DITO BizBayani Awards Names Five Outstanding Filipino MSMEs at Inaugural Awards Night

Telco’s first-ever nationwide MSME search draws over 4,800 public votes; a fruit vendor, a coffee farmer-partner, a barista-turned-employer, an EdTech founder, and an autism-tech developer take home the country’s newest business honor.

MANILA, Philippines — August 12, 2026 — DITO Telecommunity, through its MSME arm DITO BizBayan, honored five outstanding Filipino entrepreneurs at the inaugural DITO BizBayani Awards Night, held on Wednesday night at the Manila Ballroom of the Manila Marriott Hotel, Newport World Resorts.

The Awards Night capped a ten-week nationwide search for the country’s most inspiring micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), run in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), GCash, Jobstreet by SEEK Philippines, the Philippine Council for Small and Medium Businesses (PCSMB), the Philippine Franchise Association (PFA), the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA), DCME Holdings, and Philippine AI Business Association (PAIBA). 

DITO executives and partners come together to celebrate the inaugural DITO BizBayani Awards, honoring Filipino MSMEs whose resilience, innovation, and impact continue to drive communities forward. From left to right: Eric Alberto: President, Atty. Adel Tamano: Chief Revenue Officer, Leonila T. Baluyut: DTI Assistant Secretary, Luigi Lopa: Deputy Chief Revenue Officer, Gabby Cui: Head of MSME
The five winners were chosen from a Top 25 shortlist that itself was narrowed down from more than 500 nominations submitted nationwide, capping a ten-week search for the country’s most outstanding micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

MSMEs account for 99.63 percent of all registered businesses in the Philippines and contribute 65.1 percent of the country’s total employment, according to the DTI. The BizBayani Awards were built to put faces to those figures.

“These five winners, and the twenty-five finalists they represent, are proof of something we’ve believed since DITO entered this market: that the boldest builders in this country are not always the ones with the most resources, but the ones with the most conviction,” said Atty. Adel Tamano, Chief Revenue Officer of DITO Telecommunity, in his welcome remarks. 

 
The 2026 DITO BizBayani Awardees

Bobby Adan of Prutasan ni Adan took home the BizBayani in Growth Excellence Award, presented in partnership with DTI. What started as a roadside fruit stand in Cebu in 2017 has grown into a flagship specialty grocery store with eight-digit monthly sales and direct international sourcing of premium produce.

Felix Veroya of Ask Lex PH Academy (ALPHA) won the BizBayani in Digital Impact Award, presented with GCash. Founded in 2016 as a traditional training and consulting firm, ALPHA pivoted into an EdTech social enterprise during the pandemic and has since served more than 100,000 graduates through a learning platform with over 35,000 registered users.

Anna Magalona-Go of But First, Coffee received the BizBayani in Employer Excellence Award, presented with Jobstreet. The brand began in 2020 as a one-woman pandemic startup and has since scaled to a corporate team of 150 to 200 employees, generating more than 1,000 jobs through its nationwide franchise network. 

Ariestelo Asilo of Varacco was honored with the BizBayani in Industry Impact Award, presented with PCCI. Through its Coffee Based Farming Entrepreneurship Engagement Program, Varacco supports 100 coffee farmers across seven communities, produces roughly 100 tons of coffee annually, and is developing Mindanao’s first certified mother tree garden for the industry.

Rio Pomer of St. Pio, developer of the Bridges Autism App, won the BizBayani in Innovations Award, presented with PAIBA. Built after listening to the needs of Filipino families raising children with autism, the AI-powered platform combines therapy tools, progress tracking, and community support into a single accessible platform. 
 
Each winner received a trophy handcrafted by artisans from Tugaya, Lanao del Sur, carved from Basudan wood, shaped after the Sarimanok, and inlaid with mother of pearl, in a design meant to reflect the resilience and creativity of Filipino entrepreneurship.

For DITO, the awards are meant to be less a one-night event than the start of an ongoing program.

“The BizBayani Awards were never meant to be a one-time celebration. They are a reflection of what we see every day in our work with MSMEs , entrepreneurs who innovate not because it’s trendy, but because their communities need them to,” said Gabby Cui, Head of MSME at DITO BizBayan.

“Our commitment doesn’t end when the trophies are handed out; it’s what pushes us to keep building programs, tools, and connectivity that help the next Bobby, the next Anna, the next Rio get their shot,” Cui added.

Beyond the five category winners, DITO said the real measure of the program’s success lies in the full slate of 25 finalists who competed for recognition, each representing a different corner of the country’s MSME landscape, from palengkes and home kitchens to digital storefronts and farming communities.

As the DITO BizBayani Awards close out its inaugural year, the program signals a broader bet: that connectivity, recognition, and partnership between the private sector and government can help the country’s smallest businesses grow into its next generation of employers, innovators, and industry leaders.

About DITO Telecommunity

DITO Telecommunity is the country’s third major telecommunications provider, committed to delivering efficient and reliable connectivity to Filipinos nationwide.

About the Author

Fanboy SEO

Administrator

Visit Website View All Posts