Business is also not just about profit — it’s about people.”
Thus declared the “Woman of Steel” Alice G. Eduardo, president and CEO of Sta. Elena Construction and Development Corp., before graduates, students and the academic community of her alma mater, the University of Santo Tomas, as she received the “Most Outstanding Alumni” award in Business Management from the College of Commerce and Business Administration, where she graduated in 1986.
“It’s about the relationships we build, the teams we inspire, and the value we create for others,” she added.
“The world of business is not just a competition — it’s a world of opportunity,” Alice said when she received her award from the UST College of Commerce in ceremonies held on campus. “It’s where bold ideas transform industries, where creative thinking can change communities, and where our passion can make a lasting impact.”
“We are not here simply to fit into the world that exists, but to shape the world that will be.”
Alice received three awards in just a week before September ended, making friends congratulate her for her “Three-la in Manila.”
The other awards she received were the university-wide The Thomasian Outstanding Alumni (TOTAL) Award for Accountancy, Business and Management. The TOTAL award is the highest honor bestowed by UST on its alumni. This year, 13 other alumni were also honored.
The other TOTAL awardees include Sr. Maria Marissa R. Viri, RVM, Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, Nestor D. Cuartero, Joselito B. Zulueta, Dr. Catherine S. Teh, M.D., Edgar D. Doctor, Jose Pedro C. Recio, Hasan Fard, Grace Tan Caktiong, Prof. Pilar I. Romero, Paul Anthony Pangilinan, the Ling Family and engineer Mariano Agoncillo (posthumous).
A few days before that, she received the “Innovation Excellence Award for Engineering Industry” during the PhilDev Gala and Awards at the EDSA Shangri-La in Mandaluyong, which recognizes outstanding achievements in Science and Technology Education, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Sta. Elena, according to PhilDev, “has become a trailblazer in the field of engineering and construction, setting new standards with your advanced engineering solutions and commitment to excellence.”
For her harvest of awards, Alice thanked her parents Andres and Elisa Eduardo for showing her “the value of hard work and resilience. Their constant presence and encouragement in the formative years of Sta. Elena Construction were instrumental in growing the company.”
She also expressed her gratitude to her children Jacqueline, James and Jessica “for the patience and understanding that they have shown throughout the years while I was spending long hours working in construction projects throughout the country.”
With UST Rector Fr. Richard Ang and children (from left) Jessica, Jacqueline and James.