The 2026 TOWER (The Outstanding Workers of the Republic) Awards honored outstanding Filipino workers for their dedication, excellence, and invaluable contributions to national development on 28 May.

Organized by the Rotary Club of Manila in partnership with PHILEA and supported by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, the event celebrated the strength and dignity of the Filipino workforce.

This year’s TOWER awardees were Norvin A. Adang of Franklin Baker Company of the Philippines; Jansen M. Angeles of Zenith Foods Corporation; Roberto R. Bismonte of Global 3D Systems Inc.; Jerry A. Dalioan of Yazaki-Torres Manufacturing Inc.; Rowena L. Gumban of Dole Philippines Inc.; Renato Lopez Jr. of Dole Philippines Inc.; and Jose Luis M. Millena of Denso Philippines Corporation.

In his message, PEZA Director General Tereso Panga paid tribute to Filipino workers during the Rotary Club of Manila’s TOWER Awards, saying they remain the driving force behind the country’s industries, investments, and economic growth.

Speaking before business leaders and awardees, Panga emphasized that behind every successful company and productive industry are Filipino workers whose skill, discipline, resilience, and dedication make progress possible.

He highlighted the role of workers across manufacturing, electronics, semiconductors, shipbuilding, IT-BPM, logistics, and other strategic sectors, noting that PEZA now supports more than 1.8 million direct jobs through 436 economic zones nationwide.

According to Panga, the Filipino workforce continues to be the country’s greatest competitive advantage because workers are young, English-proficient, technology-savvy, adaptable, and globally competitive.

Panga also underscored the importance of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s ongoing state visit to Japan, saying it reflects the administration’s push to attract more investments and quality jobs for Filipinos.

He revealed that companies joining the President during the visit are PEZA investors committing around P60 billion in investments to the Philippines.

Panga added that he will also travel to Japan to help attract more Japanese investors, describing Japan as “Ichiban” among PEZA’s economic partners.

He said global investors continue to place confidence in the Philippines not only because of PEZA’s investor-friendly policies, but more importantly because of the excellence and reliability of Filipino workers who continue to power industries both locally and abroad.

Among the awardees, Panga gave special recognition to engineer Roberto “Bob” Bismonte of Global 3D Systems for his innovation in advanced 3D printing technology.

Panga recalled how Bismonte’s company was featured during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where it gained recognition for developing a unique liquid-based 3D printing process.

According to Panga, Bismonte shared that his inspiration came from watching the movie The Terminator, which eventually led to innovations that could be used for repairs in outer space.

He praised Bismonte as an example of Filipino ingenuity and talent trained abroad but returning home to contribute to the country’s innovation ecosystem.

Panga said awardees like Bismonte represent the very best of the Filipino worker whose dedication, creativity, and perseverance continue to strengthen the Philippines’ global competitiveness.