‘People of the Year’

I begin the New Year by training the light on people who made the year just past a milestone year. They are PeopleAsia magazine’s “People of the Year.” It is a special year because the magazine is celebrating its 15th anniversary and the 10th year of the “People of the Year” awards, which will unfold in glittering rites at the New World Hotel in Makati City this January.

PeopleAsia presents the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award to two grand gentlemen: Washington SyCip, founder of SyCip, Gorres, Velayo & Company, and the renowned Asian Institute of Management, and former Ambassador to the Vatican, Bienvenido Tantoco Sr. who helped reshape the landscape of retail operations and the marketplace through Rustan Commercial Corp., the high-end Philippine retailer and department store.  

SyCip aims to solve poverty by addressing the access to basic education. His WS Family Foundation partnered with the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development-Mutually Reinforcing Institutions to enable the poor to complete their elementary education.

Tantoco recently ushered Rustan’s into a new era by declaring that the once wholly owned family enterprise is going public with its Initial Public Offering Listing launched last November.

The “People of the Year” is topbilled by:

1. Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, whose clear vision has helped the department embark on a transformation program. During the conflict in Libya early last year, Del Rosario personally oversaw the repatriation of thousands of OFWs in Libya. Today, the DFA consistently ranks as one of the top government agencies in terms of efficiency and effectiveness, in surveys conducted by the Social Weather Stations and the Makati Business Club.

2. The legendary star of Sampaguita Pictures, Susan Roces, who has reigned with grace and dignity as the “Queen of Philippine Movies,” with a career spanning over 60 years. “I’ve stayed long in the industry because it is my choice,” she tells PeopleAsia’s Greggy Vera Cruz.

3. The Presidential sister, Kris Aquino is deemed as the country’s “Queen of All Media,” thanks to her unparalleled box-office, TV ratings and endorsement deal records. She is also called the “Queen of Superlatives” by STAR’s Büm Tenorio Jr. “Success is not just relevance but significance. It’s not just having an audience,” declares Kris to Büm.

4. Internationally renowned singer Lea Salonga has achieved several “firsts” for Filipinos in the global stage, including winning the much-coveted Olivier and Tony awards for her role in Miss Saigon. When she sings, the Filipinos take a bow. She likes mentoring with a passion a new generation of aspiring singers because she wants to both give back and pay it forward.

5. Boy Abunda, a well-versed and erudite showbiz talk show host, uses his influence and popularity to bring light to causes he believes in, such as promoting Filipino heritage through his role as Art Ambassador of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and caring for one’s mother.

6. One of Cebu’s no-longer-hidden “gems” is Mariquita Yeung, who dazzles because of her devotion to helping several charities. In 1991, she established the Mariquita Salimbangon Yeung Charitable Foundation Inc. (MSYCFI), a non-profit organization that provides relief aid, education and health care for the underprivileged in the Philippines. Through the foundation, which is also the local partner of Operation Smile, Yeung has helped hundreds of children by offering free reconstructive surgery for cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial malformations.

7. Loida Nicolas-Lewis, the former chair and CEO of the largest African-American US-based conglomerate, TLC Beatrice International, has been instrumental in helping out underprivileged countrymen around the globe, the most memorable being OFW Dondon Lanuza who was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia after being convicted of murder. She is also a passionate supporter of the arts, recently bringing Noli Me Tangere: The Opera to Manila.

8. A “glass act,” multi-awarded and renowned glass sculptor Ramon Orlina heads the campaign to preserve and protect the “antiquity and beauty” of architectural relics like the Taal Basilica, also known as Basilica de San Martin de Tours. He is actively campaigning to make the town of Taal a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

9. Now celebrating 25 years in the industry, the Cebu-based couturier Cary Santiago blazed a trail in fashion by becoming known for his intricate and complex laser cutting techniques. His innovative designs and master touch, which re-envision romantic styling, have made him one of the most important and influential designers today. “I don’t have a signature in particular because fashion is an evolution,” he tells PeopleAsia contributor Grace Diez.

10. With plans to expand his resorts in Boracay, as well as open luxury resorts in Bohol, Coron and Puerto Princesa, Henry Chusuey has made the Henann Group of Resorts one of the fastest-growing hotel and resort developments in the country.

11. Apart from serving as the first executive vice president of SM Investments Corp., as well as president of SM Prime Holdings Inc., Hans Sy also supports ChildHaus, a temporary shelter for cancer-stricken kids and families who can’t afford accommodations. He is also the Filipino representative for the Private Sector Advisory of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. His latest endeavor on housing projects — funded by SM Foundation — was for areas hit hard by typhoon Yolanda.

12. Dr. Edgardo Cortez, the president and CEO of the St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC), presided over the hospital’s success, enabled SLMC to become one of the best privately run academic centers in the world. In 2014, SLMC Quezon City and Global City hospitals were certified as medical tourism destinations by German-based accrediting body TEMOS. This makes SLMC two of only five hospitals worldwide to be recognized as medical tourism destinations.

13. Lorenzo Tan, the president and CEO of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., led the expansion of RCBC’s branch network, making it the sixth largest private commercial bank in the Philippines.

14. Martin Nievera, a multi-awarded singer, songwriter and actor, has garnered 18 platinum, five double-platinum, three triple platinum and one quadruple platinum albums in his entire career. “There is a story in every song,” he tells PeopleAsia contributor Miguel Sarmenta.

15. Also known as “Mr. Pure Energy,” Gary Valenciano won the Awit Awards for “Best Male Performer” 11 times. In 1998, he became UNICEF Philippines’ first National Ambassador. In his 25 years in the music industry, Gary has been awarded five platinum albums, four double platinum albums, three triple platinum albums and two sextuple platinum albums.

Pope Francis I  will be presented a special award and it will be received on his behalf by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.

Happy New Year!

(You may e-mail me at [email protected].)