MAKATI Shangri-La - Besting the crème of the crop of entrepreneurs, from diverse industries, from all over the country, Ambassador Jesus P. Tambunting was named the Entrepreneur of the Year Philippines 2009 in an awards banquet held last Oct. 15, 2009 at the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati City.
Photo shows Ambassador Tambunting (center) during the awarding
ceremony. Ernst and Young, the award giving body, recognized his efforts of forwarding the interest of small and medium entrepreneurs; committing himself and Plantersbank to focus on financing and helping SMEs grow - when very few other commercial banks refused to take the risk.
As Entrepreneur of the Year (2009), Ambassador Tambunting will represent the Philippines in the World Entrepreneur of the Year Awards in Monte Carlo, Monaco on June 1, 2010.
Ambassador Tambunting was also presented with the Master Entrepreneur
Award for his sound management practices in key areas of the bank -
finance, marketing, human resources and sales - catapulting Plantersbank to becoming the leader in SME finance and the country’s largest private development bank.
Other awards presented were the Small Business Entrepreneur (Eduarda V.
Ayo, Owner and Manager of E.V. Ayo Enterprises), Manufacturing
Entrepreneur (Justin S. Uy, President of Profood International Corp.),
Social Entrepreneur (Gemma N. Bulos, Founding Director of A Single Drop
for Safe Water (ASDSW)), Emerging Entrepreneur (Antonio L. Tiu, chief
executive officer of AgriNurture Inc. (ANI)) , Woman Entrepreneur
(Corazon D. Ong, Founder and Vice Chairman of CDO Foodsphere, Inc.) and
Innovation Entrepreneur (Kenneth C. Cobonpue, CEO of Interior Crafts of
the Islands, Inc.)
The others finalists were:
- Mylene R. Abiva (Felta Multimedia Inc.);
- Dustin B. Andaya (Philippine Cut Flower Corporation;
- Mary Grace Arboleda-Young (Cordillera Coffee Company);
- Henry P. Cureg (United Graphic Expression Corp.);
- Michael L. Escaler (All Asian Countertrade);
- Bonifacio P. Fernandez (BF Industries, Inc.);
- Antonio I. Gloria (Unitel Productions, Inc.);
- Marianne G. Quebral (Venture for Fund Raising);
- Ricardo E. Reyes Jr. (Ricky Reyes Hair Salon for Men and Women);
- Carlos C. Salinas (Philippine Transmarine Carriers, Inc.);
- William Tiu Lim (Mega Fishing Corp.); and
- Salvador B. Veluz (Buddy’s Pizza and Restaurant).
The Entrepreneur Of The Year was founded in the United States by
professional services firm Ernst & Young in 1986 to recognize the
achievements of the most successful and innovative entrepreneurs
worldwide. In 2001, Ernst & Young expanded the program and launched the
World Entrepreneur Of The Year awards. In the Philippines, the SGV
Foundation, Inc. established the Entrepreneur Of The Year in 2003.