Boosting technopreneurship in the Philippines

August 21, 2011, 8:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The government is pushing technology-based entrepreneurship or technopreneurship as a measure to ease the unemployment problem as well as improve the lives of young Filipinos. Technopreneurship is a promising venture in the Philippines as several companies are reportedly being set up to make money out of technology, particularly in the field of information and communications technology.

In the Philippines, setting up a business on the Web requires less resources. The country has creative and skilled people. The government is assisting budding technopreneurs, by equipping them with both technical and business skills. It is creating a nurturing environment to help them create their own sources of income. 

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is making technopreneurship a significant part of its program to boost Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Major reforms are being pursued towards making TVET more relevant, more efficient, and more accessible, especially to the youth. Young people need an environment conducive 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. The Mindanao TVET roadmap until 2015 outlines strategic responses to current and future challenges in the region. TESDA and MinTVET continue to produce technopreneurs among their graduates, paving the path of opportunities to seek their own means of livelihood.

The power of the Internet and modern breakthroughs in information technology and communications are today being enjoyed by small technopreneurs. However, their success still hinges in much part from initiatives by government, the academe, and the business sector. It is hoped that they will continue to support each other towards the flowering of technopreneurship in the country.