Board of Judges TOWER Awards 2026

Rtn. Romeo “Romy” C. Nones, Chairman

Romeo Nones is a member of the Rotary Club of Manila and has been a Rotarian for 40 years. He served as president of the Rotary Club of Panday Pira Manila in 1989-1990 and has been a district officer of R.I. District 3810 in various capacities. He was president of Macro Machinery and Industrial Supply Corp and Macrotrade Resources Inc. Both businesses functioned as manufacturers' representatives in the mining, water, food, and power industries. Mr. Nones is a graduate of B.S. Mining Engineering from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. He has also served as Vice-President of the University of the Philippines Alumni Association. He is presently a Board Member of the National Housing Authority.

STAR Rtn. Jason Romeo Valderrama, Member

Engr. Jason Valderrama is the Founder, President, and CEO of JCVA, one of the Philippines' leading construction consultancy firms, with a team of over 300 professionals managing more than 1.7M sqms and PHP 150 billion worth of projects nationwide. A UP Diliman Civil Engineer and 10th placer in the 2006 board exams, he holds an MBA from Ateneo, and has completed programs at Cornell University and Singapore Management University. He was named 2024 Entrepreneur of the Year at the Asia CEO Awards Circle of Excellence and the 2024 UP Alumni Engineers Citation of Merit Awardee in Entrepreneurship.

President-elect Reginald T. Yu, Member

Reggie Yu is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Times Paint Corporation and one of the country’s respected leaders in business, civic service, and leadership development. A cum laude graduate of the University of the Philippines Diliman with a degree in Business Administration and Accountancy and a Certified Public Accountant, he began his professional career at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) before assuming leadership in the manufacturing industry. In recognition of his professional achievements and contributions to society, he was conferred the Distinguished Alumni Award by the University of the Philippines College of Business Administration (now, UP Virata School of Business) in 2019.

Emmanuel D. Cortero, Member

Emmanuel D. Cortero is the Acting Deputy Director General for Policy and Planning at the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA). He holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Santo Tomas–Legazpi, a Master’s Degree in Management, major in Public Administration, and is an alumnus of the Temasek Foundation Leaders in Economic Development Programme of the Civil Service College Singapore. Prior to his current role, he served as Zone Administrator of the Mactan Economic Zone and the Baguio City Economic Zone, overseeing multiple PEZA special economic zones across the country. He also served as Department Manager of the Ecozone Development Department, where he played a key role in the declaration and development of numerous economic zones nationwide, as well as in ecozone management and operations and the registration of ecozone utilities (power, water, and telecommunications) and facilities enterprises.

Rowena Torres-Naguit, Member

Rowena Torres-Naguit is the Group Manager for the Management Information Systems and Corporate Planning Group (MISCPG) at the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA). She is a graduate of AB Communication Arts, major in Journalism from the University of the Philippines, Diliman, and she earned her Master’s in Business Administration from the Lyceum of the Philippines, Manila. GM Naguit’s distinguished career with PEZA began in 1997 when she joined as a Records Officer. Through her dedication and expertise, she steadily advanced through the ranks, ultimately assuming her current leadership role. Throughout her tenure, she has contributed to various key departments, including an initial assignment in the Office of the Administrator at the Cavite Economic Zone, followed by roles in the Office of the Deputy Director General for Policy & Planning, the Promotions and Public Relations Group, and the Office of the Director General.