MANILA, Philippines – In the early 1990s, franchising contributed a mere five percent to the retail industry. Today, franchising has become a major contributor to the Philippine economy, representing about 35 percent of the retail output while hiring over a million workers, and remitting billions of pesos in taxes to the government.

All these developments happened because of the vision of one man – Samie Lim, acknowledged as the Father of Philippine Franchising.

And for serving as catalyst to the growth of franchising and the retail industry in general, Lim was honored last night by the Philippine Retailers Association with the PRA President’s Award, which serves as the highlight of this year’s “16th Outstanding Filipino Retailers and Shopping Centers of the Year Awards Night” at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Ortigas.

Lim is the 8th recipient of the PRA President’s Award, taking the title as the “Pioneering Pillar of Philippine Franchising.”

Started in 2005 to honor and recognize the men and women who have made an indelible mark in the retail industry, the first PRA  awardees were Henry Sy of SM Group of Companies, as the “Father of Philippine Retailing,” Fernando Zobel de Ayala of Ayala Group of Companies as the “Pillar of Philippine Retail Development,” Jorge L. Araneta of Araneta Group of Companies as “Pioneer of Philippine Retail Entertainment,” Socorro C. Ramos of National Book Store as “Matriarch of Philippine Retailing,” John Gokongwei, Jr. of JG Summit Holdings as “Champion of Retail Entrepreneurship,” Amb. Bienvenido Tantoco Sr. of Rustan’s Group of Companies as “Father of Luxury Retailing,” and Mariano Que of Mercury Drug as “Father of Health and Wellness Retailing.”

Lim served as president of PRA in 1991 and was the concurrent chairman of the Federation of Asian Retailers Association from 1991 to 1993.  With Lim at the helm, the Philippines won the honor to host the 6th Asian Retail Conference and Expo (ARCE) in 1993 at the PICC –  one of  the most prestigious international retail industry events and  which put focus on the country  as a retail destination in Asia Pacific and won for the PRA the prestigious Kalakbay Award as Event of the Year.