Phenomenal 'People of the Year' 2016
PeopleAsia magazine’s “People of the Year” awards night, held at the Grand Ballroom of the Sofitel Philippine Plaza last Jan. 25, was no less than phenomenal.
Now on its 11th year, this stellar event has given recognition to eminent and extraordinary individuals from all walks of life. Our honorees this year were equally distinguished. This batch includes People’s Choice awardees, the social phenomenon tandem of Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza, popularly known as AlDub.
Joining me in welcoming the guests were PeopleAsia and The Philippine STAR chairman Atty. Ray Espinosa, The Philippine STAR president and CEO and PeopleAsia vice chairman Miguel Belmonte and PeopleAsia editor-in-chief Joanne Rae Ramirez.
It was also the night we honored the late Max Soliven, PeopleAsia’s founding publisher and my dear friend of many years, through the Max Soliven Lifetime Achievement Award. We were pleased to give this special recognition to Philippine Airlines chairman Dr. Lucio “El Kapitan” Tan, who has almost singlehandedly kept our country’s flag carrier afloat despite difficulties and challenges.
Those who presented the awards included Scandinavian Motors (Volvo) CEO Albert Arcilla, Volvo Philippines senior marketing manager Chris Yu, STAR’s Sara Soliven-de Guzman, Thai Airways GM Sern Chupikulchai, Sofitel Philippine Plaza GM Adam Laker and Coca-Cola FEMSA’s Juan Carlos Dominguez. BBC’s Rico Hizon, who flew in from Singapore, was also at the event to introduce AlDub as our People’s Choice awardees.
Ably hosted by Bianca Valerio and Paolo Bediones, the event featured the String Minstrels conducted by Benjie Velasco together with Arthur Manuntag, who sang the night’s theme, People. The exquisite performance by world-renowned pianist and People of the Year awardee Cecile Licad, and the musical numbers of awardees Zsa Zsa Padilla and John Arcilla (impromptu) were also given rousing applause by the eager crowd.
Other awardees this year were CATS Motors Inc. chairman Felix Ang, Rockwell Land Corp. president Nestor “Tong” Padilla, Dr. Aivee Aguilar-Teo, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, TV news anchor Vicky Morales-Reyno, Araneta Group chairman and CEO Jorge Araneta, PEZA Director General Lilia de Lima, fashion designer Jeannie Goulbourn, basketball player Jayson Castro, legendary host and The Philippine STAR columnist Johnny Litton and Dr. Vicki Belo, who was also presented the Volvo Iron Mark Award.
PeopleAsia also named Napoleon Nazareno, former president and CEO of PLDT and Smart Communications, as a special awardee.
“People of the Year” 2016 was brought to you by PeopleAsia magazine and the Sofitel Philippine Plaza. It was sponsored by Smart Communications, San Miguel Corp., Volvo, Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines, Thai Airways, L’Occitane, Henann Group of Resorts, PAGCOR, Van Laack, The French Baker, Morellato, International Container Terminal Services Inc., Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Escada, León Gallery and The Philippine STAR.
Till next year!
