The Freeman rallies business, civic leaders in ProgreCEBU Awards

As The Freeman, the Philippines' longest-running community newspaper in Cebu, enters its 106th year, it is steering legacy journalism into the heart of civic leadership and business engagement.

- By Ehda Mausisa-Dagooc

In collaboration with the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), The Freeman has institutionalized the ProgreCebu Awards—a recognition platform that positions the Queen City of the South not just as a cultural treasure but as a blueprint for regional economic dynamism.

Now in its second year, ProgreCebu has evolved into more than just an awards ceremony. It serves as a convergence point for leadership, innovation, and inclusive progress, channeling the city's momentum across sectors into a curated celebration of growth.

Held at the NuStar Resort and Casino, the ceremony gathered a cross-section of Cebu's economic powerhouses—from industrialists and tech entrepreneurs to tourism operators and public sector leaders.

The 2025 roster of awardees reflected Cebu's ongoing multi-sectoral evolution.

Atty. Augusto "Gus" Go, visionary founder of the AWG Group of Companies and a pioneer in private education through the University of Cebu, received the Most Distinguished Individual award. A respected figure in both business and academe, Go's decades-long work underscores the region's belief in social mobility through education and entrepreneurship.