As we are now in the thick of graduation season, we also find ourselves focusing more intently on education. There is a difference between education and mentorship; education is structured instruction, while mentorship emphasizes guidance drawn from a mentor’s knowledge and experiences. The latter is also one of the three pillars that we advocate for successful entrepreneurship, although I firmly believe that one cannot replace the other. This is why our entrepreneurship advocacy at Go Negosyo encompasses both structured programs and mentorship.

My father, Joecon, greatly valued education. A scholarly man and an avid reader, he was rarely without books, documents or papers to occupy his time. Perhaps this passion for learning inspired him to establish the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines (TOSP) over 60 years ago, honoring young students who not only excelled academically but also demonstrated leadership potential.

I revived TOSP, and it continues today, thanks also to the help of my family, who work to honor our father’s legacy. I try and continue this advocacy for the youth in Go Negosyo through programs like Youthpreneur and The Boardroom Experience, where we mentor students in entrepreneurship. The Department of Education has already built the foundations for entrepreneurship education and financial literacy among senior high school students, and we are more than happy to strengthen and reinforce this training with mentorship.

The Boardroom Experience is a particularly unique program because the students get to experience what it’s like to interact with a CEO. They get insight into things like how the CEO decides, what he prioritizes and how he views business. They also get to sit in a boardroom and imagine themselves there, pitching their business idea or contributing to the decisions of a large corporation. Nothing compares to the palpable energy of a boardroom; it’s an experience that cannot be fully conveyed by others – you must experience it for yourself.

At the same time, I think the CEOs also get something out of it. Most business leaders rely on market research to get a feel of what’s going on out there. While these studies are useful in quantifying factors and formulating a strategy based on data, I know of successful CEOs who still rely on old-fashioned reading of the market and their gut feel. They tend to be very good listeners and are very perceptive.

I would like to believe that the Boardroom Experience gives our host-CEOs direct contact with the thinking of Gen Z and Gen Alpha: their language, what’s on their mind, what intrigues them the most and what they want to understand. Sometimes, we take for granted that the younger ones already understand the basics, and we forget that we ourselves went through a process before we fully understood and appreciated things.

We had teachers and mentors explain things to us. And this learning doesn’t stop; we continue to learn long after we’ve left school. With the help of institutions, such continuous learning stands to benefit society at large.

At the Private Sector Advisory Council, for example, we recently signed an MOA between the Private Sector Jobs and Skills Corp., the Civil Service Commission and the National University of Singapore-Institute of Systems Science to transform the Philippine bureaucracy by enhancing the digital competencies of our civil servants. More importantly, this training will be cascaded to thousands of Philippine civil servants with the cooperation of the government and private sector and, with hope, this continuing education of our civil servants will drive change within the Philippine government.

On a much broader scale, we at the ASEAN Business Advisory Council Philippines (ABAC PH) institutionalize mentorship through our activities in the ASEAN. In preparation for the Philippines’ chairmanship of the ASEAN, the ABAC PH signed an MOU with the Women’s Business Council Philippines (WomenBizPH) to pursue women’s economic empowerment initiatives that encourage innovation and financial inclusion in ASEAN. Together, we will try and build linkages with ASEAN member-states, government agencies and business organizations, and facilitate dialogue and activities for the development of policies promoting women’s economic empowerment.

Earlier in April, at a meeting with the Department of Trade and Industry, we took the first steps in establishing the ASEAN Center for MSME Development. It is envisioned to serve as a physical center for entrepreneurship mentors, a hub for capacity-building and a way to help expand the network of MSMEs while increasing their knowledge of best practices. The Philippines is in the best position to host such a center because of its dynamic MSME sector and, of course, the wide-ranging and constant support by the government of our MSMEs.

With our legacy project, the ASEAN Mentorship for Entrepreneurs Network or AMEN, now entering its third phase and successfully graduating nearly 200 small and medium entrepreneurs from all 10 ASEAN member-states, this will further reinforce our country’s position in the region as a leader in MSME development. This is significant as MSMEs represent 97 percent of ASEAN businesses, employ 85 percent of the workforce and contribute significantly to GDP and exports.

ASEAN is the world’s fourth largest economic bloc with a GDP estimated to exceed $4 trillion. It is a substantial market for China, Japan, Korea and the US. The bloc has become China’s primary trading partner, Japan’s second largest, Korea’s third-largest and the fourth-largest partner for the United States. We must all contribute to preparing ASEAN for a larger role, while making sure that the growth is sustainable and inclusive.

The coming years will be filled with opportunities for the Philippines as the ASEAN region is poised to become one of the world’s leading economies. Every time I congratulate a new batch of graduates – whether they are young students or professionals completing a training program – I am reminded of my commitment to mentorship and to empowering and motivating minds, both young and old.

Originally Published in Philippine Star