Villar encourages grads to become entrepreneurs

CEBU, Philippines — Former Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. believes that entrepreneurship is what we need to improve our country.

Vilar, who was the guest speaker during the 81st Commencement Exercises of the University of the Philippines Cebu, said that even if Filipinos have a culture that is biased against entrepreneurship, still it is best to be on our own.

"In your life you should aspire to be on your own, entrepreneurship is like that. You can be the master of your faith. Ikaw ang bahala, ikaw ang bahala sa sarili mo," said Villar before the 405 graduates.

He however made it clear that although being employed is not wrong per se, but at least once in one’s life, one should be on his own.

Villar said that to be an entrepreneur is to be able to get the intrinsic satisfaction to be on your own, which is something one will never get from being employed.

"Magising ang ating mga kabataan na magsarili sila sapagkat hindi naman maganda na lahat ng mga kabataan ay gusto na lamang maging empleyado," said Villar in a separate interview

He added that we cannot be an independent country unless our 10 million workers in the foreign land will come back here.

Villar further said that Cebu is the center of entrepreneurship that should be followed by other regions.

"Ang Cebu talaga ang sa tingin ko na madaling itulak at masimulan ang isang enterpreneurial revolution sa ating bansa," said Villar.

Meanwhile, Sean Lojoya Policarpio, who graduated magna cum laude (BS Biology) and class Valedictorian of UP Cebu Batch 2017-2018 received the Manny Villar Excellence Award.

Villar has been giving the award for the past 18 years to outstanding graduates in universities and colleges in the country.

Villar is also the 2017 UP Gawad Oblation Awardee. (FREEMAN)