The 2018 MVP Bossing Awards

Integrity. Commitment to excellence. Fearlessness. These are traits that embody the true Filipino entrepreneurial spirit.

This, in essence, is what the MVP Bossing Awards is all about.

Started eight years ago by PLDT SME Nation, the awards were built on the vision of PLDT chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan to celebrate the most accomplished entrepreneurs and highlight their inspiring success stories and how they have navigated with aplomb the constantly shifting business and economic landscape in the country, especially in this VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) world we live in.

(From left) PLDT SME Nation’s Mitch Locsin, Potato Corner’s Joe Magsaysay, PLDT and Smart Enterprise Business Groups SVP and head Jovy Hernandez, 2018 MVP Grand Bossing awardee and Magsaysay Group of Companies president and CEO Doris Magsaysay-Ho, MVP, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion, Lamoiyan Corp.’s Dr. Cecilio Pedro, Golden ABC’s Bernie Liu and PLDT Alpha’s Vic Tria.

There are eight Bossing awards given in the categories of agriculture, fishery and forestry; manufacturing, mining, construction and utilities; wholesale/retail trade and finance; hotels, resorts and restaurants; and professional, health, education, outsourcing, IT and other services.

A Grand MVP Bossing Awardee is chosen from the pool of eight awardees and is bestowed to the one who exemplifies the trait of fearlessness the most.

Tony Tan Caktiong, founder and chairman of Jollibee Foods Corp., was the last Grand MVP Bossing awardee in 2016.

GT Capital Holdings covice chairman Alfred Ty receives the Special Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of his father Dr. George S.K. Ty from MVP and Joey Concepcion.

Go Negosyo, under the able leadership of Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and RFM Corp. chairman and CEO Joey Concepcion, himself a Bossing awardee in 2010, is PLDT’s partner in this endeavor.

The awardees for 2018 are Leechiu Property Consultants Inc. CEO David Leechiu;  Margarita “Gaita” Araneta Fores, award-winning chef and restaurateur of Cibo, Lusso and Grace Park Farm-to-Table Organic Restaurant; Mary Grace Foods Inc. owner Mary Grace Dimacali; The French Baker founder and CEO Johnlu Koa; LDP Farms’ Benjie and Maan Lolim; FoodAsia Group CEO Richard Sanz; Ever Bilena Cosmetics Inc. president and CEO Dioceldo Sy; Esquire Financing Inc. chairman and CEO Rajan Uttamchandani; and D.M. Wenceslao and Associates Inc. chairman Delfin Wenceslao Jr.

This year’s Grand MVP Bossing awardee is Doris Magsaysay-Ho, president and CEO of the Magsaysay Group of Companies.

(First row, from left) Benjie and Maan Lolim, Johnlu Koa, Doris Magsaysay-Ho, MVP, Alfred Ty, Delfin Wenceslao Jr. and Dioceldo Sy; (second row) Mary Grace Dimacali, Richard Sanz and David Leechiu; (third row, from left) Bellas Artes deputy director Fatima Manalili, Mercedes Legarda, Joey Concepcion, Dr. Cecilio Pedro and Vic Tria; (fourth row, from left) PLDT SME Nation’s Dick Perez, Jovy Hernandez, PLDT’s Jojo Gendrano, Joe Magsaysay, PLDT SME Nation’s Jay Lagdameo, Mitch Locsin and Bernie Liu with PLDT’s Ralph Brunner, Junichi Igarashi, Mike Tsuchiya, Nico Alcoseba and John Gonzales.

A special Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Dr. George S.K. Ty, Metrobank founder and chairman emeritus of GT Capital Holdings Inc.

Special awards were also given to Bellas Artes projects founder Jam Acuzar for excellence in corporate social responsibility, and to Mandaluyong City Mayor Menchie Abalos for excellence in public service.

The awards night was, as always, impressive, also because this year’s awards coincided with the 90th anniversary of PLDT and the 10th anniversary of PLDT SME Nation.

Held at the Grand Ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Hotel at the Bonifacio Global City, the event welcomed 500 guests to what was dubbed as the most historic celebration yet since the first holding of the awards night in 2009.

(Seated, from left) US Ambassador Sung Kim, MVP, Alfred Ty and Joey Concepcion; (standing, from left) 2016 MVP Bossing awardee and W Group’s Rosalind Wee, PLDT’s Marife Zamora, Celeste Ilagan, Sheila Lobien, Rosemarie Basa, Asia CEO Forum’s Rebecca Bustamante-Mills, Emma Imperial, Rayla Melchor Santos, Doris Magsaysay-Ho, PLDT Alpha’s Corinne Funk-Zablan, 2013 MVP Bossing Awardee and Richwell Trading’s Myrna Yao and the author.

Upon entering the cavernous ballroom, I was overwhelmed by this life-sized interactive Hall of Fame that showcased the past Grand MVP Bossing awardees.

Doing the yeoman’s job of hosting the event were Miss World 2013 Megan Young and erstwhile travel show host-slash-reporter Atom Araullo.

Jovy Hernandez, SVP and head of PLDT-Smart Enterprise Business Groups, gave the welcome and opening remarks.

Jed Madela rendered a powerful medley of Go the Distance and I Believe together with the AMP Band led by maestro Mel Villena.

(Seated) French Baker’s Johnlu Koa, 2011 Bossing awardee and SL Agritech Corp.’s Henry Lim Bon Liong and Irene Pedro; (standing, from left) PLDT Alpha’s Vic Tria, Amil Azurin, Owee Cruz, 2012 MVP Bossing awardee Willy Tee Tan, Jovy Hernandez, Mitch Locsin and Dr. Cecilio Pedro.

Then came the sumptuous dinner followed by the presentation of the awards led by top-notch PLDT executives Jovy Hernandez, PLDT SME Nation FVP and head Mitch Locsin, PLDT Alpha FVP and head Vic Tria with Joey Concepcion. PLDT’s EVP and chief revenue officer Eric Alberto was out of the country on official business.

After the first set of awards, presenters were joined on stage by PLDT chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan and former MVP Bossing awardees Potato Corner founder Joe Magsaysay, Lamoiyan Corp. CEO Dr. Cecilio Pedro and Golden ABC chairman and CEO Bernie Liu.

The awarding of the Grand MVP Bossing Award to Doris Magsayay-Ho followed, as she honored her father that evening and waxed nostalgic about how much she learned from her father in loving the business and industry that she is in now.

With (from left) PLDT-Smart public affairs head Mon Isberto, Sen. Bam Aquino, PLDT-Smart Foundation president Esther Santos, MVP and Henry Lim Bon Liong.

The honoring of fathers did not stop there as the Special Lifetime Achievement Award was received on behalf of the awardee, Dr. George S.K. Ty, by his son, GT Capital Holdings co-vice chairman Alfred Ty, who gave a very moving tribute and acceptance speech in honor of his father.

The soulful rendition of Andra Day’s Rise Up by Jed Madela and Yeng Constantino kept the audience riveted.

Also present during the awards night was US Ambassador Sung Kim, who had been very supportive not only of the MVP Bossing Awards but also of enterprise development in the country.

My hat’s off to PLDT and Go Negosyo for spearheading these awards, and my most profound congratulations to this year’s batch of awardees.

Cheers!