Let's Go Negosyo!

From experience, I know that it can be a real struggle for a person to reach his dreams. He must be able to learn how to spot opportunities, take risks, and withstand all obstacles that will come with each decision that is made. And this cycle does not stop even if the business has already been established. But even if the journey towards success is hard, it is never a hard road to take if you love what you are doing. You must be passionate about success—that if you would like to succeed, you must first want it.  That is why together with a number of successful entrepreneurs, I founded an advocacy that will reach out and motivate Filipinos to grab the chance of freeing themselves from misery and improve their lives, one negosyo at a time. 

Seven years after Go Negosyo was established, we have seen so many Filipinos that are motivated to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset and had attempted to put up their own businesses. Our summits and seminars alone were consistently attended by thousands of aspiring and existing entrepreneurs from all walks of life. But in the process of running the advocacy’s day-to-day affairs, we were always asked the same set of questions: is Go Negosyo an organization that requires membership? What business does Go Negosyo promote? Are Injap Sia, Tony Tan Caktiong, and Bam Aquino, among other entrepreneurs, your endorsers? These questions made me realize that there is an opportunity to improve our advocacy statement. It took us a while to figure out that we need to use a concise phrase that should send the message of what Go Negosyo is truly about.

Starting immediately, we will be adopting LET’S GO NEGOSYO! — a more direct call to action for everyone that more than just an organization, we are starting to become a movement of success-driven Filipinos with a winning-attitude, coming together for the common purpose of nation building and doing one’s share in leaving a more stable country for the next generation. LET’S GO NEGOSYO! aims to appeal more to the Filipino spirit that has been, for the longest time, inspired and motivated. We would like to see our countrymen use that passion, which has been embedded inside of them, into concrete measures and start working hard towards improving their lives and contributing to society’s progress. Our country will really be in for a big leap as soon as all of us heed to the call of Let’s Go Negosyo. 

We recognize that not everyone are born entrepreneurs. Go Negosyo is actually not just about teaching people how to set up their own business. Our main goal is to promote a change in the mindset of the Filipinos: to be more positive and passionate about what they do best. So whether you are a student, a working professional, or a housewife, you can still adopt the Go Negosyo attitude and make the most out of the opportunities that are around you.

Now is the time for us to work together and invest in our future.

Now is the time to improve and put that passion into action.

Now is the time for us to want success.

Let’s Go Negosyo!

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For five years now, we have been mounting the Youth Entrepreneurship Summit, which is usually held at the World Trade Center in Metro Manila. It is during these summits where we hail the country’s top young entrepreneurs and make role models out of them, so they can be emulated by our youth. And as a response to the thousands of young students that come and participate in our summits every year, Go Negosyo has decided to bring the youth summit directly to the students, especially those who are coming from far provinces. This year, we will be doing the YES ASTIG (Aasenso Sa Tiyaga at Galing) ng Kabataan Caravan, a four-part event where we have targeted key cities in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao as venues for our youth summit. Each run will be a whole-day program filled with inspiration and learning, with talks from our Go Negosyo angelpreneurs and entrepreneur advocates who will be covering the topics on pursuing passions, entrepreneurship 101, financial literacy, among others.

The YES ASTIG ng Kabataan Caravan kicked off last Friday, August 24, at the Southern Luzon State University in Lucban Quezon. Close to 3,000 people who are mostly students from SLSU and other nearby schools and universities filled the university gym. SLSU president Cecilia N. Gascon opened the program with a message. Go Negosyo executive director Ramon Lopez emphasized the importance of having a positive and enterprising character, maintaining a high degree of competence, and harnessing creativity in pursuing one’s goals in life. Inovent’s Brian Quebengco and Hapinoy’s Bam Aquino inspired the participants with their messages on having an entrepreneurial mindset and being the best that they can be. We also had the Pilipinas: Now is Our Time! forum, which featured successful entrepreneurs in NCR and Quezon, such as Barnard Carlos Balquiedra of Carlos Super Drug, Gertine Valde Capistrano of Batis Aramin Resort, Zarah Juan of Panda Cleaners, Lourd Ramos of Lourd Creations, Anthony Recio of Recio Department Store, Oliver Tan of Pooch Park, and Nova Veluz of Buddy’s Pizza. In the afternoon, Go Negosyo angelpreneurs Carlo Calimon (Let’s Go Foundation), Armand Bengco (Colayco Foundation), and Michael Angelo Lobrin (Laugh with God Today) laid down the basics of entrepreneurship and financial management for the young aspiring negosyantes.

You may catch the next leg of the YES ASTIG ng Kabataan Caravan at the University of Pangasinan-PHINMA tomorrow, Aug. 31; at the J Centre Mall in Mandaue City, Cebu towards end-September; and at the Cagayan de Oro College-PHINMA on Oct. 4. As a culmination to the caravan, we will be having a Young Technopreneur Summit in November here in Manila, bringing together the country’s entrepreneurs who are in the field of technology and creativity. Watch out for our announcements about this soon.

At this point, I would like to thank our partner schools and organizations such as the SLSU, the PHINMA School System and the Sacred Heart Academy Alumni Association in Cebu City in helping bring the youth summit to the provinces. I would like to invite everyone who are near these areas to come and participate in the summit, as this is FREE OF CHARGE.

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Contact me at [email protected].