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7777

National Conference, “Building Capacity and Competency inEntrepreneurship Education: Convergence”

ENEDA-NCR CHAPTER REPORTBy: Maria Luisa Benig-GatchalianPresident, ENEDA NCR ChapterFaculty Member, Entrepreneurship DepartmentCBEA-Miriam College

The recently concluded 7

National ENEDA Conference in Bohol ushered renewed commitmentamong entrepreneurship educators to find solutions to the many problems besettingentrepreneurship education. It was attended by more than 180 educators and business andentrepreneurship students from all over the Philippines. Various topics, issues and concerns weretackled as the participating educators called attention to various needs: to raise educators’professional competency; to elevate entrepreneurship to a full course offering in colleges where it isstill offered merely as a subject; to increase enrollment in entrepreneurship courses; to tap variousgovernment and non-government institutions to help equip schools with the necessary facilities and;to devise ways to help students overcome various obstacles, notably the scarcity of funds for start-up/incubation costs. Through it all, there was a high level of resolve as participants agreed thatentrepreneurship is the way to propel the new economy!

ISSUES, CONCERNS and RESOLUTION

1. There is a scarcity of entrepreneurship teachers and there is a need to raise the level of theirproficiency. Indeed, there was a clamor among many of the provincial participants for training.

The training requirements for teachers of entrepreneurship were identified in a work-in-progressTeaching Competency Training Program aimed at professionalizing and certifying entrepreneurshipeducators.

The program also addresses the need to propagate techniques and teaching methodologiesthat will truly engage students and urge them to venture into business. Students in the tertiary level require specific teaching methods that are teen/young adolescent-appropriate.

2. The question was raised: Are the schools are producing the kind of entrepreneurs that theacademe and ENEDA envision?

Already, in the NCR, Dr. Corazon Lim of Assumption College San Lorenzo Makati, Prof. Emilina R.Sarreal, Chair of the Business Management Department of De La Salle University Taft., and Dr. ElenitaSoriano, Program Director of Univeristy of Asia and the Pacific, have expressed support in variousways through the provision of research, training, resource facilitation and exchange, and values formation. This has been initially taken up with the ENEDA NCR represented by Maria Luisa B.Gatchalian of Miriam College.The next level would be to set collaborative meetings to line up resources, both materials and human.This is in line with the program being presently developed by the NCR to tap the existing resources that these institutions are willing to generously share, first for the benefit of raising the proficiency of theentrepreneurship educators; then to motivate and energize the students; and later on to uplift marginalized communities, especially “under served women”, as part of the academic institutions’ social responsiveness.

3. Very few student take entrepreneurship courses in the regions outside of Manila because they areseen as expensive. Start-up capital is required for entrepreneurship projects and many studentscannot sustain their studies in the program. This is one of the reasons why “entrepreneurship” isoffered only a subject in some cases and not as a full course.

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National Conference, “Building Capacity and Competency inEntrepreneurship Education: Convergence”

This author had the opportunity to confer with DATBED officers during their program presentation inMiriam College in February of last year. Their experience is that parents initially complain that it would be better for their children to help them in their farm instead of spending so much money in school,studying and experimenting on their business. Eventually, after semesters of engagements with their financial/investment program, the parents become very appreciative of the results of their children’sventure programs. Aggressive promotion of entrepreneurship education among parents, and the community in general should propagate the message that the course is one of the most effective ways to attain their dreamsof a better livelihood, economic independence, job creation, and wealth creation.Still, there is the very real problem of the lack of start-up capital for the students’ projects. There areagencies like the DATBED program of DOST that can help address the problem of “investment lack”. Aside from DATBED, there are other agencies, institutions and means that a little “search and research” can uncover. Already, ENEDA NCR in Miriam College during the 1

Roundtable Discussion inFebruary 2008 has engaged Planters Bank to help work on the issue.It is also worth noting that Miriam College has been invited by the Marikina City Government to take part in the Business Plan Challenge – a presentation/competition among their youth/student constituents and neighboring schools to promote business and industry by awarding start upinvestment money and other support resources to those with business plans deemed worthy of pursuing. Perhaps proposing a similar scheme to the education and economic program office of townsand cities in other parts of the country should be made. “Angel investors” can be sourced. There are probably many other ways and means. Another good way is to enjoin the CHED, ENEDA and government agencies to give “special treatment” for incubation projects of students, like a dedicated facility for business registration at the DTI;discounted or waived fees or dues or taxes; materials and facility accommodation from Department of Science and Technology and its allied agencies for information, research and technical consultations;waived local/municipal/city business fees for student incubation/start up requirements. A case in point is Dr. Antonio Lopez’ experience in getting exemptions and concessions from the BIR of Quezon City regarding the business/income status of MC Café Entrep. He wrote several offices and presented a position paper of the incubation project of MC Café Entrep. He sought endorsement fromthe CHED, citing that the incubation project is part of the curriculum requirement. This is one area that ENEDA National can work on policy making bodies and government agencies to lend support toincubation and student venture/product prototype projects.ENEDA as a body can present these issues collectively and work on them on a national level.

5. How to tap various institutions, administrators, educators, students, non government agencies,even individuals who share the same vision, as well as policy making bodies in the government likethe Commission of Higher Education, the local and national government agencies - to truly helpcreate a culture of responsible, capable, competent and ethical entrepreneurship.6. Points were presented in the conference about the value of a full course in Entrepreneurship. Inmany schools, entrepreneurship is still just a subject offered within different business courses. Howcan schools take up the challenge that CHED posed:

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National Conference, “Building Capacity and Competency inEntrepreneurship Education: Convergence”

“All existing entrepreneurship programs, such as, Bachelor of Science in Commerce major inEntrepreneurship, or Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in Entrepreneurship, shall be phased out and converted to the BS Entrep.” Dr. H.Lagrada, CHED Director.

Managing the course and the students (number per class) is extremely difficult, time consuming,and requires the availability of the educator even at odd hours. Aside from this, teachers needextra money to spend for communicating, commuting and other expenses as they go out tomonitor student projects.Overall, the conference brought to fore minds, achievements, work-in-progress, developments thatwere all inspiring and gave much hope for the teachers as we all build our capacity and competency.There are large areas, difficult ones that need to be addressed. ENEDA is taking them to the nextlevel. There’s so much to be done by educators, student, parents, classroom/course management,administrators, schools, governing bodies and many, many more. ENEDA National and its chapters,friends and all who share the same vision need to band together to advance the mission of responsible and ethical wealth creation for all!

THE FULL CONFERENCE PROGRAM

1. Entrepreneurship in the Philippines Amidst Global Crisis

Dr. Carl Balita

, Keynote SpeakerA presentation of motivational techniques through case stories on failures and beginningagain on the road to many successes.

2. A Model on Teaching Competency

Maria Luisa B. Gatchalian,

Miriam CollegeA presentation which aims to:a. Professionalize the teaching of entrepreneurship;b. Develop a training program that taps into government and private institutions,NGOs, and practicing entrepreneurs and eventually; andc. Certify teachers as highly qualified entrepreneurship education professionals.

Phases of the Teaching Competency Program:

Phase 1:

An appreciation of the peculiar nature of the entrepreneur;

Phase 2:

Entrepreneurial planning and development; and

Phase 3:

Teaching it in the tertiary levelwith a deep understanding of the nature of the specific needs of students in their particulardevelopmental phase. Enhancing teaching competency that is deeply rooted inprofessionalism and the dignity of one’s work. Efficiency in teaching through various learningand engaging techniques; monitoring, coaching and mentoring with specific assessment of the student achievement level.

3. Social Entrepreneurship

Rev. Javier Alpasa

, Ateneo de Manila UniversityWith the success story of Rags to Riches as the backdrop, the concept of socialentrepreneurial initiative within the context of the poor was presented.

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Eneda Ncr Report

Maria Luisa B. Gatchalian Reports on the 7th National Conference of ENEDA held in Bohol last February 26 to 28, 2009. She is a faculty member of the Entrepreneurship Department ... (More)

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