MANILA, Philippines — One of the most star-studded and auspicious gatherings of the business community and VIPs recently was the induction rites of Anvil Business Club’s new officers held during its 28th anniversary (lauriat) dinner-reception at Century Seafood Restaurant in Manila.
The occasion also served as the inaugural launch of ALAB Award by the Anvil Business Club which conferred the “Anvil Leadership Award for Business Excellence (ALAB)” citation to its guest of honor that night and the first-ever honoree, the media-shy yet legendary business leader and philanthropist Dr. Lucio Tan.
Dr. Tan, who is one of Anvil’s esteemed advisers, was also the inducting officer of the club’s 2019 Board of Directors led by award-winning columnist, realty entrepreneur and Kamuning Bakery owner Wilson Lee Flores, as president and Nielsen Philippines managing director John Patrick Cua as chairman.
Also inducted were VP Hubert Chua, VP Kenneth Dee, VP Jayson Sze, VP Christopher Go, VP Christopher Yae, treasurer Eusebio Lu Jr., secretary-general William Villanueva, directors Joeben Tai, Wilynda Chua, Claudine Sy, Sheryll Yu, Katherine Yap, Vicente Sy, Richmond Co, William Lim Jr., Ian Cheng, Cherie Haw, Lorina Tan, Lexter Ang and Aldrin Chua.
Dr. Tan, accompanied by his wife Carmen Khu Tan, was conferred with the ALAB award “in recognition of his inspiring business success, outstanding community leadership and magnanimous philanthropy.”
Witnesses at the ALAB Award conferment ceremony for Dr. Tan were Trade & Industry Ramon Lopez, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Employers Confederation of the Phil. (ECOP) chairman Sergio Ortiz-Luis, Jr., Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) president Domingo Yap, Philippine Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PCCI) chairman George Barcelon, Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) chairman Jesus Carranza and China Embassy Commercial Counsellor Jin Yuan.
Among the various celebrities who congratulated Anvil Business Club on the occasion of its 28th anniversary and the induction of its new set of officers were Sen. Grace Poe and her son Brian Poe Llamanzares, former Special Assistant to the President Bong Go (who was Anvil’s special guest in their unique Chinese New Year civic project to give 10,000 boxes of tikoy for urban poor families of Camarin and Barracks areas in north Calooocan), Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, former Sen. Bong Revilla and wife Bacoor Mayor Lani Mercado Revilla (she revealed in her speech that she’s also an entrepreneur who follows the moral teachings of ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius, similar to Anvil which hopes to encourage Confucian values among the youth), former PNP chief Gen. Bato Dela Rosa, Malabon Vice-Mayor Jeannie Sandoval and many others.
Apart from Anvil’s young Filipino Chinese entrepreneurs, their family members and friends, the guests were mostly business leaders who were also joined by top government officials and popular celebrities. Entertainment numbers of classical Tagalog and Mandarin songs were rendered by Anvil member Sherine Koa.
Anvil Business Club Women officers Katherine Yap, Wilynda Chua, Sheryll Yu, Bacoor Mayor Lani Mercado-Revilla, Cherie Haw, Clau dine Sy and Ian Cheng —Photo by Enie Reyes
In his speech delivered in English and also in Hokkien, Flores cited the simple-living, philanthropic Tan “as the greatest leader of the Filipino Chinese community in the past 100 years.” Flores said the “Lumber King” and China Bank founder Dee Chuan, who was elected president of the pre-war Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce in 1919 or exactly 100 years ago, was Dr. Tan’s idealistic paternal grand-uncle. Dr. Tan is now chairman emeritus of the modern-day civic and business umbrella group called Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc., which is holding its biennial national convention from March 21 to 23.
Anvil president Patrick Cua explained ALAB Award’s acronym was derived from the Tagalog word alab, which means “blazing fire.” Anvil, which means a block of metal, and alab go hand-in-hand. Anvil becomes a useful tool when forged with fire. Anvil as a group hopes to help mold civic-minded entrepreneurs and leaders with the fires of idealism and their immigrant elders’ traditional Confucian values, and he said: “Dr. Lucio C. Tan is a positive role model of philanthropy, hard work, humility, resourcefulness, leadership.”
One of Asia’s wealthiest billionaires according to Bloomberg News and Forbes magazine, the self-made entrepreneur Lucio Tan is the boss of the LT Group, Inc., Philippine Airlines (PAL), Philippine National Bank (PNB), Asia Brewery, Tanduay Distillers, the Tan Yan Kee Foundation named in memory of his late father, University of the East (UE) and many others.
Among various past leaders still active in guiding Anvil include chairman emeritus George Siy, honorary chairmen Michael Tan, Jeffrey Ng, Bernard Go, Peter Mangasing, Reynold Siy, Marcelo Co, Wilfred Co, Eduardo Cobankiat, Roy Chua, Michael Chenglay and others.
At the symbolic turnover of a big Anvil were outgoing president Reynold Siy and honorary chairman Marcelo Co, it was received by incoming president Patrick Cua and re-elected chairman Wilson Lee Flores. FFCCCII president Domingo Yap delivered a speech, his son House Deputy Speaker lawyer Arthur Yap is a former Anvil member.
Anvil’s diverse economic, civic and cultural undertakings include promoting international investors to come to the Philippines; promoting businesses in provincial areas outside Metro Manila; 2009 donation of granite Confucius Monument for Rizal Park’s Chinese Garden to honor all teachers of the world and holding annual Teacher’s Day tribute to educators every birthday of Confucius on Sept. 28; different forums and workshops with renowned business leaders and other achievers; giving scholarship grants and also donating relief supplies during calamities like the Marawi tragedy. In the recent Chinese New Year, Anvil Business Club gave 10,000 boxes of tikoy for urban poor families of Camarin and Barracks communities in north Caloocan City.
Among cultural projects of Anvil Business Club include past movie screenings of meaningful, lesson-giving Hollywood and Chinese-language films such as movie premiere of Hero, directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Jet Li which highlighted the Confucian value of sacrificing self and family interests for the national welfare, also the Hollywood movie Joy Luck Club on ethnic Chinese minority life in USA, also the thriller The Firm starring Tom Cruise, etc.