OFW Journals (OFW Stories on the News) and Some OFW Employment, Career & Business Tips

The Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE) is a non-stock and non-profit organization registered under the Securities and Exchange Commission, which envisions itself to be the preeminent local institution that promotes entrepreneurship nationwide by improving education, fostering a culture of enterprise, and providing a marketplace of innovations and best practices, thereby spawning competitive Filipino entrepreneurs.

In January 2005, President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo appointed Mr. Jose Ma. Concepcion III as her consultant for entrepreneurship development. Knowing he would not be able to champion the Filipino entrepreneur's cause alone, and determined to present a serious effort from the private sector, he invited outstanding individual entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial families to incorporate a foundation committed to an advocacy of multiplying the number of business-owning Filipinos, hoping it would create wealth and employment for invigorating the country's economy.

With the same vision, eight entrepreneurs co-founded the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship. The trustees compose of highly recognizable names in the Philippine business landscape, namely - Mr. Concepcion, CEO of RFM; Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awardees Mr. Tony Tan Caktiong (Jollibee Foods Corp.) and Mrs. Socorro Ramos (National Bookstore); Taipan scions Harley Sy (SM Investments Corp.) and Vivienne Tan (Entrepreneurs School of Asia); Splash Group of Companies founder Dr. Rolando Hortaleza; GMA Network CEO Felipe Gozon; and Joselito Campos of the Greenfields Development-Southeast Asia Food Empire.

After successive consultations with other entrepreneurs, government agencies, NGOs, financial institutions and the academe, the Center focused on enhancing the delivery of entrepreneurship education both formal and non-formal, developing entrepreneurial mindsets, and unifying key stakeholders to build an environment conducive for starting a business.

By conducting interventions in the key stages of the Entrepreneur's Life Cycle, PCE aims to spawn the creation of "Go Negosyo" communities around the country. These are communities where the norm and way of life is for the academic, business and government sectors to seamlessly collaborate on improving the lives of the people through entrepreneurship. An ecosystem of constant networking, mentoring and cooperation will thus prevail among academics, entrepreneurs, industry experts and venture capitalists, with the government providing support through a viable policy infrastructure. Campuses will also be transformed into genuine business incubators.

Go Negosyo communities are supposed to thrive on the same collaborative spirit that gave rise to Silicon Valley in California, Route 128 in Boston and Bangalore in India. These vibrant communities are likely to emerge earliest in Philippine university towns like Iloilo, Los Baños, Baguio, and Dumaguete. Every Go Negosyo community will be distinguished by its ability to produce a continuous stream of startup ventures.

Programs
Education
Current thought has affirmed the belief that it is never too early, even for children in primary school, to be exposed to a real enterprise. Helping inspire this belief in young entrepreneurs is the example set by successful Filipino-Chinese business owners who give a lot of credit to their involvement in the family business at a young age. If the goal is to develop a culture of enterprise and cultivate tomorrow's competitive entrepreneurs, primary and secondary schools can already start to teach values and develop mindsets. Early exposure unlocks creativity, enhance life skills, and give the young a better vision for the future.

A big part of the PCE's mission is therefore promoting entrepreneurship education in all levels through curriculum and materials development, teacher training and research. PCE is working closely with private educators, public schools, the Department of Education, and the Commission on Higher Education to embed business ownership lessons in the national curriculum and help college students start up a real enterprise by the time they are about to graduate.

Business Plan Competitions
To get more young Filipinos thinking about business, PCE has assumed the task of boosting and mainstreaming the popularity of business plan competitions among students and young entrepreneurs. Though on the surface, business plan contests may appear as pure academic exercises, they are a very strong eye-opener for participants to become aware that in the real world, real money flows only to the best-documented, best thought-out and well-presented plans.

Business plan competitions are ultimately a venue where good ideas and prospective entrepreneurs are brought to light and to the attention of potential investors. They do not only hone technical skills but also spark creativity, a trait common to most of the world's successful entrepreneurs. When business plan competitions become widely popular among students and faculty, PCE hopes that schools will take notice and redesigned their course offerings to include entrepreneurship as a viable career option.

Communications
PCE optimizes print and online communication media through a website and commercial magazine. It also harnesses public relations and publicity on a national scale for the wider dissemination of its activities. Its ultimate aim for mounting an effective communications program is to popularize and demystify the essentials of entrepreneurial success.

Awards and Recognition
Encouragement and other psychic incentives can play a big role in sustaining excellence in the field of entrepreneurship development. Presently, recognition programs geared toward advocates and enablers of entrepreneurship are almost non-existent. PCE offers to fill this void by giving deserved and formal recognition to the most exemplary among such organizations.

International Networking and Partnerships
Acknowledging that there is no shortage in successful models of entrepreneurship development, PCE goes beyond Philippine shores to interact with like-minded institutions from around the world. It recognizes the need to mobilize cross-border networks and continuously seeks to forge beneficial partnerships.

Thought Leadership
Any leader in a particular field of discipline must strive to incubate new ideas and concepts. PCE intends to pursue its preeminence in entrepreneurship development through the pursuit of pioneering studies and highly relevant research projects. It will also bring to the for the world's best practices, raise the profile of discussions in its field, and contribute to shaping policy.

For more info and updated details of their Program and Services, always visit their website at
http://www.gonegosyo.net