FERDINAND R MARCOS, JR
PRESIDENT, REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
Since winning with the largest vote count of any presidential candidate in Philippine history last May 2022, President Ferdinand R Marcos has undertaken major steps to accelerate the Philippines’ recovery from the setbacks caused by the Covid-19 pandemic over the past two years.
He appointed an impressive Cabinet, particularly his economic team, hailed by many as some of “the best and brightest” officials in the land. He also continued the robust infrastructure spending program of his predecessor with what his Cabinet Secretaries call the “Build, Better, More” (BBM) infrastructure agenda while also promoting stronger public-private partnerships (PPPs) for various key projects—all of which have been designed to recover and even surpass the country’s pre-pandemic growth trajectory.
President Marcos has also taken steps to strengthen the country’s presence in the international front. This he managed in less than his first 100 days in office.
ALICE EDUARDO
PRESIDENT AND CEO, STA ELENA CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (SECDC)
She continues to be a shining example of corporate leadership and public service to all, especially to women throughout the country. Being at the helm of SECDC, she made a name for herself by actively leading a company in the primarily male-dominated real estate and infrastructural development sectors.
“The thought that our output contributes to national development and that we provide jobs [for our countrymen] is always inspiring,” she says with a smile when asked what continues to push her to bring her A-game into her work.
In recent years, Eduardo’s endeavours expanded to include the construction of public infrastructure projects, specifically power plants capable of energising various regions of the country. Her firm is set to build a low-carbon power plant in San Gabriel, Batangas, a project that she certainly takes pride in accepting. “The San Gabriel natural gas plant is clean and efficient. This 414 MW plant came not a moment too soon [and now supports] the economy through tough times.”
Eduardo continues to work, unfazed, to help the nation.
Mark Villar
Senator, Republic of the Philippines
After making his mark as Secretary of Public Works and Highways of the Philippines in the Duterte administration, he went back to politics, vied for a seat in the Senate and won during the 2022 national elections. Two years prior, he was named Isolation Czar under the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
His first foray into public office was in 2010 when he was elected congressional representative of the lone district of Las Piñas.
In the coming years, he seeks to create laws that will give long-term benefits to the Filipino people. “I want to see continuity in successful programmes such as the Build, Build, Build. I realise that these long-term projects require more than just one administration, so I intend to do everything in my power to ensure their continued implementation because I know they will yield tremendous benefits for our country,” he states.
MINETTE NAVARETTE
Co-Founder and President, Kickstart Ventures, Inc
It’s been a decade since she established Kickstart Ventures Inc, the Philippines’ most significant technology venture capital fund that invests globally in early-stage tech start-ups. Since then, she’s become a powerhouse in the local start-up industry, wielding much influence on the local economy.
Yet, this isn’t Navarette’s only commitment. She also co-chairs the Ayala Corporation Innovation Advisory Council and is the SVP of the Globe Telecom New Business Group.
Navarette supported notable Philippine start-ups during the pandemic, including Kumu and edamame. She’s also invested in sustainable tech. “One investment was a thesis under the ACTIVE Fund, which seeks to impact the future of resource availability and distribution.”
It’s also become thrilling for her to be able to open doors for talented women in the field. “I’m keen to see more founders, leaders and investors in the start-up and tech spaces. Especially female founders, leaders and investors!”
ISA LORENZO
FOUNDING DIRECTOR, SILVERLENS GALLERIES
When Isa Lorenzo and Rachel Rillo founded Silverlens in 2004, it was just a warehouse gallery focused on photography, as Lorenzo is a photographer. Today, the 1,200-sqm Silverlens Gallery regularly participates in international art fairs and art shows, representing various Filipino artists, and, in September 2022, has branched out to New York, signifying a broader representation of Southeast Asian artists in the US. As an artist, she has shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Unesco House in Paris. She is also the recipient of the Jenesys Grant of the Japan Foundation at the Tokyo Wonder Site and the Berlin Arts Program of the Goethe Institut.
PAULO CAMPOS III
FOUNDING MANAGING GENERAL PARTNER, KAYA FOUNDERS/ CO-FOUNDER OF ZALORA
There was a time when you couldn’t get everything online. But Paolo Campos, co-founder of e-tailer giant Zalora Philippines, saw an opportunity and took it, leaving his consultancy job to dive head on into eCommerce. In 2011, the in-store retail reigned supreme.
Under Campos’ ambitious direction, Zalora has flourished into one of the first names Filipinos think of in online shopping, coming second to none in the fashion sphere. However, Campos did not stop there. As part of Kaya Founders, an early-stage venture capital firm committed to investing, and supporting the next generation of companies driving digital transformation in commerce and critical services in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, Campos helps accelerate lasting and impactful companies that improve the lives of millions across the region.
BEN CHAN
CHAIRMAN, SUYEN CORPORATION
One name continues to inspire the public as a genuinely Filipino enterprise: BENCH, and its founder Ben Chan, no stranger to adversity, continues to bring his uniquely Filipino perspective to the international fast fashion scene.
The pandemic has opened the door of e-commerce to expand his brand’s horizons. “E-commerce provides an equal platform for the industry, whether for a small home-based enterprise or an international brand,” he says. “However, this has also made the platform highly competitive.”
Over the past years, he has ensured his company’s success through innovation and improvement of back-end systems, as well as logistics, product quality and the overall customer experience. Chan has also opened new global brand stores in the country, including a diverse portfolio of skincare, fashion label Urban Revivo, and Italian lighting brand Viabizzuno. “We have just opened the new Fritz Hansen flagship store designed by Jaime Hayon. We will also be opening food concepts from various cuisines worldwide,” he reveals.
BJ PASCUAL
PHOTOGRAPHER
Sharp-eared viewers of Drag Race Philippines may have noted the slip when photographer and regular judge BJ Pascual referred to today’s generation as Gen.T rather than “Gen Z”. You can’t blame him, either, as he has earned his place on that illustrious list of the nation’s (and region’s) top people under the age of 40.
But never let his youth and playful demeanour mislead you into thinking that Pascual doesn’t take his work seriously. A celebrated photographer, he published his inspirational first book, PUSH: Muses, Mischief, and How to Make it in Manila, back in 2015, and established a YouTube channel meant to inspire a new generation of creatives to express themselves in highly imaginative ways. As of press time, his YouTube channel has around half a million subscribers and over 25 million views.
During the lockdowns, he began a semi-monthly series called MUSINGS, where he did several photoshoots with his favourite muses and presented the footage via YouTube.
MARIANA ZOBEL DE AYALA
BOARD MEMBER, U-GO
When one is a scion of a family that has made and continues to make its name in the corporate world over several generations, it would be easy to bank on familial credentials. But such is not the case with Mariana Zobel de Ayala.
While she has made an impact in different capacities in her family’s diverse range of businesses, she justly takes pride in her philanthropic initiatives. She is the first Philippine ambassador for U-Go, an international organisation focused on women’s empowerment through improved education. In taking on the role, she hopes to enhance the future of Filipino women in marginalised sectors.
Through U-Go, Zobel de Ayala aims to provide financial assistance to remove the primary barriers that have kept women back from finding better opportunities, particularly that of having little to no access to education. In doing so, she hopes to even the odds regarding women’s education and decrease the disproportionate learning rate between men and women, enabling women to rethink their futures.
ANTON TANTOCO HUANG
PRESIDENT, STORES SPECIALISTS, INC (SSI)
He started in 1987 with household names associated with SSI—Ferragamo, Gucci, Marks & Spencer—and now has over 100 brands that bring generations of shoppers to their network of more than 600 stores. They also launched trunc.ph in 2020 and have led the major renovation of Rustan’s following its 70th anniversary. SSI provides many options for quality of life, from easy pickings at Zara and Pottery Barn to meaningful purchases at Hermès. Huang has also expanded into F&B with the exclusive Philippine franchisee for Shake Shack, Crystal Jade, Salad Stop and TWG. He recently completed his Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School alongside 164 highly accomplished leaders from 47 countries.
Nanette Medved-Po
Founder and Chair, HOPE and PCX Groups
In the early Nineties, Nanette Medved-Po’s acting career was taking off, most notably with her title role in, a 1991 feature film of the Philippines’ iconic superheroine. But eventually, she would give up her career in entertainment to pursue advocacy work. In 2012, she founded the
