The Freeman General Manager Melandro Mendoza, Philstar Media Group President and CEO Miguel G. Belmonte, MCCI President Mark Anthony Ynoc, and MCCI Past President Kelie Ko during the contract signing at the inaugural ProgreCebu Awards on July 19, 2024.
ProgreCebu Awards is an award-giving platform jointly initiated by The Freeman and the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI). It aims to recognize individuals, institutions, and destinations that continue to move Cebu forward through their influence, economic impact, and contributions to community building.
The ProgreCebu Awards was the brainchild of The Freeman’s General Manager, Melandro Mendoza, with the goal of honoring the people behind Cebu’s sustained progress.
The inaugural ProgreCebu Awards took place on July 19, 2024, during the 105th anniversary celebration of The Freeman, the longest-running regional newspaper in the Visayas, held at Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu.
During the same event, the official contract signing of the partnership between The Freeman and MCCI was also held, formalizing their shared commitment to the advocacy.
Present during the signing were The Freeman General Manager Melandro Mendoza, Philstar Media Group President and CEO Miguel G. Belmonte, resident of MCCI President Mark Anthony Ynoc and MCCI Past President Kelie Ko.
The most recent ProgreCebu awarding ceremony was held during The Freeman’s 106th anniversary on July 15, 2025, at NUSTAR, where a new roster of awardees was recognized.
As of now, the ProgreCebu Awards features four categories:
- Most Distinguished Individual
- Most Distinguished Institution
- Most Distinguished Individual
- ProgreCebu Excellence Award
This annual event, in partnership with MCCI, continues to fulfill its mission of honoring individuals and institutions that build businesses with purpose and create lasting impact within their communities.
Looking ahead, the ProgreCebu Awards promises to be even bigger and better, continuing to celebrate and spotlight Cebu’s changemakers.
Written by Carl John Griño
