CCCI AWARDS SOBERANO AS TOP ENTREPRENEUR

Seventeen years after he left a prominent corporate position and started his own venture, Jose Soberano III wins Entrepreneur of the Year honors, with the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry commending him for “masterfullyplanned and executed” real esta

Cebu Landmasters Inc.’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jose “Joe” Soberano III is this year’s Entrepreneur of the Year, a distinction conferred last Friday by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI).

“It means a lot to be recognized by Cebu Chamber, and I’m sharing this award with my coworkers who made it possible for the company to grow for 13 years and will continue to grow,” said Soberano during the Grand Chamber Awards Night held in the Marco Polo Plaza Cebu.

His company debuted in the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) last June 2, becoming the first Cebu-based real estate company to do so.

Before he started his own venture, Soberano’s corporate experience included stints with Ayala Investment, Bank of the Philippine Islands, and Ayala Land, Inc. Soberano also formed part of the pioneering group that established Cebu Holdings Inc., an Ayala subsidiary, whose projects include the Cebu Business Park and Cebu IT Park. He left Ayala Land in 2000.

As an employee for most of his life, Soberano said this al- lowed him to cultivate a strong culture of teamwork in an organization like CLI, which has 28 projects to date in the Visayas and Mindanao regions.

“When I put up the organization, I felt for this people and how they managed to work and the importance and value of teamwork. (It’s about) harnessing and nurturing the talents of the organization. You need to put this together. That is the kind of transition that I feel is very important,” he said in an interview with reporters.

Jumping to entrepreneurship from a stable corporate job was not an easy feat for Soberano. He recalled how he and one assistant had to convince people working for a shipbuilding company in the town of Balamban to buy houses. This then led to the development of the three-hectare subdivision San Jose Maria Village in Balamban in 2013.

“Joe’s sweeping real estate development experience provid- ed ease in achieving his passion to positively impact cities and communities through masterfully-planned and executed developments through CLI,” said CCCI.

Family, integrity, and a “personalized and hands-on” service to the company are Soberano’s recipe for success. “You have to be driven by that. It’s also important that the whole organization knows the direction of the company,” he added.

He encouraged entrepreneurs to spot opportunities and to act. “Just like any pursuit in life, there will always be ups and downs, but I feel that it’s when things are rough that you become better,” he said.

CCCI also gave special citations to Antonio Aldeguer, founder and chair of ALA Promotions Inc., for bringing Cebu to the international arena in boxing, and Dr. Milagros Espina, for having chaired and directed the Grand Chamber Awards for almost two decades.

‘WHEN THINGS ARE ROUGH, WE BECOME BETTER.’ Landmasters Inc. went public, CEO Jose Soberano III was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as part of the Cebu Business Month celebration. SUNSTAR FOTO / RUEL ROSELLO