ILOILO CITY — Three exceptional Ilonggo entrepreneurs were honored during the 2025 Ilonggo Entrepreneur Awards (IEA) held at the Iloilo Convention Center, highlighting homegrown leaders whose innovation and dedication continue to uplift Iloilo’s business landscape. The awards were presented during PCCI Iloilo’s 120 Years Celebration of the Iloilo Chamber Movement, with results audited by Reyes Tacandong & Co.
Now in its fourth year, the IEA recognizes achievers across three categories: Aspiring Ilonggo Entrepreneur, Young Ilonggo Entrepreneur, and Ilonggo Entrepreneur of the Year.
ASPIRING ILONGGO ENTREPRENEUR AWARD, Ms. Amy Diopita – Draft Master Innovation
Ms. Amy Diopita, co-founder of Draft Master Innovation, leads one of Iloilo’s most promising maritime technology enterprises—born from a desire to make seafaring safer. The company began in 2018 when her husband, Capt. Stanley Jan Diopita, a Chief Officer, experienced firsthand the dangers of manual draft reading at sea. Motivated by this challenge, the couple developed the Draft Kit Reader and Swell Stabilizer Tube, enabling mariners to take accurate draft readings safely from the deck.
What started as a welded prototype in a small Iloilo garage evolved into the Philippines’ first and only commercially available draft-reading technology, trusted by Chief Officers and Cargo Surveyors nationwide and abroad. With support from ISAT-U Kwadra TBI, DTI Moonshot TNK, and Plug and Play APAC, Draft Master Innovation is now preparing for ASEAN and global expansion—cementing itself as a proudly Filipino invention with worldwide potential.
YOUNG ILONGGO ENTREPRENEUR AWARD, Mr. Jan Vincent Nava Sollesta – GalenX, Inc.
A licensed pharmacist, biotechnology specialist, and research advocate, Jan Vincent Nava Sollesta leads GalenX, Inc., a research-centered healthcare company producing science-based home remedies and pharmaceutical innovations. Sollesta’s hands-on, data-driven leadership guides GalenX’s product development—from ideation to validation.
He has secured major research grants with DOST and USAID, developing breakthroughs such as 3D bioprinted human skin, sugarcane-derived biomaterials, and natural antibacterial compounds. As VP for Production at Maridan Industries, he oversees pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing, giving him rare insight across the research-to-industry pipeline.
Sollesta holds patents, international trademarks (including Hyclens® and GalenX®), and publications in international journals. His work demonstrates how a young Ilonggo entrepreneur can advance biotechnology, strengthen local healthcare, and position Filipino innovations on the global stage.
ILONGGO ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR 2025, Mr. Johnny Que – Orchard Valley, Waffle Time, Coffeebreak
This year’s highest recognition was awarded to Mr. Johnny Que, a visionary Ilonggo entrepreneur whose influence spans agriculture, food retail, and social advocacy. From humble beginnings as a farmer, Mr. Que built an ecosystem of successful enterprises, including Orchard Valley, Waffle Time, and Coffeebreak—brands that have defined Iloilo’s homegrown excellence.
Waffle Time—his most iconic venture—became one of the country’s most successful snack brands, expanding nationwide and into Indonesia. Orchard Valley, his organic farm, champions sustainable and healthy agriculture.
His enterprises uphold meaningful advocacies: school feeding programs to support undernourished children and a 540-hectare reforestation initiative that reinforces his commitment to the environment. Mr. Que continues to inspire generations of Ilonggos through leadership rooted in hard work, innovation, and community upliftment.
Celebrating Ilonggo Excellence
The 2025 Ilonggo Entrepreneur Awards showcase the resilience, creativity, and social responsibility of homegrown leaders shaping Iloilo’s economic future. Through technological innovation, scientific advancement, and ethical entrepreneurship, this year’s awardees reaffirm that Iloilo remains a fertile ground for world-class ideas and enterprises.
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