The time is right for entrepreneurship

GO NEGOSYO PILIPINAS

- ANGAT LAHAT! JOEY CONCEPCION

If one needed any more proof that entrepreneurship is alive and well in the Philippines, one need only witness the enthusiasm that greeted two of our major events at Go Negosyo last week.

First was the Youthpreneur event we held at the country's largest high school, the Rizal High School in Pasig City. Several schools for Mandaluyong and Pasig City joined us for the half-day event, and no less than DepEd Sec. Sonny Angara was there to cheer on the students to expand their knowledge of entrepreneurship.

And then just this weekend, thousands of people trooped to the SM Mall of Asia to attend our Balik-Bayan Summit, which we hold every year to help OFWs and their families explore options in entrepreneurship and put their hard-earned money to work as capital. Some were even lined up the evening before the summit. It's heartwarming and indeed encouraging, especially for us at Go Negosyo who have been advocating for MSMEs for 19 years now.

In my view, both trabaho (jobs) and negosyo (enterprise) are paths to success. People are free to choose which path to take, and their success depends on how well they have prepared for either. Often, poor Filipinos who never had access to the education that can help them find gainful employment turn to entrepreneurship to help them get at least a fighting chance at improving their lives. We need to grow both the skills of our workforce and our MSMEs.

In both, though, one will need a mentor. Employees can look up to their peers and supervisors for mentorship. Entrepreneurs can look up to other successful entrepreneurs, but unlike those working in companies where structured systems ensure that they upgrade their skills regularly, entrepreneurs have to look for people who can become their mentors.