CEBU CITY — Filipino startups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have until Sept. 30 to compete for regional recognition in the Asean Business Awards (ABA) 2026, which is accepting nominations and applications across Southeast Asia.
The awards recognize enterprises for business performance and contributions to sustainability, digital innovation, inclusive development and regional economic integration.
For Philippine businesses, the program provides an opportunity to showcase products, services and business models beyond the domestic market and potentially expand their presence in regional and global markets.
Past Philippine recipients of the ABA Legacy Award include Henry Sy Sr., John Gokongwei, and Jaime Zobel de Ayala.
Philippine companies have also received awards for SME excellence, inclusive business, agri-food, retail and sustainability.
This year’s awards place greater emphasis on businesses that strengthen regional value and supply chains and promote deeper economic integration within Asean.
They also recognize companies advancing gender equality, economic empowerment, and MSME development, as well as businesses in emerging and strategic industries such as semiconductors, green technology, agri-tech, and the creative economy.
The Priority Integration Sector Excellence Award covers eight sectors: agriculture and agri-food; human capital and business services; manufacturing and industrial technology; infrastructure, connectivity and supply chain; omni-channel and retail trade; artificial intelligence and digital transformation; creative economy, culture and tourism; and energy and renewable energy.
Both SMEs and large enterprises may compete in the eight categories.
The SME Excellence Award, meanwhile, recognizes businesses based on market performance, financial health and their potential to compete regionally or globally. Its categories cover growth and innovation, employment and corporate social responsibility.
Special awards also recognize individual entrepreneurs and businesses for gender equality and economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, creativity, sustainability and family business excellence.
The Young Entrepreneur’s Impact Award is open to entrepreneurs below 40 years old who have developed scalable solutions to regional challenges, while the Sustainable Business Leadership Award recognizes initiatives such as decarbonization, environmental, social and governance reporting and circular economy practices.
The Family Business Excellence Award honors family-owned or family-controlled enterprises for business performance, stewardship, innovation and their impact across generations.
Joey Concepcion, chairman of the Asean Business Advisory Council (Asean BAC) 2026, said the awards are intended in part to encourage smaller enterprises to develop sustainable and scalable businesses.
“This is what we want to do with many of our micro and small entrepreneurs — to become not just survival entrepreneurs, but sustainable and eventually growing businesses,” Concepcion said.
Asean BAC established the Asean Business Awards in 2007 as its flagship awards program to recognize enterprises and entrepreneurs contributing to regional integration, economic growth and inclusive business.
The awards are presented annually in conjunction with the Asean Summit.
Nominations and applications for ABA 2026 are accepted until Sept. 30. Contact the Asean Business Awards 2026 Secretariat at aseanbusinessawards@aseanbac.ph.
