Tagged as the biggest ASEAN
Business Awards yet, the ASEAN Business Advisory Council unveiled its newest
pool of 10th ABA winners with 68 award recipients composed of Asian business
leaders, the most inspiring women, youth, and innovative entrepreneurs at the
Grand Ballroom of Solaire Resort and Casino in Manila.
More than 900 guests
attended the ABA Gala Night and 400 delegates mainly from the ASEAN region,
ASEAN economic ministers led by Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, government
officials, members of the diplomatic corps, entrepreneurs and most especially
President Duterte, the ASEAN Business Awards was definitely a success!
Since 2007, the awards has
hailed more than a hundred of entrepreneurs and their enterprises that have
grown in value in their home countries and across the region. With the support
of Philippine Council members George Barcelon and Tessie Coson-Sy, our
chairmanship of the ASEAN@50 has also introduced a new addition to the set of
categories, namely the Most Promising, Inclusive Business, and Legacy Awards.
From more than 200
applications that came from the 10 ASEAN countries, a total of 47 awardees and
68 finalists received a specially-crafted trophy from President Duterte. They
were welcomed with the commemorative artwork signing of a mural reminiscent of
Fernando Amorsolo’s style featuring ASEAN50 and the ASEAN Business Advisory
Council.
Nine Legacy Awardees were
given distinctions for their commitment to growth, genuine development, and
excellence in their national economies which significantly contributes to the
ASEAN Community. They are:
Haji Musa bin Hj
Adnin is the managing director of Adinin Group of Companies, a major
player in manufacturing, trading, IT services and trading, interior design,
advertising, among others based in Brunei Darussalam.
Dr. Sudhamek AWS is
the chairman of Garuda Food Group, Indonesia’s leading food and beverage company
formally established in 1990 as PT Tudung Putra Jaya.
Rattana Prathoumvan is
the current managing director and CEO of EDL Generation Public Company, an
electricity generating business which provides operation and maintenance
services to power generation assets in Lao PDR.
Goh Peng Ooi founded
Silverlake Group in 1989, and since then has been established as a leading
provider of state-of-the-art universal banking solutions.
Aung Ko Win founded
the Kanbawza (KBZ) Group of Companies in 1994, one of the largest privately
owned diversified group of companies in Myanmar.
John Gokongwei Jr. is
the chairman emeritus of JG Summit Holdings, one of the largest and most
diversified Filipino conglomerates established in 1957, focusing on a
wide-range of ventures from agribusiness, the manufacture of feeds and prime
food commodities, financial services, textile and property, power,
telecommunications, among others.
Wee Cho Yaw is
the chairman emeritus and adviser of United Overseas Bank, founded in Singapore
in 1935. The UOB Group is one of the leading financial institutions with a
network of more than 500 offices in 19 countries and territories.
Sakchai Unchittikul is
behind Srichiengmai Industry, the first manufacturer of Tomato Products in
Thailand.
Le Thu Tuy, with
her immense vision, has led BRG Group, a multi-sector, diversified business
group that includes real estates, finance, golf courses, hospitality, and
commerce of which each company is one of the leaders in its sector.
Five companies in the CMLV+
earned the Most Promising Award for exhibiting a great potential in becoming
business leaders in their developing nation. They are Wing Ltd. Specialised Bank of
Cambodia, Phouvong
Jewelry of Laos, Myanmar Combiz Co. of
Myanmar, Nghia
Nippers Corp. of Vietnam, and Printmarts Advertising of
Brunei.
Imperial Homes, led
by Emma Imperial, was specially recognized for providing low-cost and
earth-friendly housing in the Philippines. Three major enterprises have also
been duly recognized as the Friends of ASEAN for breaking barriers and making
remarkable social and economic impact in the ASEAN. These are the Australia New Zealand Banking
Group Ltd – Philippine Branch (Australia), Prudential Corp. Asia(Hong
Kong), and Robert
Bosch (SEA) PTE
LTD (Germany).
The esteemed foreign
ministers from the 10 ASEAN members-states were also given recognition for
their remarkable work in strengthening foreign relations and integration in the
region.
ASEAN BAC Philippines’
founding members, Jose Concepcion Jr., Rose Teodoro, Miguel Varela and Donald
Dee were also recognized.
With
a strong collaboration among the ASEAN member-states and the neighboring
countries, the ABA Gala Night brought together groundbreaking ASEAN
entrepreneurs whose success stories have become a true inspiration in sowing
prosperity for all.
