Tycoons, titans, thespians & a tot
PeopleAsia its the and business, social “People the Year” and magazine unveils roster political, cultural 2019 of of and heavyweights includes triple-cover is a This first: a lovable featuring tycoons year’s issue tot. one ever cover; awardee Scarlet in the history Snow Belo, all of PeopleAsia; the the awardees youngest and in “Build, the moving Build, forces Build” behind program. the government’s
roll The (in business alphabetical tycoons order) in include this year’s William honor
Belo store in of 1977 Wilcon to 49 Depot, today; which Presidential grew from Adviser one on Entrepreneurship and The Outstanding Filipino awardee Joey Concepcion, whose Go Negosyo has boosted economic progress by supporting the country’s medium, small and micro enterprises; Rikki Dee, who first tried his luck on one small restaurant on Pasay Road and now caps the year with 195 restaurants and a thriving optical shop business; and
Dennis Uy, who started with an inasal stall in Davao and now counts infrastructure, shipping, construction, trading and hotels in his business empire.
The magazine, which is celebrating its 19th anniversary this year, also honors a titan in the world of sports, Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz, the first Filipino to bag a gold medal in the 2018 Asian Games. The magazine lauds four artists, Heart
Evangelista Escudero, actress, painter, political wife and international lifestyle icon;
Len Cabili of the Filip+Inna clothing brand that promotes the talent and craftsmanship of the country’s indigenous people; “Asia’s Nightingale” Lani Misalucha; and acclaimed artist Andres Barrioquinto, whose recent unique exhibit at the National Museum drew the country’s gliteratti and literati.
PeopleAsia is giving an award to the government’s ambitious Build, Build, Build project as represented by its six moving forces — Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez, Transportation Secretary Art Tugade, Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto
Pernia, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, Budget Secretary Ben Diokno and Bases Conversion Development Authority president Vince Dizon.
For over five decades, the Philippines’ investment in infrastructure projects averaged only 2.6 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP), while its ASEAN neighbors invested double that percentage. The Duterte administration wants to change that through “Build, Build, Build.” The President has announced that government spending on infrastructure will rise from five percent of GDP in 2017, to seven percent of GDP by 2022 for a total of P8 to P9 trillion.
In partnership with Resorts World Manila, PeopleAsia also has two “Lucky Persons of the Year,” National Artist Ryan Cayabyab and singer KZ Tandingan, who transform good fortune into blessings.
And last but not the least is the country’s youngest social influencer with almost three million followers on Instagram, Scarlet Snow Belo, the “People’s Choice” awardee. She has inspired almost a cult-like following in the Philippines, and she charms fans from all social strata with her intelligence and amuses them with her antics.
(For inquiries, call Bong at 892-1854.)