While most Filipinos today are out and about on their vacation, enjoying the beach and the sun; majority of us are also imbibing the lessons and practice of sacrifice. The Lenten season happens only once a year and a simple act of sacrifice means a lot, most especially for Catholics like us.

During this season, my family would always reflect on our responsibilities as Christians. My mom would always remind us of our spiritual duties and the importance of this season. She would ask us to join mass and attend recollections. So as parents, Marissa and I will teach our children the same Christian values.

A life of an entrepreneur is indeed a challenge. I myself can attest to that. It is a day-to-day mixture of making decisions and sacrifices. Sometimes, even a 24-hour day is not enough to develop plans and processes to move forward. But the key to a productive day is by asking God’s guidance every single day. Through Him, we are given a purpose.

As an entrepreneur, I believe part of our purpose is to give back to those who needs help. Yes, we do receive countless of blessings and it is our mission to share it with others. It should always be part of our success. This is why I always say that Go Negosyo is for the people.

Go Negosyo and all its partners are, in a way, giving back to our respective communities through the negosyo programs that we do. We, in the business sector, most especially those who are now sustainable, are helping our fellow Filipinos by empowering them to become enterprising. Yes, not all of them will opt to become entrepreneurs, but with a positive, passionate, and persevering mindset, one will surely become successful.

Through our mentoring programs, we also share a part of our success with the micro and small entrepreneurs who are trying to scale up. With the guidance of our dedicated mentors, we believe that they too will become successful someday. This is why mentorship is a vital part of our mission today. Whenever we see our mentees improve their business models, get a new packaging, or come up with a new marketing strategy, we take pride in their growth.

While most companies have corporate social responsibility projects, I have a lot of anecdotes of entrepreneurs who have personally supported a cause or a mission. They have shared their time and resources to help those who are in need. And most of them opt to work in silence.

So as we take a short break from our busy schedules, may we have the time to reflect on our blessings. Count them if we must, to see that there is so much to give. After all, God has reminded us that ‘there is more happiness in giving.’ May we all find happiness in giving a part of ourselves to others, just like how God has sacrificed himself for all of us.

Let us all thank God who is a source of our life and success. We are not where we are today without his guidance and abundance. That in our times of struggles, He is there to provide us with wisdom. Let us live a God-centered life and be a blessing to others.

I would like to greet our President Duterte, a happy birthday! We thank you for your heart to serve Filipinos. Your strong commitment to end corruption and drug-related activities nationwide has led the country to a fast development. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve the people as your adviser for entrepreneurship. Mr. President, you are the great leader this country needs. We in the private sector are in full support of your programs. We wish you a great year ahead and may you be blessed with a long and healthy life.