The Department of Education (DepEd)signed a Memorandum of Agreement with non-profit organization Go Negosyo last November 27, 2023 to promote entrepreneurship and agriculture entrepreneurship among the Filipino youth through various programs and initiatives. Vice President and DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion signed the MOA during the non-profit’s 18th anniversary celebrations in Makati City.

The programs outlined in the MOA aim to promote an entrepreneurial mindset among Filipino youth, build skills through mentorship, increase financial literacy, raise agricultural awareness, cultivate entrepreneurial skills in agriculture, and facilitate industry connections for mentorship. The programs and initiatives include the school garden project called “Pampaaralang Taniman ng mga Agribida (PTA),” a public entrepreneurship mentoring event called “Youthpreneur”, and “Mentoring the Mentors,” which will train teachers in teaching basic entrepreneurship concepts in the classroom.

The Vice President noted how an innovative mindset among the youth will be key to achieving a truly progressive nation, highlighting how the MOA strengthens the DepEd’s MATATAG agenda, and how it enables the youth to identify opportunities for creating wealth and respond to social and economic changes.

Vice President Duterte also noted how agriculture is one of the strongest backbones of wealth creation. “We want to inspire a generation of agricultural leaders,” she said, outlining how, with the help of private sector, high school students can be introduced to basic agriculture concepts, school gardens can be established, and make possible the cultivation of cash crops using school sites. ”School gardens provide a platform for communities to come together, work toward a shared goal and promote healthy eating habits.” she said.

“Public-private partnership has had a lot to do with the success of Go Negosyo,” said Concepcion. Already, the organization has organized the country’s biggest agriculture companies under its KALAP (Kapatid Angat Lahat sa Agri Program) initiative to harness the private sector to scale up the country’s agriculture sector. Concepcion also noted how young Filipinos are becoming interested in entrepreneurship.

“At our public entrepreneurship events, we are getting more young attendees who are keen on starting their own business,” said Concepcion. “And now with the support of the Department of Education, we can institutionalize this training so that it becomes part of the school curriculum in primary education, enabling us to reach more young Filipinos and teach them about entrepreneurship, or at least open their minds to it,” he said.

Last November 25, Go Negosyo held a successful pilot event of Youthpreneur, and attracted hundreds of Senior High School students from 17 schools in the National Capital Region. Concepcion said that the success of the pilot event of Youthpreneur bodes well for its future programs aimed at growing the next generation of Filipino entrepreneurs.

Following the signing, a technical working group comprising members of both DepEd and Go Negosyo will be created to oversee, implement, and fulfill the objectives of the MOA. DepEd shall provide policy guidance, data, and evaluation of program implementation, while Go Negosyo will be responsible for providing mentors, securing support and resources, and leading in its implementation in coordination with the DepEd.

The signing was witnessed by the heads of some of the country’s top conglomerates and business groups, as well as veteran entrepreneurship mentors that form Go Negosyo’s core pool of mentors for its various programs such as Kapatid Mentor MicroEntrepreneurs, Kapatid Agri Mentor ME, and 3M on Wheels, as well as its Kapatid Angat Lahat sa Agri Program and the ASEAN Mentorship for Entrepreneurs Network.