As part of the roster of events in the School of Business and Governance (SBG) Week, a symposium on enterprise development was held at the Finster Auditorium last Jan. 25, 2018.

The forum, organized by the SBG Department in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), aimed to instill in students the principles of starting and managing their business venture.

Ivy M. Uy, a supervising trade industry development specialist, enumerated the flagship programs under DTI that could help small-time entrepreneurs especially students of the university given the standing memorandum of agreement.

One was the Negosyo Centers in Magsaysay Park, Toril, and Calinan, that business counselors who give advisory services, training and assistance.

Uy also mentioned the Mentor Me program which is a 3-month long program of training modules accompanied by a mentor and culminating with the mentee business plan.

Other programs of the DTI brought up by Uy included offering collateral-free loans, shared facility equipment, and trade fairs.

Uy would also tackle the vital role of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the progress of the nation’s economy.

“The MSMEs are really the backbone of the Philippine economy. They provide jobs and contribute to the wealth of the nation,” Uy remarked.

Nikko L. Caminade, a part-time faculty of the university and incorporator of Building Dreams Realty, Inc., discussed tips on starting your own business. One suggestion was to improve yourself constantly.

“Make the real world your university through personal experiences. Learning does not end here in school. You can constantly improve yourself and your business. One way is to listen to audiobooks,” Caminade shared.

Other tips that Caminade cited were education, purpose and accepting failure.

Luisa Calde, a fourth-year entrepreneur student, shared the motivation she gained from the forum and related her struggles as a young entrepreneur.

“Entrepreneur students man pud mi unya nagabaligya pud mi ug mga products unya kadalasan basta di mi kabaligya muundang na mi. Ang akong natun-an karon kay maskin di ka kabaligya karon basig sa sunod makabaligya na ka. Think positive lang gyud. Buhata gyud ang kinahanglan ninyong buhaton.”

The program ended with an open forum that catered students who had questions for the speakers.