Not all entrepreneurship grads invest in business Instilling entrepreneurial mindset remains a challenge

CEBU, Philippines - Having been oriented to become employees, urging the students of entrepreneurship and other degree programs to build their own businesses might be challenging for parents and the academe in general.

However, Roberto Visitacion of the University of San Carlos School of Business and Economics, suggests that students have to be constantly inspired that they can create wealth through business.

“Even now, naa gihapon na siya nga attitude that they just take the (entrepreneurship) subject for compliance or even duwa-duwa lang,” said Visitacion, head of Entrepreneurship Cluster. “We tell them (students) that at least in your lifetime nakatudlo mi on how you do business -- how it’s like to be an entrepreneur.”

In an interview, the professor claimed the entrepreneurship programs of various universities may not generally be effective in instilling the entrepreneurial attitude to the learners, saying the interest should come from them.

For instance, he explained that not all USC’s entrepreneurship students pursue doing business after graduation.

However, he added the degree program requires students to establish their own legal and registered businesses as part of the curriculum. The university yearly organizes the Entrepreneurs’ Fair which strengthens the students’ skills in setting up their enterprises and introducing them to the community.

The Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship was under the Business Administration degree program for the past years. It eventually became a separate course program in 2010, as mandated by the Commission on Higher Education.

Hardships

Professor Kristian Marc Cabahug, who is a graduate of entrepreneurship, shared that during their business experience, students would normally realize the hardships of starting an enterprise -- mostly from scratch.

“They get to experience filing of business permits and lining up early in DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) and BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue),” said Cabahug of USC. “Mao na makahuna-huna ka nga sayang kung di ipadayon.”

He advised students who have started an enterprise during college to not be afraid in continuing the business and in eventually establishing the right market.

Instead of becoming an employee of a company, Cabahug said he pursued an enterprise -- called Terra Enterprise -- with his group members after graduation. He is now its general manager.

Visitacion also explained that student-run enterprises go through various steps such as creating a business plan or feasibility study, product screening and environment screening (knowing the market).

While not all learners would have the courage to join the business world, the cluster head expressed hopes that they would realize advantages of entrepreneurial economy in creating jobs for others.

He also hoped that parents would teach their children at an early age on the importance of having a business.

In a recent forum in Cebu, Joey Concepcion, founding trustee of the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship-Go Negosyo, urged the young people to have an enterprising mindset and expose themselves to people who can inspire them to become creative and innovative.

He, however, claimed that changing the people’s mindset could be very challenging and difficult to do because, he said, Filipinos are culturally taught to become workers and not successful businessmen.

He also reiterated that entrepreneurship is one of the best solutions to the country’s joblessness and economic depression. (FREEMAN)