The Lupus Foundation of the Philippines (LFP) through North Chapter President Lenina Tujan invited “Go Negosyo” to speak on how to start a good business.

Last May 09, lupus support group meeting’s topic focused on Entrepreneurship. Successful business men and women who are members of Go Negosyo and featured at their #1 non-fiction best seller book, talked about how they started their own venture and gave tips, do’s & don’ts of making business.

Go Negosyo is the advocacy of the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE). PCE believes that the Filipinos can address poverty in the country by engaging in entrepreneurship and developing an optimistic, passionate, creative and innovative, resourceful, diligent and persevering character. The advocacy encourages everyone to take charge and make the most of their resources and abilities by utilizing and transforming these into viable enterprises.

Go Negosyo encourages individuals with very minimal resources to come up with income generating schemes which would make use of their ingenuity with very little capital. Go Negosyo was very much willing to do a seminar with us because they were intrigued by the fact that patients themselves were the ones going to be involved in the project. Go Negosyo has never held a meeting where patients made up 99% of the audience.

It was a perfect opportunity for lupus patients especially those who are unemployed or cannot work due to the limitations brought about by the disease or those without enough resources to start a business, to learn how to engage in alternative income generating ventures.

Go Negosyo’s goals are in consonance with the aims of the LFP Empowerment Program as the Program’s main interest is to encourage lupus patients to involve themselves in profit making activities to help support themselves despite the unpredictability of their condition.  As a result, the patient - through sheer confidence, determination and initiative - becomes a fulfilled individual as he has become a person with self-respect.  The LFP Empowerment Program envisions patients to earn from simple but creative almost homeroom type of businesses. To assist patients of good standing to achieve this goal, the Foundation extends a minimum loan of P2,000  provided that a written concept of the business to be undertaken is submitted.  The loan is interest free and is payable in three successive monthly installments.

Speakers during the forum from left to right were Ramon Lopez (GO NEGOSYO Executive Director), George Saguisin (Ateneo Graduate School of Business: Center for Continuing Education), Michelle Santiago (Owner, INENG's Special BBQ), Alvin Tan (President, TECHNOMINDS), Rosaleeh Matienzo (Entrepreneurial Development Head: Kabalikat para sa Maunlad na Buhay, Inc), hosted by Hector "Eco" Dela Sala.