In a world and at a time filled with challenges and setbacks, there is a virtue that serves well those who pursue their dreams. This virtue, known as “Perseverance,” encapsulates the commitment to push forward, even in the face of adversity. It embodies a relentless spirit of persistence, unyielding determination and a refusal to give up.  

It is an indispensable attribute. Perseverance is considered valuable in many aspects of life, including personal goals, education, career and creative endeavors. It is an attribute that powers many of our successful entrepreneurs. These men and women strived to achieve their goals despite difficulties, failure or opposition; they failed many times but they got up, dusted themselves off and continued to fight. 

Last Saturday, at the first 3M on Wheels for 2024,  we met many of these people, some were mentors who came to teach, and others as mentees who came to learn. The active and aspiring entrepreneurs started lining up that morning even before TriNoma Mall opened its doors, and as the event got underway at 10 a.m., the activity center was already filling up with participants. 

I had the pleasure of mentoring a couple of them, and my observation is that women entrepreneurs – the nanays – have such great tenacity and perseverance. I am quite confident that we will see among these Filipinas a future Socorro Ramos, or even Small Laude, given how savvy they have become in using social media to promote their businesses.  

The success of this first 3M on Wheels free entrepreneurship mentoring event last Saturday gave us more reason to intensify our campaign to reach as many MSMEs nationwide this year, especially considering the bright prospects for our country’s economy. The Philippines is still seen as one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia: this is such a vote of confidence considering we are in very good company among our ASEAN neighbors. The President continues to press on with his economic reforms and remains enthusiastic about representing the country abroad as a prime investment destination. 

This is reflected in the optimism of Filipinos wanting to put up their own businesses. We have been seeing a substantial rise in the level of attendance at our entrepreneurship events. If one were to ask for more than just anecdotal evidence, a more scientific indicator are the findings by OCTA Research which showed GoNegosyo’s awareness rating for the National Capital Region was a high of 81 percent, and at 60 percent nationwide – quite impressive for an NGO. We are getting the message across and, more importantly, more people are believing that they, too, can succeed as entrepreneurs. 

Entrepreneurship was a journey I have also taken. People thought being the son of Jose Concepcion Jr. and the grandson of Salvador Araneta would determine my pathway toward a life as a corporate leader. Before that was to happen, though, I became a small entrepreneur selling popcorn and clothes. But they were, in a way, correct. I did become a corporate leader, but alongside that, I was taught other kinds of leadership, especially by my father. He taught me that one can lend this gift for leadership in more ways beyond profit.  

My father taught me, through his actions, that one can be both a leader and a servant.  Despite the challenges the country faced during his time as a businessman, as DTI secretary and as founder of NAMFREL, his battle cry was, “Yes, the Filipino can!” 

He also taught me the virtue of perseverance. This has served me well as I took on the role of running a food, beverage and ice cream company and worked to win market share. It also helped me navigate the changing fortunes of the country and do my best to work with our country’s leaders: from President GMA to President Duterte, and now with President Marcos Jr. This I did in whatever role I was given: whether it was to advise the President on matters of MSMEs, to bridge the private sector and government in matters of health or business, and now to find ways on how the private sector can help generate more jobs for our countrymen. 

I can see, and I can feel, that many Filipinos possess the strength to persevere despite a tough life. That is why, having been blessed with a comfortable life, I feel that it is now my duty to help those who want to succeed.  

I can say that I am not alone in this mindset; there are so many among my peers in the private sector – successful businessmen, top executives, leaders of industry – who also want to give back and help people toward a better life. For some of them, mentorship is a powerful way of helping. For others, it is providing GoNegosyo with the means to keep reaching out to Filipinos who wish to better their lives through entrepreneurship.  

Our Lord works in many ways and through many people. For 18 years now, since GoNegosyo was founded in 2005, we have been graced by the generosity of mentors and sponsors. These people tell me that they keep returning to the mentoring events and continue to give their sponsorships because of the potential to change the trajectory of a person’s life. Some of our mentors share that the people they mentored look them up and tell them how they were able to help them. I would say this kind of return is something you cannot buy. It is this generosity that reinforces the perseverance that many Filipinos have in spades. It is the reason why I believe our country can soon become a great and prosperous nation.