November 21, 2015, 4:09p.m. – TWO THOMASIAN business tycoons bagged the top awards for entrepreneurs for their excellence in the fast food and pharmaceutical businesses.

Tony Tan Caktiong, founder of Jollibee Foods Corp. and Vivian Que-Azcona, president of Mercury Drug, were feted in the 2015 Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards (APEA) at the Intercontinental Manila Hotel on Friday, Nov. 20.

Tan Caktiong was hailed the Entrepreneur of the Year while Que-Azcona was proclaimed the Woman Entrepreneur of the Year. Tan Caktiong and Que-Azcona earned their chemical engineering and pharmacy degrees, respectively, in UST.

Jollibee, which started as an ice cream parlor in 1978, has solidified its lead in the fast food industry with over 2,300 stores worldwide. Mercury, founded by Mariano Que in 1945, now has over 1,000 stores in the country.

Last September, UST awarded Mariano Que, Que-Azcona’s father, with an honorary doctorate for his pioneering efforts in the pharmaceutical industry and education.

Since 2007, over 1,200 entrepreneurs and business leaders in the region have received recognition from the APEA in countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore.

APEA was formed to give recognition to outstanding entrepreneurs. The event is organized by Enterprise Asia, a non-government think-tank that aims to develop entrepreneurship in the Asia-Pacific. Clarence I. Hormachuelos

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