Marriage is one of the most important unions in life. More than just a legal contract, marriage is a commitment one shares with his or her partner for the rest of their lives. A relationship that surpasses physical connection as it also entails spiritual, mental, and emotional aspects .

It feels like it was not too long ago when my wife, Marissa and I wed in a simple church ceremony. Our relationship was not a perfect one. We experienced trials that challenged us. Just like many husbands and wives, we faced these problems together, listening to each other’s opinion on the matter, and coming up with a solution together.

This is what we have learned through the guidance of our parents. My parents who have been married for more than 60 years are truly an inspiration not just to me and my siblings, but also to others.

Just last week, my only son Christian married Olivia, his girlfriend of nine years. Just like what Archbishop Socrates Villegas said during the ceremony, family is the most important teacher in their lives. They have to continue to love and understand each other for the rest of their lives. And this is what I have always advised them, that the key to a happy life is a happy family which they can achieve through strong faith in God, communication, and most importantly, love.

As parents, we are the first mentors in their lives. More than inspiring them, we are supposed to teach them the values that matter and the timeless principles to guide them in their lives and in making a difference in the lives of others.

I congratulate Christian and Olivia and I look forward to the day when there will be little Christians and Olivias running around.

Speaking of mentorship, Go Negosyo is continuously mentoring young entrepreneurs who are eager to level up and succeed in their respective industries. Today, in partnership with the US Embassy, led by Amb. Philip Goldberg, we are hosting the first Mentor Me Innovation Forum (MMIF) which will be held at Enderun Colleges, our official venue partner. This MMIF is a follow through mentoring program that is part of the Youth Entrepreneurship Development Workshop (YEDW) mounted successfully by Go Negosyo and the US Embassy last year.

This forum is a gathering of innovators and enablers whose expertise will cover major topics such as innovative products or services development, operation processes, and innovative business models. Our partner, the US Embassy, is bringing over innovation experts from Endeavor, GE, and from the Silicon Valley such as Google and IBM.

YEDW-MMIF aims to gather participants from the youth sector, micro and small and medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs), aspiring young entrepreneurs, and academe to enhance their innovation models as a way to take the business to a higher growth plane.

Sen. Bam Aquino will grace the innovation forum to inspire the delegates. US Embassy senior adviser to Secretary State David Thorne will give the opening remarks. Other speakers include Paul Rivera of Kalibrr, Manny Ayala of Endeavor Philippines, Jocot Emmanuel de Dios of GE Philippines, Mike Cassidy of Google, Deborah Magid of IBM Venture Capital Group, Jason Fischer of UL’s Asia Pacific, Sheel Tyle of Seed Practice, Carlo Calimon of MobKard, Ryan Chua of Navegar, Jay Fajardo of Launchgarage, Dianne Eustaquio of IdeaSpace, Dr. Ed Canela of K+e Ventures, Bryan McClellang of Bambike, Henry Lim Bon Liong of SL Agritech, Gian Javelona of Orange Apps, Benedict Carandang of HIA, Sofia Ang of 1EXPORT, Rommel Juan of Philippine Utility Vehicle, Koh Onozawa of Loudbasstard, Scot Frank of One Earth Designs, Jason Magbanua, and Kim Lato of Kimstore.

The delegates will experience a group mentoring through the fora and plenary talks we have prepared for them. They will surely get learnings from the experts.

For the past 10 years of Go Negosyo, we aim not only to inspire but also to mentor and guide the aspiring, micro, small and medium entrepreneurs. Through mentorship, they do not only acquire the essential business knowledge an entrepreneur must possess but also must develop the proper mindset, characteristics, and important values.

We hope to bring this Mentor Me Innovation Forum to different sectors in the community. We are preparing the Mentor Me program which will provide experienced mentors to many Negosyo Centers in the country. And we hope to launch this soon with our institutional partners and angelpreneurs.

After the success of the Meet the Presidentiables Series, Go Negosyo is hosting the Negosyo Talks: Meet the Vice Presidentiables Forum on Monday, March 14. This forum will give equal chance to all vice presidentiable candidates to present their views including their vision and platform for the country, particularly on economic and entrepreneurship development. This forum will also allow interaction between the vice presidentiable candidates and the entrepreneurs community.