SCHOOLS should Promote Entrepreneur Courses more.....

Sigh to myself because I didn't finished yet my course. I need to spend 1.5 year to finish BS in Entrepreneurship. Although I am working now outside of our country but still I am running my own business with the assistance of my wife. I am force to work abroad due to lack of capital. So far, my business run smoothly. I am planning to finish my course by next year when I'm back home. Actually, you are right! People should know how to open or manage a business. In running a business, not easy at the beginning - you need to spend more time unlike working 8 hours in any offices. You income depends on yourself. The more hardwork you will give to your on business, the more earnings you will get at the end. You controlled everything specially your time. You can spend more time to your family if your business already stable. Don't be afraid to run your business. You must be a risk taker in mind. Failure always there but if you are a good Entrepreneur you can handle it. Continue innovating things that can amaze your costumers. You business will mark to all of the people in your community.

a few years back, when i visited university of asia and the pacific (UA&P), i was amazed at their entrepreneurship program. freshmen at the university are tasked to develop a unique business and let it grow as they apply the skills taught in their business courses. and the business outcome has an impact in their grades. by the time they graduate, 2-3 businesses must be spin offs from the original business. and the process should be well documented for each success and drawbacks experienced. now, a lot of students really made real money while still attending their classes. i remember one of my sister's stories in her university days at ateneo (ADMU). one student would sell sandwiches during breaks from the back of her car. by the end of the school year, the student was able to buy her second car from the profit made from selling sandwiches. entrepreneurship is trending now in larger universities as undergraduate programs (example is in DLSU). it used to be that only postgrad courses offer this kind of programs like those in asian institute of management (AIM). true, there's a lot of untapped potential talents in the country unfortunately, the government is not banking on those. so many innovations and inventions in the field of sciences and agriculture are wasted here and so they go to foreign funders and these other countries were able to get the patents. OFWs as modern day heroes, (no offense meant to them) but the term is pretty ironic, misleading, abused and under-appreciated. first, they don't work to uplift the economy of the country, they work for their family. they see more potential outside the country, which is a pity. the dollars they bring help stabilize the foreign exchange ratio, but by doing so, the first ones affected by a stronger peso is the OFW's family because the exchange rate is lesser. it is pity that our number one product for export is the human resources or manpower as you mentioned. many of our skills and talents are used to uplift foreign businesses and not our own. but it's not always the fault of the government, as they are often the target for such blame. i believe that everybody has a hand in whatever the outcome the nation has. we have potential, but even so, often, people lack the initiative to tap it. access to internet alone would tell that more than 95% filipino users are not into income generating activities whenever they are online. search engines would produce 70% searches on showbiz personalities and artists in music and sports icon. fb, youtube, movie downloads and games are often where online users spend most of their time in, but not to earn. schools should not be the only learning ground to promote entrepreneurship as not everyone can afford formal education. but the government, can clearly do something about access to better education and better useful programs that are financially benefiting as well.

I wish that schools even as early as primary school should have taught entrep classes. It would have helped those who are inclined to business to be nurtured at a very young age. My thoughts are our society did not train us to save money but rather spend it. A friend working in Singapore once told me that she marveled at how singaporeans were taught. How they are wise with their money. she said that from their salaries the government obliges that companies to take out 10 percent from the employee's salary every month aside from social security etc. this amount is added to their retirement pension when they reach 65. Also they are told to open separate accounts for contingency fund which is equivalent to 6 months worth of your salary, just in case you might be out of work or will be looking for another job, then you still can survive and not borrow money. Then an emergency fund for unforseeable events like accidents and illness. Then there is a savings account too and also something for leisure.

Hi Letran This happens everywhere actually where many start businesses with the right intentions but along the way they forget that they have to work hard and learn all the ins and outs. Many think that starting a business is hiring people to do all the work and they kick back and collect. Where as they do not consider all the drawbacks in entrusting the others and or relying on them to do all the work. It takes years of sweat and hard work before a business is successful. Then and only then can they breath a little before they can entrust but only to a certain extent.

I agree with you that schools and society expect its potential members (the youth) to be productive as employees rather than entrepreneurs or employers. In our culture, it is viewed that being an employee is 'more stable' than venturing out and creating a business. This is sad since some people have good entrepreneur skills (I know some classmates who made a living in the classroom aside form studying) that can be honed and benefit the economy in the future. I guess being employee is a kind of comfort zone for majority of people. They don't want to risk their capital and ideas and some are not eligible for loans, even though they have good ideas. Most banks, in their conservative view, would not risk their money for what they considered as a snotty and over-the-head, freshly out-of-school youth with ideas of putting up a business. In one of my classes, my teacher pointed out that the economy should not focus and rely on manpower alone. But also invest in skills of the people. In this way, there is a piece of the pie for everybody. Those who want to be employees can be one and others can have the option of entrepreneurship. If all of us rely on job interviews and positions alone, I don't think we will progress, economically and socially speaking. Personally, my experiences at job hunting do not give me happy memories. People would often tell me that I can be a loose canon in an environment which emphasizes on team work (which does not appreciate loose canons). But I always dreamed of being my own boss, event though my conservative family wants me behind an office desk with a predictable salary and work.

I have to agree. What do rich countries have in common? Business - minded people. They generate more income for the country than OFWs or any other manpower. If the government focuses on exporting manpower, man that means we still depend much on other countries' economies for us to survive! When will be the time that it's our turn to stand on our feet without relying much on other countries' strength? Exporting manpower or relying too much on manpower makes our country perceived by others "a country of slaves" don't you think? Aside from that, the government's focus on "exporting manpower" is contrary to what the aims of the Labor Code. We should change our mindsetting regarding setting up a business. If we people want to get out of poverty or be financially stable, that's will be just a dream in employment!