Men of influence

MANILA, Philippines - On Sept. 22, the Philippine Cancer Society will again honor the Best-Dressed Women of the Philippines and Men of Influence in the Philippines at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel.

Still an elusive dream, the prevention and control of cancer has been the centerpiece of the Philippine Cancer Society since 1956. The PCS triple advocacy of prevention and early detection, statistical research, and focused-patient services stand out in its breadth and cogent understanding of the effective principles of fighting cancer.

The collaboration of the PCS with the Department of Health is a shining example of how private-government partnership can become a potent force in this fight — from raising cancer awareness, education and information dissemination on cancer, establishing an internationally recognized registry of cancer statistics covering incidence, mortality and survival rates, to the actual practice of providing first-line consultations and referrals for those needing further medical attention and the much-vaunted Patient Navigation Program, which directly assists cancer patients with their treatments financially, psychologically and socially.

Essential to the realization of these programs are funding, time and effort on the part of the PCS organization led by its chairman Roberto Paterno and vice chairman Antonio Ma. Guerrero.

A specialized group within the PCS has pursued a sustained funding mechanism for over 11 years now. Led by its honorary chairman Imelda Cojuangco and event chairperson Helen Ong, the Philippine Cancer Society — Best Dressed Women of the Philippines will choose every year elegant women of fine fashion taste.

Not to be outdone, the Philippine Cancer Society — Men of Influence, led by its chairperson Consul Ma. Agnes Huibonhoa will honor the following men who are pillars in business, medicine, government, and other sectors of society.

Rodrigo Duterte

Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte transformed Davao from a city with a triple-digit crime rate per 1,000 people to 0.8 cases per 10,000 people. This accomplishment caused Davao City to win the National Literacy Hall of Fame Award for being the Outstanding Local Government Unit under the Highly Urbanized City category three times. He imposed prohibitions on liquor, smoking and speed limits for all types of motor vehicles in the city that has continually contributed to its impressive public safety record.

Though largely known for his special interest in security, he also has a heart for children, women, senior citizens and health as shown by the various projects he has piloted in Davao City. For children, Davao was given the Presidential Award for being one of the Child-Friendly Municipalities and Cities. The Quick Response Team for Children’s Concerns is a 24-hour response mechanism to rescue reported cases of abuse.

For women, there is the establishment of child-minding centers providing supplemental care for children while mothers are at work. In addition, the Alima Devs Center is a drop-in facility that provides teaching and healing activities for street children, while The Co Su Gian Center for the Elderly is a temporary home for abandoned and abused senior citizens.

These projects are only the tip of the iceberg of the sheer number of initiatives Davao City has seen from Mayor Duterte. Indeed, he has already made his mark, with no signs of stopping.

Peter G. Coyiuto

Peter G. Coyiuto is a stalwart in the insurance industry as the president and chief executive officer of First Life Financial Co., Inc. The firm maintains a strategic alliance with global leaders as the network partner of Swiss Life Insurance and Pension Company.

Armed with insurance and accounting degrees from the Wharton School of Business and Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, he has had a well-rounded experience in the industry as vice chairman of Prudential Guarantee and Assurance, Inc. and director of various insurance institutions, including PGA Sompo Japan Insurance, Inc., Guarantee Development Corporation and Life Builder Holding, Inc.

His affiliations extend to the American and Philippine Chamber of Commerce, Philippine Life Insurance Association, where he was president and director, Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, Wharton-Penn Club of the Philippines, Insurance Institute for Asia and the Pacific, Life Insurance Marketing & Research Association.

Apart from his business-related organizations, this Rotarian is also a director of the La Salle Greenhills Alumni Association, Manila Polo Club and University of St. La Salle.

Mario Muralla

Mario “Bo” Muralla has three decades of extensive experience in operations management, retail and franchising. He has championed brand building as the vice president for operations and director for project management of Millward Brown Philippines, a global branding and communications company. ?

An AIM graduate, Bo was a consistent dean’s lister in San Sebastián College Manila, where he earned his degree in economics. Bo’s long list of achievements includes 23 awards conferred by various national and global research companies. His brilliance in business and research extends beyond the corporate world. He is actively involved in various socio-civic organizations.

At present, he is the vice president of the Gerry Roxas Leadership Awardees, a distinguished group of achievers committed to leadership development, scholarship and community outreach. He is also helping several church and community projects, among others, the Marikina Watershed and Global Helping Hands. For his unpublicized generosity and silent acts of benevolence in supporting religious and socio-civic groups, Bo has also significantly transformed the lives of many individuals in business, education and faith.

Johnny Yu

Johnny Yu is a master entrepreneur, owning both Team Network Emergency & Crisis Management and JGYU Enterprises. He also founded the Tactical Emergency Assistance & Monitoring Network Incorporated and National Emergency Response Task Group.

This management graduate from the Philippine School of Business Administration holds more positions outside the companies he owns, including being president of MangoTech Inc., director of the National Alliance of Filipino Businessmen, regional director of the Office of Civil Defense, director of the Philippine National Red Cross – Quezon City Chapter, CEO of the Admiral Maritime Training Institute and National Director of the Civil Defense Action Group.

His advocacy for fire protection and prevention led him to be Fire Marshal of the Association of Volunteer Fire Chiefs and Firefighters of the Philippines, vice chairman of the R.I. District 3780 Disaster and Rescue Group and a member of both the Singapore Civil Defense Force for Disasters and the International Fire Chiefs Association of Asia.

In the field of sports management, he was president of the National Achievers Basketball League and the U&I Bowling Club.

Arturo Del Rosario Jr.

Lawyer Arturo T. Del Rosario Jr. co-founded the Del Rosario & Del Rosario Law Offices alongside his father, acclaimed Atty. Arturo M. del Rosario Sr. The firm is now recognized as the best maritime law firm in the Philippines, handling cargo and seafarers’ cases in both local and international seas.

After obtaining his law degree from the University of the Philippines, he took a maritime law course at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom. He was invited to write for the University of San Francisco Maritime Law Journal on arrests of vessels in the Philippines.

Johnny was inducted this year as president of the Intellectual Property Association of the Philippines. His IP clients include international giants Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Sony. He was president of the Philippine Bar Association as well as the Maritime Law Association of the Philippines. He is also a member of the International Bar Association, International Trademark Association and the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property. The firm’s new address at the Del Rosario Law Centre at Bonifacio Global City cements the law firm’s foothold in the global maritime industry.

Among his passions are playing the guitar and singing backup vocals for his band, The Minstrels. Son Aldrich and daughter Carine share his love for music.

Nilo Divina

Lawyer Nilo T. Divina is the founding and managing partner of Divina Law, a full-service law firm whose clients include financial institutions and both public and private entities. He is also currently the dean of the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law as well as part of the board of directors of United Coconut Planters Bank.

His true passion, though, is imparting his knowledge on various subjects such as Commercial Law, Corporation Law, Negotiable Instruments Law, Special Commercial Laws, Intellectual Property Code and Credit Transactions to the thousands of law students in the halls of UST. He holds the distinction of being the youngest bar reviewer in Commercial Law and is the recipient of the Chief Justice Professorial Chair on Liberty and Prosperity. He is the president of the Philippine Association of Law Schools and was conferred the Manuel Luis Quezon Award for Exemplary Leadership.

Among the many hats Nilo already wears, he also counts being an author, having written the Handbook on Commercial Law, the proceeds of which were used to finance the scholarship grants of deserving but financially challenged law students.

Michael Toledo

Lawyer Michael “Mike” Toledo has a long list of roles, the best known of which is head of the MVP Group of Companies Media Bureau involved in telecoms, media, power, water, infrastructure, hospitals, agriculture and natural resources development, while also being senior vice president for Public and Regulatory Affairs of Philex Mining Corporation.  He was president and CEO of the Manila office of Weber Shandwick, one of the world’s leading full-service public relations firms. As a lawyer, he started his legal career at the prestigious Angara, Concepcion, Cruz, Regala and Abello law offices (ACCRA Law).

His expertise has been recognized in the form of appointments in various organizations including the United Kingdom Education Ambassador to the Philippines; president of the Chevening Alumni Association (an Association of British Government scholars who studied in the UK); chair of the Committee on Public Relations and Publicity and co-chair of the Committee on Business Law Reforms of the Philippine Bar Association. The International Association of Business Communicators named him 2014 CEO (Communication Excellence in Organizations) Excel Awardee.