Young business and sports leader Michael “Mikee” M. Romero recently won the 2010 Creative Young Entrepreneur Award and heads to Osaka, Japan to represent the Philippines in the Jaycees International’s search for the World’s Most Creative Entrepreneur.

Romero, 38, was bestowed the Junior Chamber International’s Creative Young Entrepreneur Award (JCI CYEA) for the Philippines.

The CYEA recognized Romero as the CEO of Harbour Centre Port Terminal Inc., today’s largest non-containerized port terminal in the Philippines. A doctorate degree holder in finance, Romero propelled the growth of Harbour Centre from a 100,000-ton operation in 2003 to close to 6 million tons a year, and from 50 vessels to 1,000 vessels annually.

Romero has proven that the Philippine port industry can still drastically reduce its cargo handling rates through efficient procedures coupled with modernized equipment and dynamic human resource policies. HCPTI set an industry record by offering handling rates that are 30 percent lower than its competitors. It achieved a marked decrease in the turn-around rate of vessels or the time between the arrival of a vessel and its departure from a port, which is set as measure of port efficiency.

"The effects of creativity ripple to other spheres that spur people to change for the better. This, to me, is the best gift that creativity brings," expressed Romero, upon receipt of the award.

Romero explained that creativity brings about new solutions in business. In turn, creativity yields changes that disturb the status quo and effects a chain of new situations that can be addressed on a bigger scale with people who are similarly willing to accept and propel change.

The JCI CYEA recognizes young leaders and entrepreneurs who have achieved their levels of success with the able use of creativity in their field. It was launched in 2005 by the JCI in partnership with the Flanders District of Creativity.

Romero was Philippine Council of Management’s Management Man of the Year in 2007, a 2008 Outstanding Young Leaders of the Philippines awardee by Graphic Philippines and recipient for the 2008 Best Business Port Award by the Consumers Union of the Philippines.

In 2009, Romero’s Harbour Centre and Metro Pacific’s joint venture company won the 25-year concession to modernize, operate and manage the Manila North Harbor, the Philippines’ premiere domestic port and passenger terminal.

This August 2010, San Miguel Corp. and Petron Corporation bought out Metro Pacific’s share in the North Harbor and plan to use the harbor for Petron’s oil depot and San Miguel’s grains terminal.

Romero’s creativity in port operations has catapulted the company from a 100,000-ton a year operations to a 20 million tons a year with the two major ports, Harbour Centre and Manila North Harbor.

CYEA also gave weight to the leadership of Romero in sports. His Harbour Centre basketball team won a record-breaking 7 straight Philippine Basketball League championship in a 5-year span. Romero led the country in both the Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) and Southeast Asian Basketball Association (SEABA) in 2007 where both Philippine teams won the gold medals.

A CYEA winner is automatically nominated in the world’s most creative entrepreneur competition which takes place in Osaka, Japan this year, where almost 20 countries would be competing for the world award.