BizNewsAsia turns 8 this year

Dec 1, 2009


BizNewsAsia marks its 8th year



The magazine I founded and edit, BizNewsAsia, marks its eighth year tomorrow, Dec. 2, as the Philippines’ largest business newsweekly, with a gala dinner at the Hotel Intercon Makati.

President Arroyo and Vice President Noli de Castro have confirmed their attendance as did the country’s leading tycoons and taipans and the shakers and doers in the real estate business.

BizNewsAsia has unrivalled high-end readership with unbeatable decision-making and purchasing power. Its biggest selling issue is the annual BizNewsAsia Power 100, a listing of the most influential and powerful Filipinos – in business and in politics. It sells 35,000 yearly. Echcopy is read by ten people on the average. BNA thus has a pass-on readership of 350,000.

As it has done in the past two years, BNA will celebrate excellence by giving awards to outstanding tycoons, this time in three categories – BREW or the BizNewsAsia Who’s Who in Real Estate, Business Icon Gold (BIG), and Business Excellence.

The Business Excellence trophy goes to Henry Sy Sr., chair and founder of the SM group of companies; Ramon S. Ang, president and COO of San Miguel Corp., Andrew Tan, chair and CEO of Alliance Global; and Felipe Gozon, chair and CEO of GMA Network, Inc.. The Business Excellence trophy is given heads of businesses for the consistent quality of their product or service or the success and viability of their business model.

The BIG Award goes to Washington SyCip, founder of SGV, the Philippines’ largest accounting and professional services firm. The BIG Trophy goes to individuals who because of their record in business or enhancing the economy have become inspirational models or icons, the gold standard.

The BREW Awardees are:

Vice President de Castro, Teresita Sy, vice chairman of SM Investments Corp. and chair of BDO; Reynaldo David, president of the Development Bank of the Philippines; Raul Concepcion, chairman of the Consumer and Oil Price Watch, Paolo Villar, CFO of Vista Land and Landscapes; Ambasador Amable King Aguiluz, founder of Asia’s largest school network, AMA; Antonino Aquino, president of Ayala Land; Rene Almendras, president of Manila Water; Reghis Romero, CEO of RII Builders; Elizabeth H. Lee, president of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers, Inc.; Tourism Secretary Ace Durano, Albay Governor Jose Salceda, Camarines Sur Governor LRay Villafuerte, Marikina Mayor Marides Fernando, leading green architect Felino “Jun” Palafox; Bansan Choa, CEO of I-Remit; and Ding Wenceslao, CEO of Wenceslao and Associates.

The BREW awardees are people who have made their mark in real estate or have contributed immensely to enhancing the lifestyle of Filipinos.

The BNA anniversary also celebrates the economy’s resilience and growth amid the global financial crisis that plunged two-thirds into a recession.

Credit for that goes to President Arroyo. In nine years at the presidency, she rebuilt the economy, made it globally competitive, doubled its size, doubled per capita income even as 18 million more Filipinos were born, scored 35 quarters of consecutive growth – the longest and best economic expansion this country has ever witnessed.

She linked the archipelago from north to south with three major nautical highways. Electricity reaches nearly 100 percent of the barangays. Wireless phone coverage is 98 percent with 75 percent of 90 Filipinos having a cellular phone (those who don’t are too young to have it).

The President also achieved a regime of record-low interest rates, record low inflation rate, record government revenues, record government spending on infra, and very high savings rate.

She helped create an industry that never existed when she became president in 2001 – the call center and BPO business. Today, the BPO business employs more than 400,000 and generates $5 billion in revenues.

And of course, during her presidency, the number of OFWs tripled to more than ten million today and they remit yearly $17 billion or P816 billion, more than half of the P1.5 trillion national government budget.

Let me then congratulate President Arroyo. Not many people want to give her credit for what she has done. She undertook many reforms which were a bitter pill, initially to both business and the people, and they hated her for it.

In due time, history will be warmer and kinder to her.

biznewsasia@gmail.com