Photo: janettetoral.com

The DigitalFilipino Start-up 100 project is a program aimed at helping aspring technopreneurs through mentorship and funding.

DigitalFilipino Club, a widely known startup community in the Philippines established on 1999, launched the digital entrepreneur program named DigitalFilipino Start-Up 100 Project to facilitate inspiring technopreneurs by providing free online mentorship by expert talks, interactive consultation through webinars, and seek for advise in their LinkedIn group.

This is their new program held for the first time this year and opened to all technopreneurs, not merely the club members. So joining the club to participate in the program is not required. All announcements about the program will be communicated over the club’s mailing list.

Lawrence Hughes, Chairman, CTO at DualStak Networks, Sdn. Bhd and Founder, Chairman, CTO at InfoWeapons, RJ David of Sulit.com.ph, Wilson Chua of Futuregen International and the club founder herself, Janette Toral are some of the few mentors for the program. More mentors reportedly will be on board soon. To obtain the funding, those startups pitch their project in front of club members as the angel investors.

Similar like other entrepreneurship program, after filling the application form, startups need to deliver an online presentation and proceed with face-to-face meeting for review with Toral as the central figure. If they pass the review, they will need to do a second presentation in front of club members committed as mentors and investors. Those interested will do follow-up meetings and negotiation with the chosen startups.

The Philippines government is currently pushing technology-based entrepreneurship as one of the measurements to reduce the unemployment issue and improve the lives of young Filipinos. They perceive it as a promising venture as several companies are reportedly being set up to make money out by enabling technology into their business, particularly in the field of information and communications technology (ICT).

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has been relying heavily on technopreneurship as significant part of its program to boost Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Major reforms are pursued towards making TVET more relevant, effective, efficient, and accessible, especially to the youngsters. They believe young people need conducive and supportive environment to learning and creative thinking, opportunities to harness their potentials, and greater access to new technologies through responsive voc-tech education and training.

TESDA, in collaboration with the Mindanao Technical Vocational Education and Training (MinTVET), has identified Mindanao as the future hub of technopreneurs in the Philippines, as reported by The Manila Times. Both of them continue to produce technopreneurs among their graduates, paving the path of opportunities to seek their own means of livelihood. Last month, TESDA launched its Specialista Technopreneurship Program (TSTP) in Negros Oriental aimed to organize national certificate level II graduates into small entrepreneurial groups.

The other initiative is The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), partnered with University of the Philippines (UP) and Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), has opened the DOST-UP Enterprise Center for Technopreneurship April last year. The center caters to assist budding entrepreneurs targeting pharmaceutical, health services, and ICT industries to surpass their first step in establishing their own businesses. It includes but not limited to identify target market, develop and package their product, improve business plan to increase investment as well as marketing opportunities.

Stated in the DOST, Sectoral Planning Council web site, Dr. Luis G. Sison, TBI Project Leader and UP Diliman’s Vice Chancellor for Research and Development, says “It takes a whole village to raise a technology startup,” while Fortunato T. de la Peña, DOST Undersecretary for S&T Services, adds “We hope this incubation fever will spread as we have more universities propose their own TBIs,” during the inauguration of the Enterprise Center.

Armed with technology and creativity, supported by such initiatives and programs, there should be more Filipinos becoming successful technology entrepreneurs with the regards of internet as the greatest leveler especially young generation that hold the promise of high tech for improving peoples’ lives and utilizing chances for wealth creation.