The future is bright

Mall and property taipan Hans Sy achieved a virtual grand slam this November 2025.

- TONY LOPEZ

On Monday, Nov. 24, he was honored by the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) as its Management Person of the Year 2025. MAP is the largest business association, with more than 1,000 CEOs as members.

On Tuesday, Nov. 25, Hans was honored for his management excellence by BizNews Asia, the largest weekly business magazine, on its 24th anniversary attended by the elite of Philippine government and business, led by the First Lady Louise Araneta Marcos, Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto and Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo.

Both events are stories of hope, economic buoyancy and faith in the nation's future.

On Nov. 30, Sunday, there was another event that convinced me of a sign of a better future: a double rainbow appeared at half past 4 p.m. just as a whole day rally led by the powerful Catholic Church at the People Power shrine at EDSA was winding up. A much smaller rally, 6 kms to the west at the Luneta, was also held by leftist groups. I am sure the Luneta crowd also saw the rainbow.

Hans Sy's acceptance speech at the MAP awarding rites bristled with hope and optimism about our country's future.

The Philippines is a country destined by geology, geography, geopolitics and groundbreaking democracy to frequently face disasters and challenges.