THE Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) has conferred the MAP Management Man of the Year award to Liwayway Group of Companies Chairman Carlos Chan for “being an exemplar of the Filipino entrepreneurial spirit that is globally competitive,” among others.
In a ceremony on Monday, Mr. Chan said the recognition is a “positive development amid the difficult and challenging time,” pointing to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
“To be given an award such as this is truly an honor because our work is recognized to have excelled in doing our share in nation-building,” Mr. Chan said.
“I’m extremely honored, this is an award shared by our shareholders, management team, our employees, and most of all our customers who would believe in us and our products,” he added.
Liwayway Marketing Corp., the firm behind snacks brand Oishi, started as a family-run business after the Second World War with ground coffee and cornstarch as some of its first products.
It is also the firm that brought the J.Co Donuts franchise to the Philippines, which now has over 50 branches across the country.
The MAP conferred Mr. Chan the award, citing his “business acumen and management qualities” after turning a local cornstarch-repacking business to an international snack manufacturing company.
The Liwayway group chairman was also recognized for his “leadership role in the substantial contributions of the Liwayway Group to national development through technology improvements, product development, skills training, job creation, and income generation.”
Mr. Chan said the volatile political environment in the 1980s made it difficult for the company to grow at first and the company only started to grow in the 1990s.
“After hearing that conference about economic liberalization in China, I went there to check the prospects of business. I took advantage of the economic reforms implemented in China,” Mr. Chan said.
“I entered into corporate joint ventures with two state-owned companies that allowed me to lease their warehouses,” Mr. Chan said.
The Liwayway group then expanded in other areas after penetrating the Chinese market. It also expanded to Vietnam and Myanmar as well as in other Asian emerging markets such as Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia.
“Liwayway also tried to explore other uncharted territories outside of Asia as it built its manufacturing plant in Johannesburg in South Africa in 2015, we were the first Filipino company to invest in this region,” Mr. Chan.
Back home, the company also built additional production facilities in Cagayan de Oro, which boosted its sales in Mindanao, as well as more plants in Cebu, Iloilo City, and Tarlac.
“Businessmen usually start small, although they can always dream big,” Mr. Chan said. “We will remain steadfast in our commitment to achieving our goals towards the progress of both the company and our country.” — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte
