ICTSI bags top plum during Asean Business Awards

MANILA, Philippines–Port operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. led the list of companies honored during the Asean Business Awards Philippines event for exploring and harnessing the opportunities offered by the Southeast Asian economic integration.

The winners were announced by the Asean Business Advisory Council (Abac) Philippines in a ceremony attended by President Aquino last Tuesday.

This is Abac Philippines’ flagship program for 2014, as it hopes to drive visibility, awareness and adoption of the principles put together for the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

ICTSI develops, manages and operates container terminals in over 20 countries across the Asia-Pacific, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East, and Africa. Established in 1987 and based in the Philippines, ICTSI was honored for its outstanding growth performance and commitment to the welfare of its employees as well as its corporate social responsibility program.

Pointwest Technologies Corp., an information technology-business process outsourcing firm, won the “Innovation Award.” The company was founded in 2003 by Philippine BPO industry pioneers to prove that Filipinos can provide first-in-class IT services to companies, organizations and governments here and abroad.

Retailer Golden ABC Corp.—the company behind clothing brands such as Penshoppe, Oxygen, For Me, Memo, Regatta and Tyler—won the “Asean Centricity” award for being the “perfect model for many Filipino firms aiming to enter the integrated Asean market in a position of strength.”

In the SME category, Fountainhead Technologies Inc. was named the best SME for “demonstrating its ability to stand out and be a role model for thousands of enterprises in the Philippines” and throughout Southeast Asia.

The Asean Business Awards also recognized the unique role the youth and women play in shaping the economy.

The “best young entrepreneur” award went to Paulo Tibig of Vcargo Worldwide/Vintel Logistics, while Sandra Sanchez-Montano, vice president for international affairs of Community Health Education Emergency Rescue Services (CHEERS) Corp., received the “woman leader award” for exemplary business leadership skills.

The members of ABAC Philippines—PLDT chair Manuel V. Pangilinan, SM Investments Corp. vice chair Teresita Sy-Coson and Interior Basics Corp. president Jay Yuvallos—presented each of the six winners and 12 other finalists with a specially commissioned trophy called “Windows to the Asean,” designed by architect Lor Calma.