UP ISSI, in celebration of its 51st founding anniversary, held its annual business seminar Tara Na, Negosyo Na, on its seventh year, last 4 August 2017 at the Institute’s second-floor open plaza.
The participants were treated to half-day lectures on what entrepreneurship is all about by ISSI’s Ma. Blessilda A. Clerigo, and on project identification by Jocelle P. Mamaril based on the Community-Based Enterprise Development approach of the International Labour Organization.
The afternoon session was about drawing inspiration from successful entrepreneurs, where three different business owners gave testimonies on how they started their business and how they persevered with the challenges they faced on running them.
Rupert J. Lavega, Jr, owner of Signrays Advertising, Inc., talked about how innovation on all aspect of his business made his business expand. He dreamed of having his tarpaulin business to be present all over the Philippines through product, management, marketing and process innovations. He also advised the participants to at least give their employees leverage to learn from the business by giving them exposures from training programs so they can have additional knowledge in running the business.
Racky D. Doctor, president of Nutridense Food Manufacturing Corporation and Long Live Pharma explained that his business came about because of natural circumstances. His company produces a brand of household drinking water disinfectant and basic food products that are distributed during calamities. “Basically, my business is a business based on situation,” he quipped.
Another businesss owner, Ma. Lourdes S. Rivera, owner of Spices and Foodmix, gave business tips on “having charisma to make your customers come back.” She also advised the participants to “put into writing your business. Always do documentation so you will know where you’ve been and how your day-to-day business is going,” she added.
Rivera’s business suffered from trials and failures, but in the end, owing to perseverance, hard work and innovative ideas, she is now having “the best time of her life,” where her children, though successful in their respective careers, are now managing or having businesses of their own and they were all patterned after her own business.
Also present during the seminar were Prof. Melchor C. Morandarte and Nova Z. Navo of Malayan Colleges Laguna and UP ISSI, respectively. They both served as reactors during the seminar. The seminar was also graced by the presence of Dr. Fidel R. Nemenzo, former Officer-in-Charge of UP ISSI and the current Vice-Chancellor for Research and Development of UP Diliman and Prof. Rolando Ramon C. Diaz, the current OIC of UP ISSI.