRNEURSHIP AWARDS 2016 PHILIPPINES
Special Category – Lifetime Achievement Award
Henry Sy, Sr., Chairman – SM Investment Corporation
Special Category – Entrepreneur of the Year
Edgar Injap Sia II, Chairman & CEO – Doubledragon Properties Corporation
Property Development Industry
Special Category – Entrepreneur of the Year
Dr. Milagros O. How, Executive Vice President – Universal Harvester, Inc.
Agriculture Industry
APEA 2016 Winners
Takashi Sumi, President & CEO – Atlas Fertilizer Corporation
Agriculture Industry
Maria Estela O. Nievera, President and CEO – Cabalen Management Co., Inc
Hospitality, Food Service & Tourism Industry
Lim Kok Hin, President & CEO – Canon Marketing (Philippines), Inc
Industrial & Commercial Products Industry
Ricardo R. Chua, President & CEO – China Bank Corporation
Financial Services Industry
Aftab Ahmed, CEO – Citibank.
Financial Services Industry
Harold Thomas Pernikar, Jr, Group Director- Concepcion Industrial Corporation
Industrial & Commercial Products Industry
Beverly Morales Dayanan, Founder, CEO & President – Contempo Property Holdings Inc.
Property Development Industry
Nikki Tang, CEO – DMark Corporation
Trading & Wholesaling Industry
Jing S. Lagandaon, COO – Globallink MP Events International Inc.
Professional & Business Services Industry
Robert G. Hayes, Country Manager, Philippines – LizardBear Tasking Inc.
Professional & Business Services Industry
Dante M. Abando, President – Makati Development Corporation
Construction Industry
Joseph Elton T. Salimbangon, President & Co-Founder – Organique Inc
Food & Beverage Inustry
Eulalio B.Austin Jr, President & CEO – Philex Mining Corporation
Mining Industry
Roland C. Delantar, President & CEO – RCD Land Inc.
Property Devepolment Industry
Roman Felipe S. Reyes, Chairman – Reyes Tacandong & Co.
Profssional & Business Service Industry
Dr Henry Lim Bon Liong, Chairman & CEO – SL Agritech Corporation
Agriculture Industry
Rizalina G. Mantaring, President & CEO – Sun Life of Canada (Philippines), Inc.
Financial Services Industry
