Top entrepreneur for 2010 named

Top entrepreneur for 2010 named 
Business World Online Edition
October 13, 2010

TENNYSON G. CHEN, President of Bounty Fresh Food Inc., was named the Entrepreneur Of The Year Philippines 2010 in an award banquet held last night at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel.

Mr. Chen was recognized for his outstanding leadership, melding innovation and quality to secure Bounty Fresh Food, Inc.’s position as one of the country’s largest and most reputable food producers.

Using advanced technology, the company revolutionized the broiler chicken production industry and pioneered many of the systems now used by the country’s poultry integrators.

Mr. Chen will represent the Philippines in the World Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards in Monte Carlo, Monaco in June 2011.

Mr. Chen also received the category award for Master Entrepreneur 2010. He was recognized for applying sound management practices in critical areas of the company, including finance, marketing, human resources and sales.

He maintains strong working relationships with close to 1,000 contract growers, toll feedmills, hatcheries and other partners around the country. Leading the company to the next phase of its growth, he conceptualized the Chooks to Go brand through Bounty Agroventure, Inc., BFFI’s sister company. In just two years, Chooks to Go has expanded to over 700 outlets nationwide and retails 100 million chickens a year.

Other category awards presented were for the Young Entrepreneur, Agribusiness Entrepreneur, Social Entrepreneur, Small Business Entrepreneur and Woman Entrepreneur categories.

Gabino M. Abejo, Jr., president & CEO of Abejo Builders Corporation, was presented with the Young Entrepreneur award for his accomplishments at such a young age. The award is presented to outstanding entrepreneurs below 30 years old. At 27 years old, Mr. Abejo heads the family business, which supplies the Metro Cebu Water District with up to 15,000 cubic meters of clean, safe water a day to the barangays in Talisay and Consolacion, Cebu.

Lyndon C. Tan, president of Basic Necessity, Inc., received the Agribusiness Entrepreneur award for building a company that continues to succeed despite challenges in the agribusiness industry. Through his company, Mr. Tan helped develop the local lettuce industry, helping eliminate the need for importation and reducing market prices.

Antonio P. Meloto, chairman of Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation (GK), was named Social Entrepreneur for building an organization that champions social transformation for the marginalized and the poor. With the support of volunteers and sponsors, GK has transformed poverty-stricken areas into safe and progressive GK Villages with well-built homes. It has also encouraged livelihood and self-sufficiency among GK village residents. The GK model has been replicated in other countries.

Edgar J. Sia II, chairman and CEO of Mang Inasal Philippines, Inc., was presented the Small Business Entrepreneur award for best demonstrating management excellence in a business with assets of less than P100 million. Mang Inasal fuses traditional Filipino dishes with the fast food dine-in concept. Mang Inasal started with one store in 2003 in Iloilo City. Seven years later, there are now over 250 stores and it has become the sixth largest fast food chain in the country.

Esther A. Vibal, president of Vibal Publishing House, Inc. (VPHI), received the Woman Entrepreneur award for blazing a trail in entrepreneurship, leadership and community development. Under her management, VPHI dominated the competitive textbook publishing market, accounting for over 50% of textbooks distributed to the estimated 18 million Filipino children in public elementary and secondary schools.

The recipients of the category awards were chosen from among 18 outstanding finalists from diverse industries whose businesses are situated in various regions in the country. The others finalists were Mary Joy Canon-Abaquin (Multiple Intelligence International School), Corazon Pineda-Aquino (C & Triple A Supermarket, Inc.), Paolo Benigno Aquino IV and Mark Joaquin Ruiz (MicroVentures, Inc.), Adelfa Lepura Borro (Ted’s Oldtimer La Paz Batchoy), Ireneo D. Dalayon (Federation of ARB/Banana-Based Cooperatives of Davao), Junie S. Del Mundo (EON), Teodoro L. Ferrer (Generika Drugstore), Anthony T. Huang (Stores Specialists Inc.), Benjamin I. Liuson (The Generics Pharmacy Franchising Corp.), Ronald Pineda (Adenip Inc.), Remegio Salanatin (R.G. Salanatin Construction) and Annabella Santos-Wisniewski (Raintree Management Partners, Inc.).

SGV Chairman and Managing Partner and SGV Foundation Vice-Chairman Cirilo P. Noel hailed all finalists as exceptional role models to aspiring entrepreneurs. "In this seventh year of the Entrepreneur Of The Year Philippines program, we are truly honored to share their stories of success. We admire them for staying true to their respective visions, working hard to initiate positive change and making significant contributions to the Philippine economy."

All nominees went through a strict financial data ranking system used by all Entrepreneur Of The Year participating countries. The finalists were further evaluated by an independent panel of judges composed of distinguished personalities from government and business.

The panel was chaired by former Philippine Prime Minister Cesar E. A. Virata, corporate vice-chairman of Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation. Co-chair was De La Salle University President Br. Jun Erguiza. The other panel members were Securities and Exchange Commission Chairperson Fe Barin, Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary Merly Cruz, SAP Philippines Country Manager Jennifer Ligones, Philippine Stock Exchange President and CEO Val Suarez, and Planters Development Chairman and President and Entrepreneur Of The Year 2009 Ambassador Jesus P. Tambunting.

The Entrepreneur Of The Year was founded in the United States by professional services firm Ernst & Young in 1986 to recognize the achievements of the most successful and innovative entrepreneurs worldwide. In 2001, Ernst & Young expanded the program and launched the World Entrepreneur Of The Year awards. In the Philippines, the SGV Foundation, Inc. established the Entrepreneur Of The Year program, in 2003.

Jollibee Foods Corporation President and CEO Tony Tan Caktiong, the first ever Entrepreneur Of The Year Philippines, went on to win as World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2004 in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Socorro Cancio-Ramos, founder of National Book Store, was next named Entrepreneur Of The Year Philippines, followed by Lance Gokongwei, president and CEO of Cebu Air, Inc.; Senen Bacani, chairman and president of La Frutera, Inc.; Wilfred Steven Uytengsu, Jr., president and CEO of Alaska Milk Corp.; and Amb. Jesus P. Tambunting, chairman and president of Planters Development Bank.

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The Entrepreneur of the Year Philippines 2010 is sponsored by SAP Philippines. The official airline is KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, operating on behalf of the Air France-KLM Group in the Philippines. Media sponsors are BusinessWorld and the ABS-CBN News Channel. Banquet sponsors are Alaska Milk Corp., Globe Business, Land Bank of the Philippines, Island Rose, Planters Development Bank, San Marino and Victorinox.

The Entrepreneur Of The Year Philippines 2010 has concluded its search for the country’s most successful and inspiring entrepreneurs. Entrepreneur Of The Year Philippines is a program of the SGV Foundation, Inc. with the participation of co-presenters De La Salle University, Department of Trade and Industry, Philippine Business for Social Progress, Philippine Stock Exchange and the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.