The Entrepreneurship Excellence Awardees
EDMUND GAISANO, SR.
Group Chairman Gaisano Capital
He is the pioneer entrepreneur from the Philippine south. He began early, in business, running a piggery at a young age of eight.
Then growing up, he went into buy and sell, construction, hotels, warehousing, and retailing.
He has built the largest mall chain in the Visayas and Mindanao, with 34 malls, and 270 warehouses. He has of late diversified into highend high-rise projects and overseas investments, particularly Malaysia.
He is also developing the 16- ha. Iloilo City Center, a township in the center of Iloilo.
Eddie and Benito Gaisano started as the forerunners of Gaisano South Group of companies. They managed and expanded the business and in 2007, the two brothers decided to amicably split the business. That of Eddie is the Gaisano Capital Group of Companies which began with just 10 stores in 2007.
MANUEL B. VILLAR, JR.
Chairman Vista Land & Lifescapes, Inc.
He has a compelling rags- to- riches story. A poor boy from Tondo, who became the first Filipino brown dollar billionaire, in 1995 when his C& P Homes went public and his 80 percent stake was valued at $1.5 billion.
He has built over 200,000 housing units— making him the first biggest home builder.
He also chalked up a remarkable leadership record as speaker of the House and president of the Senate. From a P10,000 capital in 1975, his listed Vista Land and Lifescapes, Inc. property company today has a market cap of over P53 billion.
Villar is merging his Vista Land and Starmalls, to form a fully integrated property company, a major step, he says, “to realizing our vision of becoming a top integrated real estate developer.”
EDGAR “INJAP” SIA II
Chairman and CEO Double Dragon Properties Corp.
Injap, 38, embodies the quintessential qualities of the 21st century entrepreneur. He has vision, a disruptive product, a customer focus, and brilliant execution.
He built Mang Inasal into the largest fast food chain – barbecue chicken – in far less time than Jollibee did for its burgers and chicken. No other barbecue fast food chain comes close because Mang Inasal is so dominant.
In 2010, sensing competition, Jollibee bought 70 percent of Mang Insal, making Injap P3 billion richer. He retained the 30 percent.
Now, Injap is bent on building the country’s largest mall chain – 100 malls under CityMall brand, and one of the largest hotel chains, with his Hotel 101 brand. He will become one of the biggest real estate market players.
His Double Dragon Properties has tripled its value, to almost P50 billion, in just nine months.
AMABLE R. AGUILUZ V
Founder AMA Group of Companies
King Aguiluz is the founder, owner and chairman of the AMA Group of Companies. He runs what is today the Philippines’ largest school – both in number of campuses (200, including 10 overseas), and number of students – over 150,000 enrolled. The AMA Group is also the biggest school in Asia.
Now, he is bringing the business to the next level— offer quality education to everyone, anyone, anywhere, every where. “I want to provide education to all Filipinos, especially those who have no access to it,” he says.
ZENAIDA R. TANTOCO
Chair and CEO Stores Specialists, Inc.
She pioneered and set the gold standard in premium brands retailing and quality retail customer service.
She has brought to the Philippines 115 fashion brands in 781 stores making Rustans/SSI the largest, most profitable and most prestigious specialty retailer.
Her Store Specialists, Inc. has the most number of high- end brands— Hermes, Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Zara, Bershka, Stradivarius, Lacoste, Gap, TWG, Olivers & Co., Samsonite, Muji, and Pottery Barn, to name some.
Operations is handled by her son, the genial Anton T. Huang, SSI Group president.
Listed SSI Group, Inc. has expanded its retail format offerings with new joint ventures with the Ayala Group -in convenience stores under the “FamilyMart” franchise in 2013 and department stores under the “Wellworth” brand in 2014.