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Top Businesses and Leaders in the Philippines Honored at the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards (APEA) 2024

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MANILA, Philippines, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards (APEA) 2024 Philippines Chapter celebrated the achievements of remarkable Filipino business leaders and enterprises on December 11 at Hilton Manila. Organized by regional NGO Enterprise Asia, the APEA is Asia’s largest and most prestigious award networking platform, spanning 16 markets annually.

This year, the APEA focused on “Celebrating Inclusive Entrepreneurship”, recognizing visionary business leaders and organizations whose initiatives and strategies have actively contributed to the realization of an inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem in the Philippines.

A distinguished panel of judges meticulously evaluated over 150 nominees, assessing each entrepreneur and organization based on their coherence. This rigorous process determined the winners across four categories: Master Entrepreneur, Inspirational Brand, Fast Enterprise, and Corporate Excellence.

Since 2007, the Awards has been organized all over the region with past recipients comprising Taiwan’s Douglas Tong Hsu, Hong Kong’s Francis Lui and Lawrence Ho, TTC Vietnam’s Dang Van Thanh, Thailand’s Supaluck Ampuj, Cuckoo Malaysia’s Hoe Kian Choon, Indonesia’s Hary Tanoesoedibjo and Mochtar Riady, India’s Adi Godrej, and the Philippines’ Dennis Anthony Uy.

“As we recognize the outstanding achievements of our awardees, we celebrate their unwavering determination, resilience, and ingenuity. Their stories inspire us to envision a future where success is shared and opportunities are universal,” the Chairman of Enterprise Asia, Dr. Fong Chan Onn, announced in an uplifting welcome speech.

Manuel B. Villar, Jr., Chairman of Vista Land & Lifescapes, Inc., received the prestigious Entrepreneur Of The Year Award for his contribution in shaping a better livelihood for the Filipinos. Regarded as the ‘Father of the Philippine Real Estate Industry’, Villar’s companies have built more than 500,000 houses for middle-class Filipino families. Today, he continues to dedicate his life towards ensuring the life path he took from poverty to success may be experienced by all Filipinos.

Award winners under the Master Entrepreneur category include Gil G. Chua, Group Chairman & CEO of DDB Group Philippines and Enrico Dee, President & CEO of Foodee Global Food Concepts, who were honored for their outstanding leadership.

Century Pacific Food, Inc., Hilti Philippines Inc., and Watsons Personal Care Stores (Phils.), Inc. were among the recipients of the Inspirational Brand award. Businesses recognized under the Fast Enterprise category include DigiPlus Interactive Corp. and I-Fern Corporation. Lastly, among the top companies taking home the Corporate Excellence award were GOAC Group Of Companies and Nimbyx.

PR Newswire was the Official News Release Distribution Partner for the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards 2024 Philippines Chapter. Media partners included BusinessWorld, Dailywire.asia and SME Magazine.

AWARD RECIPIENT LIST OF THE ASIA PACIFIC ENTERPRISE AWARDS (APEA) 2024

 PHILIPPINES CHAPTER

ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR CATEGORY

NAME

COMPANY

INDUSTRY

MANUEL B. VILLAR, JR.

 

CHAIRMAN

VISTA LAND & LIFESCAPES, INC.

PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT

 

MASTER ENTREPRENEUR CATEGORY

NAME

COMPANY

INDUSTRY

DR. VICTORIA G. BELO

 

FOUNDER, CEO, AND
MEDICAL DIRECTOR

     BELO MEDICAL GROUP         

BEAUTY & PERSONAL
CARE

ALEX A. MABAQUIAO, JR.

 

CEO

BLUERISE HOLDING ENT.
CORP.

PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT

GIL G. CHUA

 

GROUP CHAIRMAN &
CEO

DDB GROUP PHILIPPINES

PROFESSIONAL &
BUSINESS SERVICES

ENRICO DEE

 

PRESIDENT & CEO

FOODEE GLOBAL FOOD
CONCEPTS

FOOD & BEVERAGE

DR STEVE MARK GAN

 

CHAIRMAN & CEO

GAOC GROUP OF
COMPANIES

HEALTHCARE,
PHARMACEUTICAL &
BIOTECHNOLOGY

TOMMANNY TAN

 

PRESIDENT & CEO

I-FERN CORPORATION

DIRECT SELLING

PAOLO KALAW

 

FOUNDER & CEO

NIMBYX

HEALTHCARE,
PHARMACEUTICAL &
BIOTECHNOLOGY

ELMER M. LAPEÑA

 

EXECUTIVE MANAGING
DIRECTOR

SAGA PH

PROFESSIONAL &
BUSINESS SERVICES

SHELMAR KITCH LA
VICTORIA

 

CEO & CO-FOUNDER

SMART HOME PHILIPPINES

CONSTRUCTION

FRANCO M. PEDREGOSA

 

PRESIDENT & CEO

THE FIGTREE PROPERTIES
OPC

REAL ESTATE

DIANE ISABEL CHUA

 

MANAGING DIRECTOR

TRIBAL WORLDWIDE
PHILIPPINES

PROFESSIONAL &
BUSINESS SERVICES

RONNIE L. SIASOYCO

 

CHAIRMAN & CEO

TRION GROUP

ELECTRICAL &
ELECTRONICS

TENGKU JADEEYAH
ABANG

 

FOUNDER & CEO

TWIN RAMS MEDIA GROUP
OPC

PROFESSIONAL &
BUSINESS SERVICES

MATHIEU GUILLAUME

 

PRESIDENT & CEO

VIENOVO PHILIPPINES, INC.

AGRICULTURE

 

                                              FAST ENTERPRISE CATEGORY                                                    

COMPANY

                       INDUSTRY                    

BENT AND BUZZ

PROFESSIONAL & BUSINESS SERVICES

BLUERISE HOLDING ENT. CORP.

PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT

DIGIPLUS INTERACTIVE CORP.

ENTERTAINMENT

I-FERN CORPORATION

DIRECT SELLING

NOVODENTAL

HEALTHCARE, PHARMACEUTICAL &
BIOTECHNOLOGY

S5 FRANCHISE SYSTEM INC.

INDUSTRIAL & COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS

SMART HOME PHILIPPINES

CONSTRUCTION

TRION TRADE, INC.

ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS

VIENOVO PHILIPPINES, INC.

AGRICULTURE

 

                                              INSPIRATIONAL BRAND CATEGORY                                            

COMPANY

INDUSTRY

BELO MEDICAL GROUP

BEAUTY & PERSONAL CARE

BLUERISE HOLDING ENT. CORP.

PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT

CENTURY PACIFIC FOOD, INC.

CONSUMER GOODS

HILTI PHILIPPINES INC.

CONSTRUCTION

NIMBYX

HEALTHCARE,
PHARMACEUTICAL &
BIOTECHNOLOGY

RENT.PH

REAL ESTATE

RIPPLE8

PROFESSIONAL &
BUSINESS SERVICES

WATSONS PERSONAL CARE STORES (PHILS.), INC.

RETAIL

 

CORPORATE EXCELLENCE CATEGORY

COMPANY

INDUSTRY

DDB PHILIPPINES

PROFESSIONAL &
BUSINESS SERVICES

DIGIPLUS INTERACTIVE CORP.

ENTERTAINMENT

EXIST SOFTWARE LABS, INC.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS & ICT

GAOC GROUP OF COMPANIES

HEALTHCARE,
PHARMACEUTICAL &
BIOTECHNOLOGY

NIMBYX

HEALTHCARE,
PHARMACEUTICAL &
BIOTECHNOLOGY

SOUTHVILLE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL AND COLLEGES

EDUCATION & TRAINING

VISTA LAND & LIFESCAPES, INC.

PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT

VIVENTIS SEARCH ASIA, INC.

PROFESSIONAL & BUSINESS
SERVICES

About Enterprise Asia

Enterprise Asia is a non-governmental organization in pursuit of creating an Asia that is rich in entrepreneurship as an engine towards sustainable and progressive economic and social development within a world of economic equality. Its two pillars of existence are an investment in people and responsible entrepreneurship. Enterprise Asia works with governments, NGOs, and other organizations to promote competitiveness and entrepreneurial development, uplift the economic status of people across Asia, and ensure a legacy of hope, innovation, and courage for future generations. Please visit www.enterpriseasia.org for more information.

About Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards

Launched in 2007, the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards is the region’s most prestigious award for outstanding entrepreneurship, continuous innovation, and sustainable leadership. The Award provides a platform for companies and governments to recognize entrepreneurial excellence, hence spurring greater innovation, fair business practices, and growth in entrepreneurship. As a regional award, it groups together leading entrepreneurs as a powerful voice for entrepreneurship and serves as a by-invitation-only networking powerhouse. The program has grown to encompass 16 countries/ regions and markets all over Asia. For further information, please visit www.apea.asia.

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/top-businesses-and-leaders-in-the-philippines-honored-at-the-asia-pacific-enterprise-awards-apea-2024-302331794.html

SOURCE Enterprise Asia

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Zifo Transforms Ontology Engineering with AI-Powered Intelligent Automation

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Advanced AI solution speeds up ontology creation by 80%, generating structured, interoperable knowledge models for science-driven organizations.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and CAMBRIDGE, England, April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Zifo, the leading global enabler of AI and data-driven enterprise informatics for science-driven organizations, has developed an Intelligent Automation solution for Ontology Engineering, which is designed to seamlessly generate structured, interoperable knowledge models while accelerating ontology creation by 80%.

Overcoming the Bottlenecks of Manual Ontology Creation

Manual ontology creation in the biopharma industry has traditionally been a time-consuming process that requires specialized expertise. Organizations frequently struggle with semantic ambiguity, complex integration challenges, and limited scalability, resulting in workflows that can take weeks to complete. Zifo’s AI-powered automation tackles these challenges head-on by eliminating 80% of the manual work through automated class generation, description creation, and precise IRI mapping.

Addressing the Complexities of Semantic Knowledge

Developing comprehensive knowledge models often demands deep domain expertise to define relationships and align terminology. Zifo’s intelligent solution overcomes this by providing an AI-guided workflow featuring an intuitive interface, meaning specialized ontology engineering knowledge is no longer required. By leveraging LLM-powered generation, the solution creates precise definitions with a deep understanding of domain-specific context, while generating standardized synonyms and establishing controlled vocabulary alignment to eliminate inconsistent terminology.

A Solution Designed for Scalable Scientific Data Modeling

The AI-powered solution addresses critical format compatibility and integration points in ontology management:

Seamless Integration: Automated mapping connects directly to established ontologies, including NCIT, CHEBI, OBI, and EFO, via BioPortal and OLS APIs.Massive Scalability: Parallel processing and batch operations empower teams to execute large-scale ontology projects without performance limitations.Automated Hierarchies: The AI autonomously generates semantic relationships and parent-child hierarchies based on domain context and predefined relation vocabularies.Format Compatibility: The solution produces direct OWL/RDF exports with proper URIs, ensuring seamless downstream integration.

Unique Features include:

Multi-Source Integration: The solution combines BioPortal, OLS, and EMBL-EBI APIs to guarantee comprehensive ontology coverage.Intelligent Ranking System: The system uses AI-powered relevance scoring and justification for precise ontology mappings.Precise IRI Mapping: It ensures that each generated class is linked to the correct IRI, directly promoting semantic web compatibility.Human-in-the-Loop Design: The solution automates repetitive tasks while maintaining vital expert oversight.End-to-End Workflow: Users are guided through a complete pipeline, from initial domain knowledge input straight to exportable OWL files.Visual Knowledge Graph: An interactive graph visualization allows for intuitive relationship exploration and validation.Multi-Format Exports: Provides seamless export options in CSV, OWL, or HTML Ontograph formats for downstream use, collaboration, and visualization.

Strategic Value Across the Scientific Chain

This solution breaks down the traditional barriers of data structuring. Built on a robust backend of Python, LangChain, and leading LLM models, alongside a frontend framework using Next.js 15 and Cytoscape.js for graph visualization, the solution is highly adaptable. Furthermore, future optimization enhancements will include provisions for uploading user-defined classes or semi-ready ontologies.

About Zifo

Zifo is the leading global enabler of AI and data-driven enterprise informatics for science-driven organizations. With expertise spanning research, development, manufacturing, and clinical domains, Zifo serves a diverse range of industries including Pharma, Biotech, Chemicals, Food and Beverage, and more. Trusted by over 190 organizations worldwide, Zifo is the partner of choice for advancing digital scientific innovation.

For more information, visit www.zifornd.comhttps://zifornd.com/practical-ai-blueprints/

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2731415/Zifo_Technologies_Logo.jpg

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zifo-transforms-ontology-engineering-with-ai-powered-intelligent-automation-302758975.html

SOURCE Zifo Technologies

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UNC-Chapel Hill establishes ‘Carolina in the Capital’ with new Washington, D.C. office

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CHAPEL HILL, N.C., April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has opened a new office in Washington, D.C., establishing an expanded presence for the University in the nation’s capital and creating exciting opportunities for students, faculty, staff and alumni.

Located at 101 Constitution Avenue NW, the 10,861-square-foot space – coined “Carolina in the Capital” – will support a variety of functions, including educational programming for undergraduate and graduate students, alumni relations and engagement with government partners.

As a leading R1 university, UNC-Chapel Hill annually attracts more than $1.6 billion to the state’s economy to fund research that creates a better quality of life for all its citizens. More than 60% of UNC-Chapel Hill’s total research funding comes from federal sponsors with the majority of that federal funding coming from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is based in the Washington area.

“Carolina in the Capital is a state-of-the-art facility that reflects our commitment to creating experiential learning opportunities for our students and faculty,” said Chancellor Lee H. Roberts. “The space is designed as an immersive learning environment where students can translate classroom knowledge into hands-on experience, which has never been more important. The facility also strengthens our ability to support engagement between our staff, alumni, policymakers and partners.”

Supporting students participating in Carolina’s Washington-based academic programs is a priority. For years, students and faculty have relied on temporary or borrowed spaces across the city. The new office provides a permanent home where students can gather, learn and build community while living and studying in Washington. A robust schedule of classes and events will fill the space throughout the year.

The Washington, D.C. region is home to the largest concentration of out-of-state Carolina alumni anywhere in the country. The new office creates a dedicated space to strengthen those connections and support networking, mentorship, professional development and community-building among D.C.-based Tar Heels.

The space will also serve as a platform to bring Carolina’s research and academic expertise into closer conversation with policymakers, industry leaders and member organizations. Carolina is the nation’s 11th largest university in the country based on research volume with primary federal funding coming from NIH and the National Science Foundation (NSF), both based in the D.C. area. Carolina is a proud member of the Association of American Universities (AAU) and the Association of Public & Land Grant Universities (APLU), which are both based in Washington.

The office is funded entirely through the UNC-Chapel Hill Foundation and does not use any state appropriations.

You can view additional photos of the space here.

Media Contact: UNC Media Relations, 919-445-8555, mediarelations@unc.edu

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/unc-chapel-hill-establishes-carolina-in-the-capital-with-new-washington-dc-office-302758250.html

SOURCE University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Office of Communications

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Investing.com Acquires Stonki to Accelerate Its Entry into the Agentic AI Era

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The acquisition strengthens Investing.com’s AI capabilities, advancing a next-generation research assistant that can analyze markets, generate insights, and guide investors in real time

NEW YORK, April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Investing.com, one of the world’s largest financial platforms used by more than 60 million investors each month, today announced the acquisition of Stonki, an AI-powered investing assistant designed to help traders turn ideas into structured, actionable trading plans.

The move marks a major step in the company’s evolution toward agentic AI, strengthening its ability to deliver faster, deeper, and more actionable market insights to a growing base of more than 300,000 paying subscribers across its InvestingPro suite, the company’s premium subscription offering for advanced market data, tools, and AI-driven insights.

Over the past 12 months, nearly 3 million users have used WarrenAI, Investing.com’s AI-powered financial research assistant launched last year, to perform market analysis, making AI a central entry point into the platform’s ecosystem. With the addition of Stonki, the company is moving beyond traditional AI tools toward agentic systems that can proactively guide users through the investment process.

“We’re entering the age of agentic AI, where the technology moves beyond just answering questions to actively helping investors think, analyze, and act,” said Omer Shvili, CEO of Investing.com. “Bringing Stonki.ai into the fold accelerates our goal of building an agentic platform that will serve as a 24/7 analyst for our users. We are developing this to be more than just a tool; it will be a partner that identifies opportunities, tracks unfolding situations, and surfaces trade ideas even when the user isn’t active—giving our users the kind of edge that was previously only available to professional investors.”

Founded in 2025, Stonki is developing a new category of ‘agentic’ AI for investing, enabling users to turn investment ideas into fully defined strategies with entry and exit conditions, risk management rules, and continuous monitoring.

“We started Stonki because, as investors and traders ourselves, we knew how much time and focus it takes to stay on top of the market and properly manage a day trade, a swing trade, an investment idea, or a portfolio,” said Ulas Bilgenoglu and Itay Verkh, co-founders of Stonki. “We set out to build AI that could carry part of that load by continuously monitoring the market, turning ideas into structured strategies, and helping users make better decisions with clear entry and exit conditions, disciplined risk management, and ongoing tracking. Joining Investing.com gives us the scale, data, reach, and strong AI foundation to accelerate that vision. Together, we can create an experience where AI helps users stay ahead of the market, manage risk, and act with greater confidence.”

The acquisition expands Investing.com’s AI capabilities across both technical and fundamental investing workflows. Stonki’s technology is built around persistent, real-time intelligence, continuously monitoring markets, tracking user-defined strategies, and alerting investors when conditions align, rather than relying on one-off prompts or static analysis.

For active traders, the platform is evolving into a real-time analysis engine designed to support high-frequency decision-making with precision and speed. For long-term investors, it is becoming a central hub for research, enabling users to evaluate opportunities, set personalized alerts, and monitor portfolios based on their individual investment strategies.

Users will be able to define specific conditions, such as a stock crossing a long-term moving average, and have the AI continuously monitor the market, analyze relevant signals, and surface actionable insights in real time. The system will also review portfolios on an ongoing basis, helping investors avoid potential losses and uncover new opportunities aligned with their strategy.

This latest step builds on Investing.com’s broader strategy of expanding its AI-powered suite, including WarrenAI, ProPicks AI, and its recently launched AI Chart Analysis, all aimed at delivering faster, more accurate and more actionable insights to investors.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/investingcom-acquires-stonki-to-accelerate-its-entry-into-the-agentic-ai-era-302756588.html

SOURCE Investing.com

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