The power of one spark

The day after the President’s State of the Nation Address, the awards night of the 2023 Ramon V. del Rosario (RVR) Siklab Awards for young entrepreneurs took place. Supertyphoon “Egay” was affecting most of the country, and our brothers and sisters in the north were bracing for supertyphoon winds and rains. A transport strike lamenting the government’s modernization program was announced then called off. While the President boasted of better times—in some instances, rightly so—the harsh day-to-day realities of Filipino families continue to confront not just the government, but each and every one of us whose contributions do matter for the long haul in our continuing journey toward a better Philippines.

The Siklab Awards is all about what truly amazing young women and men are doing to help build this nation and do their share to confront and help address these realities. These are the young Filipinos that found and build businesses with a heart. They show that profit can be achieved by lifting up individuals, families, and communities. And mind you, for them, the lifting up is key to the success of their entrepreneurial projects.

I have spoken in previous articles of the first batch of five Siklab honorees in 2019 and their inspiring work (“Igniting the spark of hope among the youth,” 3/23/2023). The pandemic interrupted our annual recognition, and it is only this year that we were able to restart the program, selecting three awardees from a nomination list of 100.

This year’s inspiring list includes Ralph Ray Chua, the chair of Immuni Global Inc., whose flagship product ImmuniPlus uses ingredients sourced from local farmers in rural and coastal areas. The second honoree, Stephen Co, is the cofounder and CEO of Nipa Brew Craft Beers, which creates craft beers inspired by local flavors. He is also the cofounder and CEO of Worth the Health Foods, which develops healthier protein alternatives of classic Filipino meat dishes. Finally, Anya Lim, cofounder and managing and creative director of ANTHILL Fabric Gallery Inc., completes the list for uplifting weaving communities by preserving local weaving traditions and incorporating it into everyday wear. Find out more about their stories in the Ramon V. del Rosario Awards web pages and in their videos uploaded on YouTube.

The RVR Siklab Awards was launched in 2018 to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of the late ambassador and Phinma founder Ramon V. del Rosario, as well as the Phinma Group’s 60th anniversary celebration. Del Rosario was considered an icon in business and diplomatic service as he became the first Filipino general manager of IBM Philippines, the first Filipino executive vice president of Philippine American Life Insurance Co., and ambassador to Canada, Germany, and Japan.

As such, the RVR Siklab Awards aims to recognize young entrepreneurs between the ages of 25 to 40 who embody the ideals of its namesake and have proven to be exceptional leaders in their fields through sustainable enterprises that empower and uplift the lives of others. Made possible by a partnership with the De La Salle University Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business, the RVR Siklab Awards will be an annual search that will also reward its honorees with mentorship opportunities from seasoned entrepreneurs and business professionals within the Phinma network, including winners of the RVR Award for Nation Building.

RVR Siklab Awards Board of Judges co-chair, and my boss and mentor at Phinma and Makati Business Club, Ramon R. del Rosario Jr. puts it very well when he said, “We are quickly seeing the rise of a new crop of business leaders and nation builders, and I believe it is appropriate that we who have the benefit of more experience and knowledge strive to empower this next generation of entrepreneurs to help them reach their full potential. Our hope with the RVR Siklab Awards is that the efforts of these young businessmen and women are given their due credit, allowing them to take pride in what they do and earn the confidence they will need to transform our society for the better.”

Do you know of trailblazers who embody the power of the spark of one? The 2024 search is now on!

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Peter Angelo V. Perfecto was former executive director of Makati Business Club, works with the Phinma group and chairs Oxfam Pilipinas. Email: pvperfecto@gmail.com.

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Business Matters is a project of the Makati Business Club (makatibusinessclub@mbc.com.ph).