KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Media OutReach Newswire - 26 October 2026 - Philippine leaders and organisations are demonstrating how business excellence can strengthen workplaces, empower communities and create lasting value. Their recognition at the ACES Awards 2026 celebrates achievements across leadership, industry, environmental responsibility and social impact.
Dr Shanggari Balakrishnan, MORS Group CEO and ACES Awards President, speaks at ACES Awards 2026, which recognised Philippine leaders and organisations for achievements in leadership, corporate excellence and sustainability.
"These honourees reflect the depth and diversity of Philippine excellence," said Dr Shanggari Balakrishnan, MORS Group CEO and ACES Awards President. "Their achievements remind us that enduring success grows from the way leaders support their people, serve communities and take responsibility for the future."
Lucien C. Dy Tioco, Executive Vice-President of Philstar Daily Inc., and Nicki Agcaoili, Vice President and Chief Country Executive of Carelon Global Solutions Philippines, were recognised among Asia's Most Inspiring Executives, celebrating leadership across media and healthcare services.
Nickel Asia Corporation Founder Manuel B. Zamora Jr. received the Industry Pioneer Award, while the company earned Industry Champions of the Year and the Green Initiative Award, connecting an industry-building legacy with environmental responsibility.
China Banking Corporation received Inspiring Workplaces in Asia and Industry Champions of the Year, bringing its people and business achievements into focus.
Globe Telecom earned Top Workplaces in Asia and Industry Champions of the Year, highlighting the relationship between a strong workforce and industry leadership.
Foundever Philippines Corporation received Asia's Best Workplace of the Year and the Nation Builder Award. Willy Lim, VP for HR and TA – APAC, Foundever, was also recognised among Asia's Most Inspiring Executives, placing people leadership at the centre of its recognition.
BDO Unibank was honoured among Top Community Centric Companies in Asia, underscoring the importance of community responsibility within financial services.
Megaworld Corporation earned the Community Initiative Award, Inspiring Workplaces in Asia and Industry Champions of the Year. Its three distinctions brought together community care, workplace culture and enterprise achievement reflecting the broader ambition shared by these Philippine honourees to carry excellence beyond business.
Hashtag: #ACESAwards
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
ACES Awards
The Asia Corporate Excellence & Sustainability (ACES) Awards is a regional platform recognising outstanding leaders, organisations and sustainability champions across Asia.
Organised by MORS Group, its 13th annual edition in 2026 received 1,238 nominations from 35 countries across 45 industries, celebrating responsible leadership, corporate excellence and lasting positive impact.
** This press release is distributed by Media OutReach Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 26 October 2026 – Bangkok has pledged to make WorldPride 2030 a platform for advancing LGBTQIA+ visibility and solidarity across Asia – ensuring the event's first arrival in the region strengthens communities beyond the host city. As the official applicant and host, Bangkok Pride's bid commits to giving activists and organizations from across Asia a meaningful role in WorldPride while fostering connections with global partners to build support that continues beyond the occasion.
Bangkok pledges to put Asian LGBTQIA+ communities at the heart of WorldPride 2030
Across Asia, LGBTQIA+ communities operate under widely differing conditions. Bangkok's bid aims to provide a platform where communities can raise their voices, contribute to international discussions and strengthen cross-border cooperation.
"Bringing WorldPride to Asia for the first time would be more than a celebration. It would be a powerful moment for LGBTQ+ Asians to see ourselves represented on a global stage – and for the world to hear the diverse voices, stories and struggles of our communities," said Raymond Phang, co-founder of ShanghaiPRIDE. "From Shanghai to Bangkok, from grassroots organizers to a new generation of LGBTQ+ Asians, our movement has always been about creating space for people to live openly, safely and with dignity. I hope Bangkok 2030 can be a WorldPride that celebrates how far Asia has come, while reminding us of the work still ahead for equality, acceptance and human rights."
The bid includes practical measures to widen participation. The proposed Bangkok WorldPride Activist Fellowship would provide at least 150 fully funded places for frontline activists, with at least 70 percent allocated to participants from the Global South to reduce barriers in accommodation and accreditation.
Regional perspectives would also help shape a week-long Human Rights Forum, which would anchor Bangkok Action 2030 – a proposed framework for cooperation on legal and family recognition, bodily autonomy, protection for human-rights defenders, health equity and digital rights.
Furthermore, Bangkok WorldPride 2030 would establish a Pride City Network Asia community hub, building upon Thailand's existing network of local organizers and authorities to create creating opportunities for Pride organizations across the region.
Building a legacy beyond 2030
Bangkok's bid builds on Thailand's continuing journey towards equality. Marriage equality took effect in January 2025, making Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia to recognize same-sex marriage. By 2030, the country will mark five years since the law took effect – with the global landscape having since shifted.
Ann Chumaporn, Core Team Lead of WorldPride 2030, Bangkok Candidate City, added: "At a time when gender equality and LGBTQIA+ rights are facing severe pushback across the globe, holding our ground is no longer enough, and we must move forward with courage and solidarity. Thailand's journey to marriage equality proved that transformative change is possible when community leadership remains at the core. Bringing WorldPride 2030 to Bangkok is about opening a vital gateway for Asia – a sanctuary where frontline activists can breathe, connect, and reclaim their narratives. This bid is our collective promise that Asia will not be silenced, but will rise as a powerful force of hope, resilience, and enduring progress for human rights worldwide."
The bid proposes a legacy that extends beyond the event itself. A share of operational surpluses would establish a permanent Pride City Network Fund, providing micro-grants, capacity-building resources and emergency relocation support for human-rights defenders across Asia. It also proposes a Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Museum and Archive to preserve and increase the visibility of Asian queer histories.
Bangkok's ambition is for communities across Asia to leave WorldPride 2030 with stronger partnerships, greater access to international support and resources for advancing equality in the years ahead.
Hashtag: #LGBTQIA+ #Pride #CandidateCityBangkokWorldPride2030 #WorldPride2030 #UntilAllOfUsAreFree #Bangkok #Thailand
https://www.businesseventsthailand.com/
https://www.facebook.com/miceinthailand
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB)
Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is the official government agency responsible for promoting Thailand as a leading destination for meetings, incentives, conventions, exhibitions, mega events and international festivals. Working closely with government, industry and international partners, TCEB supports events that drive economic growth, strengthen key industries, foster innovation and create long-term benefits for communities across Thailand.
For more information, visit www.businesseventsthailand.com.
** This press release is distributed by Media OutReach Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
