IN a vastly improving economic environment, there are the entrepreneurs who serve a vital role in promoting the progress and upholding industrial sustainability; it is the entrepreneurial activities of these people that help spur economic activity and encourage business exchange.
The Philippines is one thriving economic landscape and behind its current progress are the entrepreneurs, who have braved all odds, persevered through despite everything that the country has faced in the past and lingered with the goal to continue thriving.
The story of the country and its bold entrepreneurs has become an inspiration to the rest of the world. For that, both the country and its valuable entrepreneurs are garnering international recognition.
Asia’s most coveted awards for entrepreneurs
AND so the most coveted award for entrepreneurs in Asia has set foot in the Philippines.
The Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards (Apea) is a regional recognition program organized by Enterprise Asia in 2007 to cite the contributions of successful entrepreneurs and also let emerging private-sector leaders take inspiration from them. It has been rolled out in 11 other Asian countries, including Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
This year the recognition program began with the “Rise” theme in Singapore; “Aspire” in Indonesia; “Ignite” in Malaysia; and “Inspire” in Hong Kong. By the end of the year, the organization would have completed all 12 editions, showcasing the greatest among Asian entrepreneurs.
In the Philippines the series continues with the “Thrive.” Enterprise Asia officially announced its first batch of the country’s finest entrepreneurs on November 3 at Dusit Thani Manila. Each recipient was presented with trophies and certificates by Tan Sri Dr Fong Chan Onn, chairman of Enterprise Asia; Dato William Ng, president of Enterprise Asia; and Sen. Bam Aquino, who is one of the advisors to Enterprise Asia in the Philippines.
“The Apea is aimed at promoting entrepreneurship; by receiving this recognition, it’s not just glory for these deserving entrepreneurs, but also motivation and encouragement to them, to continue what they are doing and taking their businesses to the next level. In doing so, not only are they growing their empire, they’re also providing more business and employment opportunity to the locals, and it is this element which spurs the country’s economy forward,” the chairman of Enterprise Asia said.
The judging structure of the Apea is among the most stringent in the world. The Philippine recipients were selected from among 100 short-listed candidates, ranging from talented young entrepreneurs to experienced industrialists. Each recipient had to go through prescreening by Enterprise Asia’s team of analysts, compulsory site audits and interviews.
The awardees for the Outstanding Category of Apea 2014 Philippines are Angela de Villa-Lacson, president and CEO of ArthaLand Corp.; Raul Joseph A. Concepcion, chairman and CEO of Concepcion Industrial Corp.; Dr. Patrick Louvel, president and CEO of DKT Philippines; Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo, president and cofounder of Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. (Hari); Gilda E. Pico, president and CEO of Land Bank of the Philippines; Johnlu G. Koa, founder and CEO of The French Baker; Minoru Iriko, president and director of Toshiba Information Equipment (Phils.) Inc.; Dr. Milagros O. How, executive vice president of Universal Harvester Inc.; and Esther Vibal, chairman of Vibal Group of Companies.
Meanwhile, the Most Promising Category recipients are Sheila Lina, president and CEO of Air21 Global Inc.; Junie S. del Mundo, chairman and CEO of Eon; Rhodora Tactacan-Tumpalan, president and CEO of First Vita Plus; Jolly Lim Ting, chairman and CEO of Jolliville Holdings Corp.; Anthony Gerard O. Leuterio, founder and president of Leuterio Realty & Brokerage; Rodrigo E. Rivera Sr., chairman and CEO of RD Corp.; Regan Rex T. King, general manager of RDAK Transport Equipment Inc.; and Dr. Henry Lim Bon Liong, chairman and CEO of SL Agritech Corp.
Different stories, same entrepreneurial stance
THE Philippines may be a thriving economic environment now, but it has had its point of privation, too, which is why it is not always an easy feat to be an entrepreneur in the country. And it is in these struggles that the real stories are formed.
The story of Hari’s woman at the helm, for instance, is truly one of the most inspiring in the Philippine business. Perez-Agudo guided Hyundai to its lofty position as the third best-selling brand in the Philippines, with Hari expanding its dealership network to date to 42 and manned by more than 3,000 dedicated employees. She credits her accomplishments in the company partly to how she was raised. Coming from a big family with persevering parents, Perez-Agudo learned all about
resilience and hard work.
“We’ve had a lot of struggles to face in setting up Hari. But because giving up is never an option for us, we pushed through. I guess now we are receiving the fruits of everything that we fought for; and I truly am very thankful for that,” she said.
Some recipients consider the Apea a reminder and beacon of their pursuits and missions. “At the end of the day, the success of a person lies in how much he influences the improvement of lives in his community; for a better future that will leave a legacy for generations,” King said.
How, meanwhile, shared that she is receiving her award on behalf of the hardworking Filipino farmers and farmer-organizations. “This award can only further inspire us and strengthen owur resolve to see our social mission through its completion,” she said.
For Lina, the Apea is a personal reflection of her life. “The victory is a challenge for me to pursue continuous advancement in all aspects of my life—from my physical well-being, to my emotional maturity in my relationships with family and co-workers, to increased knowledge about business leadership and technology and, most important, my personal spiritual development.”
The recipients all agree that in any success, no accomplishment will take place without passion and dreams. Concepcion shared how he got the will to run a company: “[It was] fortified by my grandfather, when he started the company more than 50 years ago. I continue to live these tenets and pass these to my children, to our company and to our shareholders as a way of ensuring continuity of our business, and also challenging our people to dream, believe and achieve growth beyond our current horizons.”
Ting advises budding entrepreneurs to “know what you want and do what you want.” He also shared in Thrive, Apea’s published work for its recipients, that he is not afraid to take risks, as he believes that abundant problems present abundant opportunities. To a successful entrepreneur, an ability to take risks and optimism are key to success.
Bon Liong agreed, saying: “The greatest risk of an entrepreneur is not to take risk at all.” Without taking the risk, he wouldn’t have been able to make a revolutionary contribution in Philippine agriculture —a hybrid rice variety that is comparable to the hybrid rice that saved China from starvation.
With all the success stories of each recipient, they were truly able to show how to overcome challenges and rigors to embody what it takes to be an entrepreneur in today’s generation. They became leaders in their fields and successfully helped the Philippines become a thriving environment for businesses characterised by economic resilience.
Image credits: Nonoy Lacza