Love for our parents

Last Tuesday, a bus exploded in the middle of EDSA. People were killed and injured. Could this be a destabilization attempt under the P-Noy administration? This administration has brought renewed confidence among the Filipino people in its quest to fight poverty. We hope that this tragedy or any other attempts, if any, will not weaken that confidence.

While I was on my way back home from the office, I chanced seeing the P-Noy convoy headed to The Fort. They were quiet, with no wang wang and no flashing lights. This practice is clearly a statement being made by this new leader. I was also able to catch the end of his speech on TV. It was about his parents and how he misses them. In fact, it was former President Cory’s birthday last Tuesday. I guess we really do value most the people we love especially when they are gone.

Lately, there have been quite a number of people who passed away, one of whom is the father of Bingo and TG Limcaoco, two good friends. Mr. Felix Limcaoco passed away at the age of 80. During TG’s eulogy, he talked about his father’s story. Graduating as an electrical engineer, Felix was one of the brightest of his class. He became a teacher and eventually became an entrepreneur. He was able to acquire the Ford dealership from the Lopa family. From there, he continued to expand. Today, they have quite a number of dealerships all over the place. It is very clear that the entrepreneurial ability of the father has been passed on to his four children. TG is the president of BPI Family Savings Bank, while Bingo heads their dealership businesses. Timmy and Katrina are also entrepreneurs.

One morning, my wife woke up with a dream of her dad who passed away two years ago. In her dream, she was hugging him for a long time, missing him a lot. We commemorate his death anniversary today. Also remembering a father’s embrace, Bingo narrated in his eulogy how his father gave him one last big hug before the day he passed away.

Some of my readers might find these types of column too mushy at times. But, the reality of life shows us that things do come to an end and that time is so fleeting. For me and most entrepreneurs, we tend to keep ourselves so busy that we forget people around us. When we are placed in situations where we encounter the loss or death of a loved one, we do get reminded of our mortality.

My father and my Uncle Raul will turn 80 this December. My Tita Mely will also turn 80 on her Chinese birthday. Many of the country Taipan’s are now also in their 80s. We now see the next generation taking on leadership. Our wishes for our parents are not material. We wish them good health and a long life. I guess all of us should pray not just for a long life, but for a happy and fulfilled life as well.

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The Go Negosyo Day 8: Entrep Marketing Innopreneur Seminar, which was a joint effort with marketing guru Josiah Go was extremely successful. We were expecting less than 100 but the room became packed with over 150 entrepreneurs. In a panel, Henry Lim Bon Liong of SL Agritech/Sterling, Jose Magsaysay of Potato Corner, and Chef Bruce Lim of Chef’s Table joined me. The session that was supposed to last for an hour and a half was extended to three hours due to the numerous questions by different entrepreneurs. They wanted to gain more insights and advice. This is what we call active mentorship. This was followed by Josiah Go’s informative framework on Innopreneurship. Josiah’s systematic approach is something that we admire. He explained that innovation is the key to making a business adapt to the many changes happening around us; and in order to keep track of market trends, needs, wants, and whims, innovation is the secret. We will definitely have more sessions in the coming months with Joe and other Angelpreneurs (or angels to entrepreneurs).

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Our biggest women event called “GO NEGOSYO Women Entrepreneurship Summit and Expo: Babae Kapuso Ka ng Bayan” even gets bigger and better. We have expanded the venue to three halls of the World Trade Center and we even also extended the duration of the summit and expo to three days from Friday to Sunday! This is all because of the number of people who have expressed their interest and desire to participate. We are working on this year’s summit and expo in partnership with GMA7 Kapuso. They will also be bringing in their celebrities in the programs. The Philippine Star will also be joining us in presenting our 25 Go Negosyo Filipina Starpreneurs. Ten awardees will be chosen for the micro and small entrepreneur category, 10 for the medium and large entrepreneur category and five for the social entrepreneur and entrepreneurship-enabler category. Students and teachers will just have to present their IDs for a free entrance. On the other hand, the P50 regular registration/entrance fee will also include a drink, a hotdog snack or ice cream. The whole family is very much welcome to attend.

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Contact me: [email protected] or Joey Concepcion Facebook account. Visit www.gonegosyo.net. Watch the top rating GO NEGOSYO: Kaya Mo! on QTV, Saturday and Sunday 8 to 8:30 a.m., with replays in NBN every Tuesday 8 to 9 p.m. Get daily Go Negosyo Text Tips in your mobile phone by sending GONEGO to 2910.