2021 Injap Sia Outstanding Young Entrepreneur Award set next month

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the largest business organization in the country, will announce the winner of this year’s 2021 PCCI Injap Sia Outstanding Young Entrepreneur Award (ISOYEA) at the 47th Philippine Business Conference and Expo (PBC&E) slated on Nov. 17 and 18.

PCCI director for SME development Apolinar Aure said nine young entrepreneurs from the service and industry sectors made it to the finals and were interviewed by a distinguished panel of judges from the business, finance and government sectors.

Aure also heads the ISOYEA the technical working group who selects this year’s finalists from a number of nominees.

This year’s finalists are:   Walther Uzi Buenavista, president and CEO of Shawarma Shack Group; Jeuz Cassiddy,  founder and CEO of Stellar 167 Manpower Recruitment; Marie Joyce Co,  founder of Asia True Blends Franchising Inc.; John Dave Duenas, CEO and founder of HYBrain; Wilhelmina Garcia, president of Junknot Eco Creatives; Joyce Liwanag, owner  of Healthy Choice Café; Bernadette Simon Matias, vice chairman and executive vice president of Primetech Oil Inc.; Avin Ong founder, chairman and CEO of Fredley Group of Companies; and Reynaldo Polinar, president and CEO of Successu International Inc.

PCCI has been holding the ISOYEA Award since 2015 and is the brainchild of PCCI president Benedicto Yujuico, who recognized the importance of developing young and innovative business leaders in the country.

The award was inspired by the success of Edgar “Injap” Sia II who, at a young age, founded and steered the highly successful Mang Inasal food chain. He eventually ventured into real estate business as chairman of Double Dragon Properties Corp.  He also entered the convenience store industry through Merry Mart which had a successful debut in the stock exchange last year.  Sia is currently a director at PCCI.

ISOYEA will be one of the highlights and one of the several awards that will be given during the 47th PBC&E, recognized as the premier business convention in the country.  Chaired by Jeffrey Ng, this year’s conference theme will be “Innovation.ph: Economic Recovery for All.”