Businessman Philip N. Tan from Mandaue City has been awarded Innovation Entrepreneur of the Year, one of the categories of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Philippines program.
Tan, founder and chief executive officer of homegrown company Wellmade Motors and Development Corp., proudly stood among the ranks of businessmen and women recognized for their ingenuity, hard work, business mindedness and determination to succeed last Oct. 14 in Manila.
Tan, who did not have a background in engineering, earned his place by spearheading developments and research on world-class manufacturing processes that have changed the game for metalworking in the Philippines.
He also started in 2011 a build-operate-transfer machine shop “franchise,” in which the company sets up fully operational machine shops. The shops already come with training for personnel, software, hardware and equipment.
Tan also created an in-house research and development team tasked to develop high quality machinery that can compete with machinery imported from other countries.
Another Cebuano who received the same award in 2005 was the late vice-governor Gregorio Sanchez, Jr., who founded the Lacto-Pafi Techno Resources Corp.
Other Cebuanos who received awards under the program were Wilson Ng, president and chief executive officer of Ng Khai Development Corp.; Jonathan Jay Aldeguer, president of Islands Group; and Julita Urbina, founder of Cafe Laguna.
They received the Small Business Entrepreneur Award in 2004, 2005 and 2006, respectively.
The EY Philippines program, initiated by the SGV Foundation, recognizes the achievements of Filipino entrepreneurs.
Other awardees this year were Xurpas, Inc. chief executive officer Nico Jose Nolledo, who was hailed as the 2015 Entrepreneur of the Year; Aveate Management Corp. president Judith Versoza, Woman Entrepreneur; Escanova Ventures president Antonio Agustin Escalante, Small Business Entrepreneur awardee; and Microtel Inns and Suites president and chief executive officer Jose Mari del Rosario, Industry Entrepreneur awardee.