Making nation-building the youth’s business

MANILA, Philippines – It is a collaboration that challenges the youth to take a step forward and help build the nation.

PLDT KaAsenso, PLDT-Smart Foundation, The Outstanding Students of the Philippines Alumni Community (TOSP-AC) and RFM Foundation have officially launched Project Pagsulong, the Php1M youth challenge for aspiring or budding young Filipino entrepreneurs with brilliant business ideas that could help alleviate poverty in the country.

“Project Pagsulong is part of PLDT KaAsenso’s thrust of contributing to nation-building by advocating entrepreneurship,” said Patrick Tang, head of HOME Marketing for Voice and Micro-business. “We want to promote youth-preneurship and take it a notch further by providing an opportunity for them to make their entrepreneurial ideas a reality, and at the same time become social movers.” 

The youth challenge is open to a team of 3-5 young adults, 18-30 years old, from all socio-economic status, regardless of educational attainment. Participating teams are expected to submit a business idea that can potentially solve a societal issue or need.

Organizers are drum-beating this competition as an avenue for the youth to take a more significant civic role and be the “change-makers” that will benefit successor generations.

“This affirms our commitment in the social enterprise approach to help reduce poverty in the country,” said Esther Santos, PLDT-Smart Foundation president. “We believe in investing in our youth and their ability to take part in finding novel solutions to our (social) problems, some of which, in fact, were the same problems encountered and remain unsolved by generations before.” 

Interested participants have until the end of August 2012 to submit their entries. 

For more details about the youth challenge and to download the official form to join the contest, visit www.projectpagsulong.ph. – Rappler.com

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