SPEECH OF SECRETARY RAMON M. LOPEZ
YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUMMIT 2019
8 March 2019, World Trade Center
Good morning everyone. Alam niyo po, ilan taon na nating ginagawa ito with Go Negosyo. To our inspiring founder Mr. Joey Concepcion, how about a big hand? *applause* The passion is still there, nakikita niyo naman. Fourteen years na ba tayo, Joey?
The important thing is that we are doing thing for all of you out there. This is not for us. We want to share the successes that our community of entrepreneurs are experiencing. Gusto naming maranasan din ng buong sambayanang Pilipino. It’s a vision of our President, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to uplift the lives of all Filipinos. ‘Yung poverty incidence natin, mawawala na, mabigyan lang ng isang trabaho o isang negosyo ang mamamayang Pilipino.
Kaya ang Go Negosyo, kasama po ang Department of Trade and Industry, we continue to partner and bring many of these activities. Activities that will start from big summits like these, seminars in all the 1,000 Negosyo Centers that we have sa mga probinsya. Hanapin niyo po ang pinakamalapit na Negosyo Center. Meron po tayong mga seminar doon that will give you mentoring, mastery, and mindset change.
‘Yung yes attitude, can do, winning attitude, ‘yan ang sekreto ng mga nagtagumpay sa buhay. And that mindset revolution is what we are trying to bring through Go Negosyo and DTI. Iyan po ang susi sa tagumpay. Because with that mindset, at dadagdagan pa ng natutunan ninyo in this summit, the seminars that we give out, the mentoring that we give out.
Kung gusto niyo ng pautang, the DTI gives out Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso na hindi na kailangan ng collateral. You don’t have to submit many forms and fill out many documents. Parang nanghiram kayo sa 5-6 pero ipinagbabawal po natin ang 5-6. Kaya ito ho ang sagot natin sa 5-6 para magkaroon ng pautang para sa lahat ng maliliit na negosyante. Kahit mag tindera sa palengke, sari-sari store or karienderya owner, pwede pong lumapit dito. Startup businesses ng mga kabataan natin. Hanapin po natin ang mga credit delivery partners, pumunta lang po sa pinakamalapit na Negosyo Centers. We can also go to the DTI and Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso websites.
Meron ding mga machines that can be lent out, given to you. Ang pinakaimportante sa lahat, kapag may produkto ka, we also provide market access. This is what we call Go Lokal! kung saan yung produkto niyo can be made present at i-showcase sa mga malls at mainstream market. This is free of charge thanks to our partner retailers.
Now, imagine all these services are also being put online—from lending to market access, with all our partners here. This is the beauty of technology. Technology is really the equalizer. Kapag nilagyan mo ng technology, pantay pantay lahat. Even those with huge resources and those with limited resources, kapag may technology na, you can access information and many markets worldwide. And by using technology, you can easily get financing. This is the advocacy that we are really pushing for with Joey Conception and Go Negosyo, we make sure to apply digitalization in your business models.
A lot of business models, in fact, are based on technology. It’s not just online selling, also platforms. The secret is to find out, ano ba ang problema na kailangang i-solve? I’m sure many of you can spot problems. Ang maganda po, to me, is to solve a social problem. Imagine the social problem of transportation, that’s why Grab came up. It becomes a relevant technology solution. Hindi lang technology for technology’s sake. It has to solve the problem, and it has to be a social problem.
Imagine also the crowdsourcing requirements of certain projects para sa mga magsasaka natin, there is one startup we mentored last time called Cropital, wherein ‘yung crowdsourced funds are directed to different partners, giving them the funds to plant their requirements. So many good things can happen with technology, as long as you think, ano bang problema ang iso-solve natin. Limitless po ang ating opportunities.
Sa mga bata, bagay na bagay talaga ng technology. Para sa aming nasa 30s, 40s, 50s, at 60s, we’re not that familiar with technology. But for you, this is your strength. This is really your equalizing factor that you should harness.
I would also like to say na noong panahon namin, wala kaming mga Youth Entrepreneurship Summit. And you’re very fortunate. We’re really doing this for you. This is for your future. We like youth entrepreneurs because they’re usually linked to innovation and creativity, makabagong mga ideas. Kaya ho, to us, we want to develop just any entrepreneur, but that who is innovative and creative.
Now is a good time to invest. I always say that in the Duterte administration, we’re very fortunate that we’re able to strengthen further the economy. We’re experiencing mataas na growth rate po. Above 6% growth. Ang unemployment rate is at the lowest level, 5.2% already. Dati po nasa mga 6.9% po ‘yan.
The kind of growth that we’re having is more stable. Because the services sector is not the only one pulling up the growth. Now, even manufacturing, even construction. They’re providing double digit growth rates. The economy is so stable, we’re looking forward to a good run. I always say that the economy is on a breakout. And with 107 million population, yung demographic natin bata. Average age, 23 years old. You can imagine that with this progress, we are creating a huge middle income. A larger consumer base. Dahil bata pa, maraming may trabaho, maraming may negosyo, lahat po may kakayahang maging consumer. And this larger consumer base is attracting further more investments that will create more jobs. So you can imagine the virtuous cycle momentum that the Duterte administration is bringing to have solid growth moving forward.
Kaya ko po sinasabi ito kasi this is the backdrop where your business will operate. In China, the last 30 years na nag-continuous growth sila, I think 40 years by now, lahat ng negosyo na nilagay nila doon, lumaki lahat. Kaya dumami ang mga milyonaryo at mayaman ngayon sa China. And these are the people you see around. Kaya na nang mag-tourist, mag-travel. It has become a prosperous society. This is what we’re beginning to see dito sa Pilipinas. Magiging prosperous na an gating mga kababayan at mas maganda po sa negosyo.
You have to start with something. You have to ride the economic growth and not get left behind. If you’re just on the fence, maiiwan po tayo. You have to invest in something. You work hard, be part of the productive sector, magtrabaho tayo or magtayo ng negosyo. At kahit anong negosyo ang ipasok niyo dyan, with proper training sa Go Negosyo at DTI, lalago po ‘yan. All the partner mentors who are with us today, the AFFI, the PFA, so many mentors teaching us. Imagine the kind of resources you have. Para sa inyo po to. You can maximize your stay, the whole day today, because this is really for your future. Magdandang umaga po sa inyong lahat.