For an advocacy like Go Negosyo, partnerships with corporations go a long, long way. Inspiring hundreds of thousands of Filipinos all throughout the country would not have been possible without the sustained support of our partners. They are the heroes who share our dream of empowering Filipinos and of building an entrepreneurial nation. They are taking the journey with us to make sure our dream of a better life for those who have less in life becomes a reality.

A champion of the Go Negosyo advocacy is PLDT SME Nation, led by PLDT senior vice president Eric Alberto and PLDT vice president Kat Luna-Abelarde. Last time, I shared with you the inspiring heroes of the Bossing Ako Campaign, a joint project of Go Negosyo and PLDT SME Nation. It’s just one of the many projects we have collaborated on to further encourage aspiring entrepreneurs to find success in negosyo.

I can consider PLDT SME Nation not only as a Go Negosyo advocate but a strong enabler of SMEs in the country. They have been relentless in providing telco and business solutions like in the area of Internet/data connectivity, sales and inventory tracking systems, multi-stores and logistics management tools that make the operations of growing SMEs efficient and hassle-free. We are keeping faith that through our joint programs, we will soon see the Philippines rise as a strong entrepreneurial country.

BPI Family Ka-Negosyo also shares our belief that negosyos play a major role in economic development. And just last February, BPI Family once again renewed their support for our programs aimed to encourage entrepreneurial culture and knowhow among Filipinos. Our executive director Mon Lopez and I joined the BPI Family Savings Bank team, led by its president TG Limcaoco, marketing head Jojo Ocampo and Herbert Tuason and loans operations head Cedoy Roces in sealing the renewal of a meaningful partnership.

BPI is an active partner as it provides loan packages to entrepreneurs joining our programs. They also joined us in the Women Entrepreneurship Summit, which inspired more than 25,000 Filipinos; and, as in previous years, they’ve given special Business Excellence recognition to top Women Entrepreneurs. This year’s awardee is Tess Ngan Tian of Lots’a Pizza.

Unilever and Go Negosyo may seem to have nothing in common; but they actually share in the mission of inspiring and uplifting the quality of life of our fellow Filipinos. Unilever chairman and CEO Fernando Fernandez and Ed Sunico are one with us in the belief that we all have a social responsibility to our community; and that we can achieve more by working with each other. Unilever has been extending its hand to Go Negosyo by joining us in our Summits to help empower the Pinoys with the needed entrepreneurship concepts and principles, to be able to fight it out in the very competitive consumer market. Unilever has also been helping us in recognizing inspiring and successful Filipina entrepreneurs through the Creamsilk Empowered Woman Award.

Joining Go Negosyo for the first time is the LBC Group of Companies, leading courier and remittance service provider in the Philippines. Early this year, we met with LBC CEO Santiago Araneta alongside its President Miguel Camahort and Marketing Director Javier Mantecon to formalize our dream of reaching out to more Filipino families together. We see LBC as an enabler to entrepreneurs as it provides logistics solutions to many businesses. Outsourcing is the trend nowadays to cut cost and even increase efficiencies; and exposing entrepreneurs to these options allow opportunities to become more competitive.

Go Negosyo and Smart Communications, the leading wireless communication provider in the country, have been working hand in hand in empowering MSMEs in the Philippines since 2006; and it has been part of almost every Go Negosyo endeavor. In February, Smart Communications Inc. chief wireless advisor Orlando Vea and Smart Wireless Consumer division head Danilo Mojica have reaffirmed Smart’s commitment to be part of Go Negosyo’s programs for 2011.

Smart’s telco technologies give entrepreneurs continuous mobile connectivity that’s essential to running a business. Wireless communications, easy accessibility to Internet enable each entrepreneur to source data, do research faster at lower cost, and market their products through social networking sites. Doy and I share a common vision to empower everyone. For Gonegosyo, via entrepreneurship education; and for Smart, by providing Internet access for all, at the least cost. To us, there are great equalizers in life.

Smart’s Talk ‘N’ Text and Go Negosyo also recently concluded the “Go Negosyante ng Bayan,” a nationwide search aimed t recognizing outstanding micro and small entrepreneurs with innovative negosyos. Our very own Mon Lopez and Go Negosyo Angelpreneurs, Dean Pax Lapid, Reuel Virtucio, Jorge Wieneke, Carlo Calimon and Prof. Titos Ortigas, served as judges and mentors for this challenge.

For the past three years, Go Negosyo has also been empowering women through our Women Summits and seminars. That’s why it has become more exciting that Avon, one of the biggest companies for women, have jumped on board with us in continuing the encouragement to Filipinas all-over the country.

Avon, led by director of operations Rico Garcia and operations senior manager TJ Nadres, offered negosyo opportunities during the Women’s Summit last March. Now, they are all geared up to join us for a series of caravans to reach out to more women in the country. It’s a privilege that Avon has added Go Negosyo in their list of advocacies, which include their campaign against animal testing, the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade and the Speak Out Campaign Against Domestic Violence. Avon and Go Negosyo also share a common slogan “Believe to Succeed.”

Of course, one of the biggest supporters of the Go Negosyo advocacy is RFM Corporation, which has been there since Go Negosyo started. As one of the major food and beverage companies in Philippines, RFM has been relentless in its efforts to improve the lives of Filipinos through high quality and affordable products and the advocacies it supports. Closest to its heart is the Go Negosyo advocacy. RFM executive vice president Felicismo “Jun” Nacino, myself, and the rest of the RFM family share the same vision of eliminating poverty in the country by creating an entrepreneurial nation.

Another constant believer of the entrepreneurship advocacy is Condura, one of the leading manufacturers of electrical appliances in the Philippines, led by my cousin Ton Concepcion and Renna Angeles. For many years now, Condura has been extending a helping hand in making our programs possible, in order to reach out to those who need our help the most. Just like Go Negosyo, Condura hopes to see Filipinos enjoy a higher quality of life.

Our partners in media have also contributed so much to spreading the Go Negosyo advocacy to thousands. GMA Network Inc., headed by Atty. Felipe Gozon, has also been instrumental in this effort. First, through the weekly Go Negosyo TV show, now on GMA News TV every Saturday and Sunday at 8 a,m. This program is essential in spreading the advocacy even to the remotest parts of the country. GMA 7 has also been a partner in the recent Women Entrepreneurship Summit, which we co-presented along with the Philippine STAR in celebration of the Women’s Month.

And of course, STAR has always been supportive of the Go Negosyo movement. For many years, STAR president and CEO Miguel Belmonte and executive vice president Grace Glory Go have given Go Negosyo a venue where we can share inspiring stories to thousands of Filipino readers. STAR was also our partner in recognizing the 2011 Go Negosyo Women STARpreneurs during the Women’s Summit in March.

Corporate partners have been very valuable in enabling this advocacy reach out to as many Filipinos as possible. The objective to help more and more Filipinos achieve their dreams and move up in life is shared by many companies. We believe that empowering the underprivileged sector and enabling the micro and small entrepreneurs are the lasting solutions to eliminating poverty in the country.

Contact me at ”feedback@gonegosyo.netor Joey Concepcion Facebook account. Visit www.gonegosyo.net. Watch the top-rating entrep show Go Negosyo: Kaya Mo! on GMA News TV 11 every Saturday and Sunday, 8 to 8:30 a.m. Get daily Go Negosyo Text Tips in your mobile phone by sending GONEGO to 2910.