Everyone seems excited to see real change happen, especially in moral ascendancy, as the campaign platform of President Noynoy, or P-Noy, is “labanan ang korupsyon (fight corruption).” P-Noy delivered an impressive speech with a simple, straightforward message during his inauguration. He even mentioned the removal of the wang-wangs or use of sirens on the roads. Although I don’t think it is practical for him as president to do so if he is to move around attending functions. On the other hand, if he does it to set an example, why not? I am sure P-Noy is getting numerous messages and unsolicited advice from all the columnists. He will have an overload of advice. But let us add to those by sharing with him and the public the advice of Go Negosyo advocates.

As I am fond of getting the views of my fellow entrepreneurs, I asked different negosyantes from different industries to share some of their ideas. How do they see President Noynoy changing this country? With the new administration, what changes do they expect in the country? What is their advice to President Noynoy?

Rina Lopez Bautista says, “I see Noynoy bringing back the people’s trust and confidence in government and institutions. He will provide the moral leadership necessary for good governance and real hope for better lives. I know he will work towards this not so much through sloganeering or surveys, but through actual and concrete action.”

“I expect less politicking and more actual work done,” added the president of the Knowledge Channel Foundation. “I look forward to the significant reduction of corruption, including the culture of patronage within government. I expect poverty to be addressed through concrete positive action, particularly in terms of education, in both the formal and alternative learning environments. Given our limited resources, hard decisions will have to be made and I hope this will be towards truly prioritizing education and human development, with emphasis on values and striving to be the best you for others.

“I expect the new administration to provide an environment where business and industry will flourish, providing greater productivity and touching more lives. I expect all Filipinos to do their part in supporting this administration and this country in the best way they can,” she said.

Rina’s advice to P-Noy: “Stay true to yourself and your legacy. Do not hesitate to engage those who can and are willing to help you effect the changes needed by our people and our country. I hope this can be done more strategically, concentrating on those that can create the biggest impact. May God continue to bless you with the wisdom and the strength to lead us to always be the best we can be for our country.”

Said SL Agritech and Sterling president Henry Lim Bon Liong, “I had the chance of meeting Noynoy up close and I find him intelligent and sincere. Being the only son of Ninoy and Cory, who are both icons of democracy and good government, is his greatest asset and I expect Noynoy to bring back the government under his administration, restoring confidence to businessmen. Being in politics for quite some time, I believe he can perform better than his mother.”

One of Henry’s “babies” is Doña Maria Rice, which is under SL Agritech. Coming from the agri-business point of view, he also expects definite changes in this industry. “Noynoy has openly declared war against smuggling, especially on agricultural products. This encourages farmers to produce more, for us to achieve self-sufficiency in rice and food. It can also be made possible, especially with the support of the farmers to advance the technology, such as through planting high hybrid rice,” he said.

As for Henry’s advice, “President Noynoy should exercise his political will to achieve his objectives. With political will, I believe that the whole country will perform well.”

Young Entrepreneurs Group–Philippines chairman Anna Marie Periquet also shared her thoughts: “Under the leadership of President Noynoy, we can always hope that the change in the country will be for the better, for the common good of our country and people. I see him changing the country through youth empowerment. Since President Noynoy is young himself, there will be positive, active participation by the youth sector in nation building and the economy. More young people will be inspired to become active partners of government in the realization of their country’s development goals. The administration of President Noynoy envisions a generation of more enlightened and empowered youth who are value-driven, active as well as innovative, with a strengthened belief in a Supreme Being and imbued with patriotism.”

As for Anna’s expectations for the country, “Under the new administration, I expect key program areas of work to include anti-corruption, corporate governance, democratic governance, education, and enterprise development. I expect both government and the private sector to continue to develop programs focusing on entrepreneurship, poverty alleviation and employment generation. Also, I expect the new administration to set the example of fairness, transparency, responsibility, and accountability — core values of democracy. Our society is changing constantly and, looking at the brighter side of things, changes must affect us positively under the leadership of President Noynoy.”

Anna continued, “I would advise him to continue to support entrepreneurship in collaboration with the private sector. There is still a need to establish a strong base of small- and medium-scale enterprises run by young entrepreneurs to help boost the country’s economy. I hope that the new administration will develop a comprehensive entrepreneurial strategy that seeks to provide training and assistance for business-plan development, access to credit and capital, mentoring, business incubation, market syndication and linking, business information networking and monitoring and assessment. I would also advise President Noynoy to implement government-led initiatives aimed towards bridging the unemployment gap through enterprise development.” Here also are the thoughts of the woman who styles President Noynoy’s eyewear: Dr. Vivian Sarabia. “I see P-Noy bringing good moral values to his government. I see him as a president whose personal mission is to make his parents’ dream for this country a reality,” she relayed.

“Every time we have a new president, we expect changes. I believe that, first and foremost, change should start with us. No matter how good P-Noy’s intentions are, he can’t achieve positive changes if we ourselves are not willing to achieve the same. We are the solution to our problems! We are the sum total of the choices we make in life,” added the good doctor.

The doctor’s advice to the newly inducted president: “Be steadfast in what you believe in and stay true to yourself.”

Hearing the views of entrepreneurs from our Go Negosyo community inspires us to do our share as we all enter into this new chapter of our country’s history. That’s right: we all enter this new period with P-Noy. It is up to us if we want to make it work and help the new presidency achieve our country’s goals. The President cannot do it alone. Each Filipino can help in his or her own little way. We can be the change we want to be. We can start from within, a change towards having a positive attitude to move up in life. We can work harder on improving ourselves and our capabilities. We must have a vision, find our passion, and pursue our dreams. Eventually, we must do our share in giving back to society and showing concern for others. We can all help P-Noy to help Filipinos rise from poverty.

E-mail me at tagumpay@gonegosyo.net. Join me on Facebook and visit www.gonegosyo.net. Watch the Go Negosyo: Kaya Mo! show on QTV every Saturday and Sunday, 8-8:30 a.m., with replays on NBN every Thursday from 11 to 12 p.m.