From Butch’s LinkedIn announcement
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I’m ecstatic and beyond grateful to share that on Monday 1/19, I received The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) Award — one of our nation’s highest recognitions for community leadership. 🇵🇭✨
Presented by JCI Senate Philippines, the TOFIL Awards honor Filipinos for integrity, excellence, and service, recognizing citizens whose “exemplary achievements are worthy of emulation.”
Receiving the Private Sector award, I was humbled to stand alongside my fellow 2025 TOFIL honorees:
🤝 Senator JV Ejercito (Public Service / Universal Health Care Act)
🌏 Conservation Scientist Dr. Neil Aldrin Mallari (NGO / Civil Society)
⚕️ Dr. Maria Minerva P. Calimag, President, Confederation of Medical Associations in Asia & Oceania (Academic Community)
📈 Former DTI Philippines Secretary Alfredo “Fred” Pascual (Government)
I accepted this honor on behalf of the extraordinary teams of Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, QBO Innovation, and Ideaspace Ventures. Their tireless work — especially over the past year amid seemingly insurmountable odds — has led to remarkable achievements, strengthening disaster resilience and revitalizing the Filipino economic landscape.
My deepest gratitude to our Chairman, my boss, and mentor Manny V. Pangilinan (MVP), who gave me the opportunity to start and lead PDRF and QBO. Inspired by his mission of innovation, our teams created a world-first private sector–run disaster resilience model and forged a landmark public-private partnership with Department of Science and Technology and DTI, which has incubated 700-900+ startups to date.
Heartfelt thanks to my special guest Loida Lewis, whom I hail as a mentor alongside her late husband Reginald Lewis, the central figure in my memoir FROM MANILA TO WALL STREET. Loida introduced me to Reg in a moment that changed my life, has been an unwavering and integral supporter of my book, and remains a cherished friend who continues to carry its message to global audiences.
Finally, my deepest appreciation to my school Ateneo de Manila University, and most importantly to my family — for instilling in me the values of loyalty, dedication, perseverance, sportsmanship, and faith.
Maraming salamat. This honor belongs to all of us. 💙✨
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