GO Negosyo -Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE)
promotes entrepreneurship nationwide (Added Mar 4 07)
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
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