4Phl businessmen win entrepreneurship awards

By Dexter A. See 

BAGUIO CITY – Four popular Filipino businessmen, one of them is a native of the Cordillera, were adjudged winners in their respective categories in the recently-concluded Ernst and Young (EY) Entrepreneurship Awards held in Metro Manila recently.

           

Ben Chan of Bench won the Master Entrepreneur Award and was eventually declared the Entrepreneur of the Year awardee; Narda O. Capuyan, proprietor of Narda’s Handwoven Arts and Crafts, won the Small Business Entrepreneur Award of the Year, while Dr. Milagros How of Universal Harvester bested her fellow women finalists in the Woman Entrepreneur of the Year award and Juliet Herrera of Serenitea was adjudged the Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

           

“We are elated that our patience and perseverance in innovating our handwoven products was given recognition after so many years of working out the needed improvements that gained us international exposure,”Capuyan said after she was given the award by the organizers, adding that her success represents the collective and individual efforts of Cordillerans to be recognized in the field of entrepreneurship.

          

 The 12 finalists in the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Philippines include Santiago Araneta of LBC Express, NardaCapuyan of Nard’s Handwoven Arts and Crafts, Ben Chan of Bench, Maria Lorena Florendo of Life Data Systems, Dr. Milagros How of Universal Harvester,  Juliet Herrera of Serenitea, Albert Lina of Air 21, Cesar Mamon of Enchanted Kingdom, Manuel Osmeña of Manny O. Group, Dr. Victor Perez of the University of Cagayan Valley, Rajan Uttamchandani of Esquire Financing and lawyer Alexander L. Bangsoy of Goshen Land Capital.

The award makes a difference through the unique way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential, and recognizes the contribution of people who inspired others with their vision, leadership and achievement. Each year, the country winners of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award around the world gather in Monte Carlo, Monaco to vie for the world’s most prestigious business award, the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Chan will be representing the Philippines in the 2014 World Entrepreneur of the Year in Monte Carlo, Monaco in June 2014.

The Entrepreneur of the Year Philippines is a program of the SGV Foundation, Inc. and supporting the program as co-presenters are the Department of Trade and Industry, the Philippine Business for Social Progress, the Philippine Stock Exchange, the SCHWAB Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship and the University of the Philippines College of Business Administration.

            

The global program was launched in the Philippines in 2003. A highly distinguished panel of independent judges composed of leaders from government, business and academe evaluated the nominees in areas such as innovations, financial performance, and personal commitment to their respective businesses, employees and community.

            

The program was first introduced in the United States in 1986 by professional services firms EY to recognize the achievements of outstanding entrepreneurs within successful, growing and dynamic businesses. The program currently runs in more than 140 cities and over 50 countries. Each country sends its winner to the World Entrepreneur of the Year held annually in Monaco.