The Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship – Go Negosyo and the University of Iloilo successfully hosted the Negosyo Seminar para sa mga Estudyante ng Iloilo last September 27 at SM City Iloilo Cinema 6.

Despite the bad weather that hit the country brought by tropical storm Pedring, the Go Negosyo team, based in Mandaluyong, literally braved the storm and trooped to Region 6, to roll out a well-attended negosyo seminar.

Cinema 6 was filled to the rafters with 1,186 high school and college students from various schools such as Colegio de San Jose, Iloilo Doctor’s College, John B. Lacson Maritime University, Western Institute of Technology, University of the Philippine Visayas, Central Philippine University, Ramon Avanena National High School, Sun Yat Sen High School, Fort San Pedro National High School, Mandurriao National High School and the host school, University of Iloilo – PHINMA.

The program featured successful entrepreneurs and Go Negosyo angelpreneurs who all shared their experiences and stories as negosyante. It was officially opened by the welcome remarks given by the President of the University of Iloilo – PHINMA, Dr. Chito Salazar, who was the brainchild of this empowerment event. He believed that organizing events such this could help empower Ilonggos to take on the path of entrepreneurship to eventually help the local and the national economy. His short message was followed by the official launch of an Ilonggo-wide student organization called Iloilo Young Entrepreneurs Society (iYES), which is aimed at taking the entrepreneurship education advocacy in the entire province to the next level.

The next part of the program was Go Negosyo’s Executive Director, Mr. Ramon Lopez’s discussion on the general Philippine entrepreneurship landscape, basic entrepreneurship framework and Go Negosyo as a non-governmental organization and social enterprise.

This was followed by the Tagumpay Forum which highlighted the success stories of two entrepreneurs: Jay Aldeguer of Islands Group of Companies and Ivan Man Dy of Old Manila Walks.

Meanwhile, two lectures dedicated to covering the basic Go Negosyo Negosyo Seminar module immediately followed suit. Prof. Henry Tenedero, Vice-President of Philippine Marketing Association, and a leading advocate of multiple intelligences in the country, discussed secrets on how to develop entrepreneurial mindset and how to spot business opportunities while Prof. Reuel Virtucio, Executive Director of Punla sa Tao Foundation, shared his expertise on product development and marketing.

Event hosts were Go Negosyo Media and Communications Officer Makoi Popioco who is Ilonggo himself and Programs Development Officer John Paul Uminga.

This Negosyo Seminar run in Iloilo was made possible by the University of Iloilo PHINMA, together with Go Negosyo partners Avon, BPI Family Ka-Negosyo, Condura, Isuzu Philippines, LBC, Multiply.com, Orchard Property and Marketing Corporation, PLDT SME Nation, RFM Corporation, Smart Communications. / GoNegosyo.net