Nine years, nine lives

It’s unbelievable, but it’s been nine years since we launched People Asia magazine with our founding chairman Max Soliven at the helm as publisher. Over the years, it’s amazing to see how the magazine has evolved, getting accolade for its compelling stories accompanied by highly attractive photos in well laid-out pages. In an industry where competition gets tighter each passing year, People Asia has managed to stand out on its own, developing a reputation as a glossy that is quite like no other because it is all about the most compelling topic of all: people.

Stories about people’s lives is really what people are interested in, and we would like to think that we have done just that by bringing to the attention of our readers the extraordinary stories of people living ordinary lives, and regaling them with compelling tales of accomplished and well-to-do individuals who are surprisingly as ordinary as your average Filipino. People all over the world now have an opportunity to read the stories mainly through philstar.com and the major airlines that carry the magazine. As a matter of fact, I am told that People Asia is brought home by the passengers – proof that the magazine really features well-written and hard-to-put-down stories. 

The “People of the Year” awards has proven to be very fulfilling, and I would really like to congratulate the dedicated and hardworking staff led by Editor-in-chief Joanne Rae Ramirez for making every awards night remarkable, memorable and exciting. We would also like to acknowledge our partners: The Philippine STAR headed by Miguel Belmonte, together with our associate publisher and Stargate president Kevin Belmonte, chairman Choy Cojuangco, vice chairman Dr. Charles Chante and members of the Board of Directors Dr. Ronnie Asuncion, Raul de Mesa and our corporate secretary Atty. Binky Herrera.

The event at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza will be hosted by Johnny Litton, an icon in the industry who has been with us from the very beginning as a columnist. Johnny will be joined by singer Champagne Morales who is also very much a part of the People Asia family, having previously worked with us as an account executive. No doubt tonight’s affair will be just as exciting as the previous year, and we would like to acknowledge Sofitel GM Bernd Schneider and marketing and sales director Rose Libongco for their all-out support in making the event truly successful.

Every year, the list of awardees gets more distinctive and inspiring, starting with former president Cory Aquino who will be given a special award for being an icon of democracy and for continually inspiring Filipinos with her courage and integrity. Last year, our awardees included presidentiable Loren Legarda, a champion of the environment and a staunch advocate of women and children’s rights, and this year, we also have other presidentiables like vice president Noli de Castro who, according to the most recent survey by the SWS, topped the list of 2010 presidentiables. Coming in closely is Senator Manny Villar, another one of our awardees, whose remarkable story – from that of a shrimp vendor to the fifth richest Filipino according to Forbes Asia – never fails to inspire ordinary Filipinos to dream of success. Then there’s Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, another likely contender for the 2010 elections, adopting the moniker “Jobama” after US president-elect Barack Obama who won on a platform of “change.”

We will also be honoring US Ambassador Kristie Kenney who is one of the most popular American ambassadors because of her amiable and easy to approach personality. She has directed a lot of her energy in helping with the peace process through the development of key areas in Mindanao, which is a top priority for the United States.

We also have other notable individuals such as Red Cross governor Rosa Rosal; Century Properties Group chairman and special envoy to China Ambassador Joey Antonio; GoNegosyo’s Joey Concepcion whose advocacy of entrepreneurship is encouraging Filipinos to start their own businesses; FEU law school dean and Kuok Group CEO Andy Bautista; multi-awarded fashion designer Rajo Laurel; and Frenchman Dominique Lemay who two decades ago founded the Virlanie Foundation that has been giving comfort and shelter to Filipino street children.

We also have actress and singer Sharon Cuneta who has proven that pure talent can make one last in a very unpredictable industry like showbiz. Sharon has been in the business for 30 years, and her long-staying power as one of the most respected actresses no doubt makes her really worthy of the title “megastar.”

Of course, everyone will agree that singing sensation Charice Pempengco deserves to be in the prestigious list of “People of the Year” awardees. As if to prove that big things do come in small packages, this tiny, 16-year-old kid from Laguna is wowing audiences all over the world with her powerful voice. Charice will have a special number in tonight’s event, and right after the affair, she will be rushing off to Washington DC to sing at the inaugural ball of Barack Obama on January 20. This is really a great honor for all Filipinos, and Charice certainly deserves all the accolades that people are giving her.

Starting the year with the “People of the Year” awards night is a tradition began by our late chairman Max, and no doubt this is an event that people will continue to look forward to. So join us in celebrating the nine years and nine lives of People Asia magazine.

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