“10th years of ASEAN Business Awards”

The ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) recently held its 72nd Meeting in the Solaire Resort and Casino, Parañaque City, Manila on the 6-7 September 2017. ASEAN BAC was created in 2003 by the ASEAN Leaders to serve as the Apex Business Council to put together and champion private-sector concerns and feedback to boost ASEAN's efforts towards faster and more inclusive economic integration.

On the evening of 6th September 2017 in the Grand Ballroom of Solaire, ASEAN-BAC unveiled the 47 awardees of ASEAN Business Awards, in the grandest celebration yet in its 10th year history. “Today, we honor top entrepreneurs—many of whom started small. And today, we honor legacy awardees, many of whom we have all looked up to. For every awardee, this recognition must be put into good use. I call on the awardees today to embrace the micro and small entrepreneurs into your value chains.” said ASEAN-BAC Chair Joey Concepcion as he opened the awarding ceremony. Concepcion also emphasized the value of mentorship and inclusive business models in championing prosperity for all across the region.

More than 900 guests, 400 of which were delegates who flew in from across Asia and beyond, attended to witness the biggest awarding ceremony in ASEAN. Among the business greats who attended were Legacy Awardees John Gokongwei (JG Summit) from the Philippines, Singapore’s Wee Cho Yaw (United Overseas Bank), Indonesia’s Dr. (H.C.) Sudhamek AWS (GarudaFood) and Malaysia’s Goh Peng Ooi (Silverlake Axis); Inclusive Business Winner Jaime Zobel de Ayala (Ayala Philippines), Priority Integration Sector in Tourism Winner Tony Fernandes (Air Asia) from Malaysia, Young Entrepreneur of the Year Dennis Uy (Udenna Corporation) from Philippines, and Priority Integration Sector in Healthcare Winner Vidjongtius (Kalbe Farma) from Indonesia

Witnessed by ASEAN Economic Ministers, the Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte graced the event and gave a speech urging the ASEAN nations and business leaders to embrace MSMEs. “The ASEAN Business Advisory Council has been instrumental in realizing our common aspiration of serving the growth of our people. I call on entrepreneurs to follow their examples to become beacons of innovation for poverty eradication and economic development. We also challenge those who have achieved success to embrace the MSMEs.”

On 7th September 2017, ASEAN-BAC spent the whole day met several partner-organisations and hear updates from their end. Tan Sri Dr. Rebecca Sta Maria (ERIA) talks about their latest study on NTM/NTB, Adeline Kamal (AHA Centre) talks about private sector’s disaster relief management, David Catty (ASEAN New Zealand Business Council) talks about partnership opportunities between ASEAN and New Zealand, and Paul Gwee (ASEAN Bankers Association) talks on banking industry’s recent development, are amongst the guests’ presenters on the 72nd ASEAN-BAC Meeting and related meetings.

As part of its mandate, ASEAN-BAC have the honor to meet with the ASEAN Economic Ministers over a working dinner to submited their policy recommendations which are focusing on 3M (Mentorship, Money, and Market), and digital economy.

A day before, right before the ABA Gala Night, ASEAN-BAC also held the 10th Joint Business Consultation with ASEAN+1 Business Councils and Associations & Sector Champions Meetings, which attended by business councils and organisations such as US-ASEAN Business Council, EU-ASEAN Business Council, ASEAN Women Entrepreneurs Network (AWEN), and many more.

ASEAN Business and Investment Summit

Since the Leaders of ASEAN established it in 2003, the Business Council has been active in promoting public-private sector partnership to assist the integration of an ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). The ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ASEAN-BIS) is organised by the ASEAN BAC, as the avenue to promote public and private sector partnership in the region. Annually, the congregation on average attracted a total of 700 to 1000 delegates who are prominent dignitaries, regional and global businessmen, academicians and policy-makers generating mainly from ASEAN Member States, Dialogue Partners and the rest of the world. In 2017, the Council plans to have their ASEAN-BIS in Manila on 12-13 November, in conjunction with 31st ASEAN Summit.

ASEAN Business Awards

Since its establishment by ASEAN Leaders in 2003, the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) has been active in promoting public-private sector partnership and consultation to assist the integration of an ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). In its efforts to bridge ASEAN Governments with their private sector, the Council launched the ASEAN Business Awards (ABA) in 2007 to give recognition to companies that have contributed to the growth and prosperity of the ASEAN economy.

Since they were first launched in 2007, ABA have rewarded more than 100 companies throughout the region that excel in categories such as Growth, Employment, Innovation and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Following the success of ABA 2015, ASEAN-BAC expanded categories in 2016 to include the Priority Integration Sectors (PIS), as well as recognising outstanding young entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs and leaders. Finally, to acknowledge the contribution of non-ASEAN companies in the development the region economies, it also created an award for ‘Friends of ASEAN’.

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