Filipino hired in “Apprentice Asia”

MANILA, Philippines—A Filipino is finally hired in “Apprentice Asia.”

11 weeks is all that Filipino product manager Jonathan Allen Yabut needed to prove that he is the most worthy candidate in the region.

Yabut, who is a University of the Philippines graduate, bested 11 other promising apprentices from China, Singapore and Malaysia to win in the pilot season of the show inspired by the US reality program starring business luminary Donald Trump.

The 27-year-old Filipino apprentice won an apprenticeship under AirAsia group CEO Tony Fernandes, the show’s version of Trump.

Back in the Philippines, Yabut is definitely a force to reckon with as he is a recipient of the Mansmith Young Market Masters Award in 2012, including him in the top seven Filipino marketers under age 35.

Entrepreneur-model Celina Le Neindre was the other Filipino contender in the competition, but was “fired” in the seventh episode.

Earlier this month, the Manila-based product manager said he enjoyed doing household chores behind the scenes.

He remarked that the strategy that helped him pull off the win was his being visible and competitive, “I did [verbalize] that I wanted to be project manager but it was edited out.”