Profood's Justin Uy named "Entrepreneur of the Year"

CEBU, Philippines – Profood International Corporation president Justin Uy was acknowledged as “Entrepreneur of the Year,” by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry in this year’s Grand Chamber Awards.

Culminating its activities for this year’s Cebu Business Month (CBM), CCCI recently awarded successful entrepreneurs that have shown exemplary initiatives in different fields in their 14th Annual Grand Chamber Awards.

Along with its theme for this year: “Get Inspired!” CCCI presented its new roster of awardees that have different success stories where fellow businessmen and would be entrepreneurs can get inspiration.

Uy is a self-made business icon who turned a small processing company into the leading producer and exporter of processed fruit products   with his resiliency and courage.

He was also one of the recently featured business icons in CBM’s Meet the Business Icons along with two other successful entrepreneurs in the country.

Other awardees include “Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year” Socorro de Guia, the president of Royal Oaks International School which was awarded for her success as an educator combining after academic excellence and entrepreneurship.

De Guia now operates Royal Oaks International School here in Cebu and in Dumaguete and she attributes her success in business to her people and staff.

Jenifer Cruz, president of gifts, toys and houseware exporter 33 Point 3 Export Inc. received the “Socially Responsible Entrepreneur of the Year” because of his exemplary commitment to the community.

He helped transform the sleepy municipality of Antiquera in Bohol as the epicenter for the county’s cottage industry and provided townfolks livelihood opportunities in weaving and among others which now was replicated in Cordova and San Remigio in Cebu.

“We in the business sector should be the provider of the gaps in the community. We have to provide the well-being of the needy and we should take the lead in helping them,” he said in an interview.

Antonio Ynoc, the president of San Remigio Beach Club was awarded as the “Countryside Entrepreneur of the Year” for continuously investing in his resort property in San Remigio despite the financial crisis becoming one of Cebu’s partners in domestic tourism.

Meanwhile, proprietors of Cebu’s popular lechon CNT Lechon Norman and Catherine Quijada was awarded as the “Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year” having emerged as the lechon guru after being small players in the food industry.

Edward Onglatco, the president of Hyundai Cebu was awarded as the “Young Entrepreneur of the Year” after emerging as a multi-awarded steward of dealership and management skills because in 2007, he won the “Dealership of the Year” award as well as the “Dealer of the Year” award for the Asia Pacific operations of Hyundai.

For Onglatco, hard work and dedication and at the same time passion to giving the best products and service to the market is the key to his success as a young entrepreneur.

The Grand Chamber Awards also gave special citation to the Cebu Investment and Promotions Center (CIPC) for promoting Cebu to foreign direct investors.

Cebu Mitsumi, Inc. was also awarded with a special citation for employment generation because of being Cebu’s top employer having employed 8, 393 jobseekers as of March this year and contributing P40 million a month to Cebu’s local economy.

Another special citation was given to Lexmark Research and Development for their exemplary commitment as its operations become the catalyst in moving Cebu’s IT development towards global competitiveness.

A special citation was also given to British Armour Manufacturing International Inc. for their contribution to innovation and technology with its more than 30 years of expertise in armouring acknowledged by the international armouring community for their fine designs and technical know-hows. — Rhia de Pablo