Manila, December 13, 2023 — The 2023 edition of the Le Trophée Bleu: Business Sustainability Awards’ took place its awarding ceremony during the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines’ Annual Gala 2023: Rendez-Vous, held last November 8, 2023 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila.
Six highly esteemed leaders and experts comprised the awards’ panel of judges: Alain Fontanel, Economic Counselor at the French Embassy; Antonio Mercado, Vice President Head for Corporate Communications at SM Investments; Daniela Laurel, News Anchor-Presenter at One News; Idr. Wilhelmina “Willie” S. Garcia, Junk Not! Founder; Jos Ortega, Havas-Ortega Chairman and CEO; and Yayu Javier, Vice Chairperson at Global Compact Network Philippines.
The deliberations took place a month before the awarding, the applicants narrowed down to two to three finalists per category before the overall winners of the four categories were decided upon: Sanofi Philippines, Essilor, and Artelia Philippines for the People Category; Essilor, Decathlon Philippines and STMicroelectronics for the Planet Category; CMA CGM Group, Sanofi Philippines, and NEO for the Partnership category; and Make A Difference (MAD) Travel and E&V Water & Life for Sustainable Excellence for SMEs.
Judges of Le Trophée Bleu Awards during the formal deliberations at Society Lounge, Makati
A photo snap of the esteemed judges for Le Trophée Bleu Awards. From left to right: Yayu Javier, Alain Fontanel, Idr. Wilhelmina “Willie” S. Garcia, Jos Ortega, and Daniela Laurel
A photo snap with the CCIFP team with the judges. From left to right: Adrian Gamos, Giuseppe Cruz, Chelsea Fuertes, Kevin Charuel, Yayu Javier, Alain Fontanel, Idr. Wilhelmina Garcia, Jos Ortega, and Daniela Laurel, Ruben Belmonte Jr., Audrey Ilagan, Matteo Peneyra, Paula Panganiban
Among the companies vying for the prestigious awards, the winners of Le Trophée Bleu: Business Sustainability Awards 2023 were announced as Sanofi for People, Essilor for Planet, CMA-CGM Philippines for Partnership, and MAD Travel for Sustainable Excellence for SMEs.
Winners of the Le Trophée Bleu: Business Sustainability Awards 2023 as announced during the French Chamber’s Annual Gala 2023: Rendez-vous. From left to right: Jos Ortega, Kevin Charuel, Yayu Javier, Idr. Wilhelmina Garcia, Alain Fontanel, Sivakumar Thigumbaranath of CMA-CGM Philippines, Janet Yap of Sanofi, J Ann Mirasol of Sanofi, Rafael Dionisio of MAD Travel, CCIFP President Jacques Cristophe Branellec, Francis Zuniga of Essilor, Pascal Pecheur, Marquius Mendoza
The awarding ceremony for Le Trophée Bleu was the highlight of the French Chamber’s Annual Gala 2023: Rendez-vous, and after months of anticipation. Multiple key figures from the French and Filipino community were in attendance, among them H.E. Marie Fontanel, French Ambassador to the Philippines, and it was truly an opportunity to recognize their efforts in pursuit of sustainability through their implemented programs and initiatives.
While Le Trophée Bleu: Business Sustainability Awards have come to a close for 2023, the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines and Havas-Ortega look to hosting the awards once again in 2024, to continue to encourage, promote, and award companies and firms who have chosen to work toward sustainability and a better, more sustainable future.
—
Le Trophée Bleu: Business Sustainability Awards was first launched by the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines and the Embassy of France in the Philippines in partnership with Havas-Ortega and the Plastic Flamingo in 2022. It was established to recognize companies with an admirable commitment to sustainable development by integrating practices, programs, and initiatives aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals into their core business strategies. The awards were continued in 2023 by the French Chamber in partnership with Havas-Ortega, opening applications for initiatives that had commenced their operational period between January 2022 and August 2023, with the application deadline set for October 2, 2023. Businesses were invited to submit their applications based on their initiatives’ suitability for the following categories: People, Planet, and Partnership for corporations and institutions; and Sustainable Excellence for SMEs for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.