Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards fetes leading entrepreneurs in the Philippines
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; 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,” said Dato’ William Ng, president of Enterprise Asia.
The final 20 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, Henry Sy, Sr., chairman of SM Investment Corporation, who received the iconic Lifetime Achievement Award. 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 honored with the APEA 2016 Philippines Entrepreneur of The Year for their remarkable achievements in their respective industries.
For its third 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 short-listed 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 20 deserving individuals were awarded under the APEA 2016 Winners and Special Categories representing various Enterprises and focus areas.