For close to seven years now since we started the advocacy on Go Negosyo, we have been pushing for a mindset change among Filipinos: that we are not destined for poverty or to be the laggards of Asia. Each and every Filipino can rise above poverty and succeed in life by having the right positive mindset and knowhow, but success is also for those who want it. We seemed to be in a cycle where good things do not last long, as misery and crab mentality somehow crept in. There is no doubt that poverty has remained our country’s biggest problem, but it does not mean that we have not seen successful entrepreneurs who have done well, or even OFWs who were able to send their children to college or buy their own house.

We need to stop being fatalistic about things. Sometimes, our religious beliefs overcome our earnest desire to create our own destiny. We have to realize that the power of prayer only works when one has great faith, believing that a miracle will happen without a doubt, but it has to be accompanied by hard work, determination, and creativity. Imagine if we can apply this to how we feel for our country. This outlook will fulfill our need to break our cycle of misery which we are in, starting from the time of Marcos, to Cory, and then Ramos, to Estrada, to GMA, and now with PNoy.

Building confidence is the key to any economic recovery. In a way, the Filipino fighting spirit is what I admire most. We find ways to persevere even in the most difficult situations. But some of us would often say bahala na, and in most situations of despair we just leave it up to God. But not all things should be done this way. Faith without action is weak. If we want to see our country become well respected in Asia, we need to work for it.

After so many years, I believe that this is our golden opportunity to be known in Asia and the world. The popularity of the peaceful People Power revolution, to the prominence of Filipinos such as Pacman, Charice, and other talented Fil-Ams in sports and the performing arts helped introduce the Philippines to the world, and it inspired us to be proud of our country. But to see the Philippines become a robust economy, to receive an Investment Grade rating from the financial community, to see our GDP move towards a double digit growth, or at least show a consistent increase that are above our Asian neighbors, and to become the top tourist destination in Asia, would even be greater visions that we could have for our country.

We are now looking at our stock market moved to over 5,000 index, and these are levels we never thought was possible. We are experiencing a relatively stronger peso, stable inflation and interest rates, stronger foreign exchange reserves, and a better fiscal management. We are now seeing more Filipinos having greater confidence in our government and its governance. We are observing a greater awareness among Filipinos to grow the tourism sector, which I believe is a strong and sustainable competitive edge for our country. We are seeing big businesses continuing to grow and becoming more aggressive, and we are seeing more and more people wanting to start their own business. The “Entrep Revolution” has now begun. It is our golden opportunity to see this moment.

It is high time that we in Go Negosyo launch “Pilipinas: Now is Our Time!”, a call to our entrepreneurs and the private sector to join hands and do our share in how we can maximize the gains for our fellow Filipinos and our country. We can all work together to make this dream come true. This will help us achieve the respect we have been longing for.

This new campaign is a call for Filipinos, especially entrepreneurs, to work harder. To be more positive and aggressive. To be more innovative and creative. To expand further. To find our niche and be the best in our business category. To fulfill our obligations to the government. To help more Filipinos by creating jobs, or by implementing a better corporate social responsibility, and even better now is what we call as corporate social innovation that integrates sustainable assistance to specific sectors to the business model, among other things.

This is a call for all of us to do our share in these encouraging times. To the entrepreneur community, how can we maximize the opportunities at hand and further contribute to the vision of a better life for all Filipinos?

The time is now, 2012. If we are contemplating on a decision, whether to invest, to expand, or to start a negosyo, let’s do it NOW. Imagine the cumulative impact of all these positive actions in our economy!

In our own small way, “Pilipinas: Now is Our Time!” seeks to create greater awareness that we are close to achieving our goals, and we should continue to work hand in hand towards a meaningful public-private partnership.

Pilipinas: Now is our time!

We will be having our second Negosem on May 11, at the RFM Auditorium. The first one that we did last February was successful, that we almost filled the RFM Auditorium. This is another proof that more Filipinos are taking those steps to change their lives, because they took the opportunity to learn more about how to engage in entrepreneurship.

Most people would like to own their own business, but they are clueless on what business should they go into. The Negosem aims to answer these questions because it covers the essentials on how to start your own business, with focus on cultivating a positive attitude and strategies on spotting good business opportunities.

Participants will be treated to an intense learning session from our seasoned Angelpreneurs Paulo Tibig and Ed Pilapil. For more information, you can call Go Negosyo at 637.9229.