Business leader Manuel V. Pangilinan has urged executives to lead with integrity and service, saying true success lies in contributing to nation-building rather than in titles or accolades.

“Applause has a short echo. What lasts longer is our obligation to keep contributing — to keep our institutions sound, and to keep our next generation of leaders engaged, prepared, and dreaming,” Pangilinan said in a speech delivered on his behalf by Meralco PowerGen Corp. president and CEO Emmanuel V. Rubio at the Asia CEO Awards 2025.

Pangilinan was bestowed with the ‘Lifetime Contributor Award’ during the ASIA CEO Awards 2025.

Pangilinan said that after decades in business, what endures are the people who believe that “hard work — rendered with integrity and tenacity — still matters.”

He also encouraged the youth to find fulfillment not only in success but in service, adding that the country’s progress depends on the next generation doing better than those before them.

At the same event, PLDT Inc. and Smart Communications, Inc. — both under the Pangilinan-led group — were named among the Circle of Excellence awardees for CSR Company of the Year for their technology-driven programs promoting digital wellness, disaster resilience, education, inclusion and livelihood.