2026 17TH ASIA CEO AWARDS

Receiving the Grand Winner—Woman Leader of the Year award at the 17th Asia CEO Awards on October 13, 2026, fills me with profound gratitude and humility. This honor belongs, in spirit, to the Filipino farmers, Indigenous Peoples, social entrepreneurs, coffee industry partners, and fellow peacebuilders who have walked alongside me. Their courage, wisdom, and commitment have shaped our shared journey. Through Coffee for Peace, Inc., we strive to make coffee a means of creating sustainable livelihoods, advancing inclusive development, strengthening relationships, and cultivating peace. To my colleagues at Coffee for Peace, Inc., PeaceBuilders Community, Inc., and Malipayon Peace Hub, thank you for your dedication and shared vision. To my children, Lele, LJ, and Byron, and my husband, Lakan, thank you for your enduring love and support. Above all, I thank the Great Creator. May this recognition inspire us to serve with greater humility, compassion, and courage.

My heart is filled with gratitude. While my name is engraved on this recognition, I know that the story behind this achievement belongs to many people whose lives, courage, wisdom, and commitment have shaped my journey.

I receive this honor in the spirit of our Filipino coffee farmers, whose perseverance sustains our industry and whose families deserve opportunities to thrive. I share it with our Indigenous Peoples, whose wisdom, cultural integrity, and relationship with the land continue to teach us what genuine development should look like.

I dedicate this recognition to my fellow social entrepreneurs, coffee industry partners, justice-based peacebuilders, and partners from certain government agencies who have walked alongside me. Together, we continue to demonstrate that business can be a force for human dignity, inclusive prosperity, environmental responsibility, and lasting peace.

Through Coffee for Peace, Inc., we have pursued a vision of transforming coffee into more than a commodity—as a means of building relationships, creating sustainable livelihoods, and cultivating peace among communities divided by conflict and historical injustice.

This journey has never been mine alone. It has been sustained by people who believe that economic progress must include those who are often left behind, especially smallholder farmers, Indigenous communities, women, and other marginalized sectors.

I am equally grateful to my colleagues at Coffee for Peace, Inc., PeaceBuilders Community, Inc., Kapeyapaan Coffee Roasting Service, and Malipayon Peace Hub. Your dedication, creativity, patience, and hard work have made our shared vision possible. You have reminded me that leadership is not about standing above others but about walking with them, learning from them, and creating opportunities for everyone to contribute their gifts.

To my beloved family—my children, Lele, LJ, and Byron, and my husband, Lakan—thank you for your enduring love, understanding, encouragement, and companionship. You have been part of the sacrifices, uncertainties, challenges, and joys behind this journey. Your presence in my life is a blessing that no award can measure.

To everyone who has trusted, challenged, encouraged, and worked with me through the years, thank you. This recognition belongs, in spirit, to all of us.

Above all, I offer my deepest gratitude to the Great Creator, the source of life, wisdom, strength, and possibility. I recognize that whatever gifts I possess are entrusted to me for a purpose greater than personal achievement.

This award is not a finish line. It is an invitation to continue serving with humility, courage, and compassion—to keep nurturing social enterprises that care for people and the Earth, to keep building bridges across cultures and communities, and to keep working toward a future where prosperity is shared and peace becomes a lived reality.

May this recognition shine a light not only on one woman leader but also on the many women and men, farmers and Indigenous leaders, entrepreneurs and peacebuilders whose quiet, persistent work is transforming our communities.

I receive this honor with a grateful heart. I share it with all of you. And I dedicate it to the Great Creator, whose grace continues to guide our journey.

With gratitude and hope,