As 2024 comes to a close, hundreds of thousands of Filipinos will receive their 13th month and other holiday bonuses thanks to Payruler, a human resources management system (HRMS) and payroll solution founded and headquartered in Cebu.
Payruler’s co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Christhea Tim V. De Jesus was recently honored as Technopreneur of the Year at the 2024 Grand Chamber Awards (GCA) and Fellowship Night organized by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI).
With over 900 members, CCCI is the largest local business organization in the Philippines. GCA, which recognizes entrepreneurs from Cebu, is in line with its mandate to serve as the “engine of Cebu’s business growth toward global competitiveness.”
The Technopreneur of the Year is designed to “applaud pioneers of technological innovation, shaping industries and driving sustainable progress,” and the Payruler Co-Founder was a fitting choice. Technology startups are often defined as platforms because they allow two sides of a marketplace to interact, improving productivity more efficiently. In this view, Payruler helps both employers and employees.
HR professionals can more easily manage employee data across the full life cycle and streamline payroll, which has traditionally been resource-intensive. Employees, on the other hand, enjoy full transparency with Payruler so that they can better understand the nuts and bolts of their compensation.
It is for this reason that CCCI selected De Jesus as Technopreneur of the Year from a highly competitive pool (Cebu has one of the most vibrant startup and technology ecosystems in the Philippines).
“Life is all about taking risks, and so is business. People like Ms. De Jesus took a remarkable leap to redefine the business landscape we know today. Their fields of business and applied ethical practices can be reflected as the epitome of an ideal Cebuano and leadership to follow and aspire to,” said Christian Paro-an, one of the board members of CCCI.
Scale is a fitting word. While Payruler was once a startup, the company has become a market leader in HR technology. To date, Payruler has processed over 150,000 employee records and an astounding PHP20 billion in salaries. The company now has coverage of over 88% of industries active in the Philippines. It counts the likes of the Holiday Inn, the Philippine Stock Exchange, MacroAsia, Intellicare, and Hi-Precision as clients.
De Jesus has the unique experience and education needed to scale tech businesses. De Jesus graduated with a BS in computer science from the University of the Philippines and formerly led JFDI Asia in the Philippines as its country manager, one of the first early-stage venture funds in Southeast Asia.
At the helm of Payruler, De Jesus is particularly proud to bring trust to a space where this value is paramount.
“Trust is the cornerstone of HR: Employees must trust that they will be paid on time and in full, that government contributions are made, and that their data is kept safe. I accept CCCI’s award as recognition that our team at Payruler is doing our part to build workplace cultures defined by transparency, accountability, and mutual respect,” she said.
De Jesus was honored alongside other Cebuano entrepreneurs which include A.D. Gothong Manufacturing Corporation President and Chairman, Ms. Barbara “Bambi” Gothong-Tan (Entrepreneur of the Year); Excelsior Farms Inc., Chairman and CEO, Alvin Hing (Countryside Entrepreneur of the Year); Prutasan ni Adan, President Bobby Adan Jr (Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year); Good Cup Coffee Company, Founder Giorgio Bernardo “Gio” Visitacion (Socially Responsible Entrepreneur of the Year); and E.B. Aznar Holdings Inc. CEO Kyle Alexander Aznar (Young Entrepreneur of the Year).
