The Meeting (July 4, 2015)

Our lecture about technopreneurship last July 4 2015 Saturday is a mindset changer for me. That lecture that we tackled has taken my mindset to a next level that this subject is not just a subject to comply for us but the main purpose of this subject is to help us for our future and the main reason that our facilitator is strict for deadlines is he only wants us to learn and to deal with time management. So I am having a great time listening to our facilitator and come up on my mind that “yes our facilitator is right how come others can do it and what is the reason for us not to make it as well”, that’s the biggest challenge that our facilitator has given unto us as his student. The words that our facilitator said that has marked in my mind is “You go to school, have good grades, then have a good work as an employer not an employee” by that he means that he don’t want us to go to school and have a good grades then in the end of the day become just an employee he literally wants us to become an Owner of our own company. As for the start of our meeting last July 4 it feels like it’s not an ordinary meeting because if you based on others that says that our facilitator is a strict one it’s a Big No No because our facilitator is more than strict than the word strict specially when it becomes on deadline to pass reflection or what so ever because he just only want us to learn what is true essence of time. As we go along on our discussion that day we our facilitator suddenly declare of our first and last quiz for the subject and as I can recall our facilitator is not the kind of facilitator that gives quizzes exams or something like that because for him that’s a waste of effort and time for him to make all of that non-sense examinations. I can say that our facilitator is more focused on how can he help us develop our critical thinking skills and how can he help us deal with pressure and how he can help us face the biggest fear of all or almost all of the students that will go in front and face the whole class to overcome the rat in our hearts so that maybe someday if we had given a chance to speak the idea that we our thinking to the whole universe we are well prepared to face them and prove to them that even we are just a student of USeP that has only a limited resources and dealing with a Jurasic computers we can say that I am proud that I studied in USeP and experience the kind of facilitator  just like Sir Randy Gamboa to facilitate us and guide us to be a good technopreneur someday. I remembered that our first and last quiz that he gave unto is a lecture and we even didn’t notice it at all for the first place. We are just shock and amazed when we finish the quiz and our facilitator just said that “I just thought you a lesson” the lesson that our facilitator is talking about is that how to earn money because he told us that get one whole sheet of yellow paper and a black pen first then if you don’t have any of those and your friends have there is no such friends in business specially in money talks. So he told us that if you don’t have a one whole sheet of yellow paper you buy from your friends or classmates even that you didn’t know them at first on this situation he told us to sell the 1 whole sheet of yellow paper for twenty (20) pesos each and the black or blue pen is for fifty (50) pesos each. The moral lesson he teaches us on that particular time is on how to market or earn money in a simple way. After that we started our first and last quiz he gave instructions but not all the instructions is given directly for example what our facilitator told us “ Write Your Name “ then he paused for a while and look to each and every one of us if we really write our name or we just listen to he’s instructions first, then after that instruction he noticed that most of us write down their designated name in their papers so our facilitator continues the instruction, “ Write your name on the bottom left of your paper” so everyone stops writing and get shocked of what or facilitator’s instruction, and our facilitator don’t want any erasures of that certain paper so you need to buy again a one whole sheet of yellow paper to your seat mate or friends so that you don’t have any erasures again. After that all of the instructions are given that’s the time that I started writing on my yellow paper because I’m also afraid that maybe another instruction is coming then I already wrote on my paper so it can’t be erase and I need another piece of yellow paper to start all over again. So the quiz has been started and the quiz is just a connecting the circles but most of all didn’t get the right stroke to connect that 9 circles in just 4 strokes that the pen will not be lift up, but I manage to get the right strokes to connect all the circles so I’m proud of myself that time. That feeling that you get the problem by your own by using your critical thinking skills and the most important is that the lesson that I learned after I get the correct answer for the quiz. The lesson that I learned and the lesson that our facilitator would want us to learn is that “thinking outside the box” sometimes in our lives we only think and look around on the people or things that are in-front of us we forget to think that “what if’s “at the back of our minds, so that’s the thing that I have learned to that activity that we have just did. After that our facilitator started to tackle about the SEED program that they are aiming and I like all the lectures that we have tackled but the topic that I liked the most is that there is an existing Incubation Hub that the broken shire college has started, that part is interesting for me because the idea of making it happen and helping other people or it students and maybe some of the masters that have too many ideas that has a potential to be a marketable and can earn a big profit out of their ideas. The most valuable part there is that they will give a FREE usage for the people that they want and they think that persons idea is a big hit if we give him or her a chance to develop his/her idea and make it an existing product this is the most important thing that marked on my mind on our lecture that day. The SEED program that our facilitator and other “ malalaking tae “ as he said made up and want to apply on the new curriculum on the Information Technology fields even on Computer Science and other IT courses. Then as we go thru our discussion to the point the we tackle about joining a competition that we only need to pass our own idea and present it to the whole class and to our facilitator. After we all have papers, I also find it cool and entertaining starting and undergoing the quiz. Everyone was actually taught to listen first all the instructions before staring the quiz. The lesson was very basic you just have to follow instructions and never assume anything at all. Starting from writing our Last Name at the bottom left of our paper. Next was placing a comma at the center, top most, justified in our paper. Finally, placing our First Name at the bottom right, justified in our paper. That activity writing our name in the paper was short but a very helpful reminder especially in real life situations. We were able to have insights on how things work in the real world. That we are expected to learn to listen first before assuming and easily concluding about things.

I can also relate this lecture of us in the Short Movie that our facilitator instructed us to watch the story of Dado Banatao. After all the hardwork and determination of Dado Banatao, he was able to graduate in college as an engineer. But, considering that it happened during the old times, so there were not enough industries that offered work which his skills and what he attained would fit in. So then, he decided to go abroad. There, he felt like he was in a totally different world. He was so overwhelmed with the surroundings. If back then when he was in his country, he felt like he was the excellent in class, there he felt the opposite. He felt like even if he is intelligent, it was still not enough. All of those who surround him seem more intelligent and that pushes him to do better than before. And later on, that was then he created that microchip which can be found in every computer now which we are using. Until the time came that he has to face the crowd and propose his product. That time he felt nervous and doubtful whether he can do it or not. But then, he think about what were those things he had been through and the life he had with his family. That pushes him to do his best to win their approval. But then he failed. I think it was the first time he experienced failure in the long journey he had before. Still, he did not give up. It did not make him stop what he desires and because of what happened, he became much eager to do better than what he did. He did it again and he did it a lot better than the last time. This time, he was able to win it. Because of that, he became totally successful and he did come back to where he came from. Then, he did not just own the success he had. He shared it to others especially to the young ones he think needs to be guided and provided with the materials they need to maximize their potential and discover things beyond their imagination. What Dado Banatao did was really a good inspiration for all the young ones now and the students to strive harder and survive until they reach the peak of their dreams. It is not very easy for sure but the result of all the sacrifices would be enough for sure to pay the worth of what you give in. This explains the saying “what you sow is what you reap.” If you find it very hard while you continue your journey, just think that what awaits in the end is worth all the sacrifices you’ve done. So, maybe after what I saw in the video, I can tell to other students or maybe I need it also to myself that we have to stay on top of things. The best way to do it is not to get caught up with the social life outside which you encounter during your college life and never allow it to cause your studies get left behind. You should always think the reason why you are there, why you have to study and experience all the hardships. Think of what drives you to become successful. The most helpful factor is to consider the life that your family had. If you love your family that much, then you would never waste the sacrifices they have done for you to be where you are and give you chance to be what you are now. There is nothing worse than approaching the end of the semester and realizing you have procrastinated so much you have an impossible mountain of work. No one needs that added stress. It is really not easy to study hard but it will become worse than that if you will set aside that should be prioritize. In the end, you will regret when you realize that you almost failed in everything; not only in your subjects but in the life that you already build during your elementary and high school days. You gave many years for you to be where you are and after all, you will just waste everything? It will be very much stressful in the latter part and would be very painful when you realize that you also failed your parents. Sometimes, the failure that an individual would encounter while he/she is studying could be considered when the student was pushed to do it when he/she don’t really want it in the first place. But when the individual failed even if the parents did their responsibilities well, it is then a very painful failure for the part of the student since he/she wasted everything. Back then, I have so much fear while I go through my journey. One of those is how to adjust with my freedom. Well, I really don’t have my freedom ever since but then if I get to think about it, living on my own meant my parents were not going to be breathing down my neck to do my work. They were not going to have me home at a certain hour. If I think about that, since I have not experienced it since then, I wanted to have a complete control on my own. These two aspects of being on my own were very exciting but I wondered how I would do without my parents holding my hand. Once things got rolling, I realized I would be all right as long as I stayed motivated. Just like how Dado did it on his own, even if he was get used to living alone, he did not mind it all. He just think of how to do it all alone and get back to where he came from bringing the success that he wanted to have for his family and for everyone else that needs his innovation in no time. Maybe I just have to do it that way too. It might not be this time since I am not very sure of the path that I am in now but for sure in the near future, when I would be mature enough to live my life in the best way I could, I would seek for the right thing to do and choose the path that I can tell that it is where I belong to. Of course, I would not forget to ask for the help of our Almighty Father for we all know that he knows the best for us. Maybe, in no time he will give me the life that would be best for me. I will just have to wait and do my part in achieving that goal. I wish I would really be able to do and feel like the way how Dado Banatao felt when he finally succeeds with his journey.

I was inspired to do good when our facilitator told to us that there are different companies that held a competition that is free. We all know nowadays not all of the technoprenuer wannabe have the opportunity to show their knowledge and skills. Because here in our country there are only several opportunities that are given to the young ones, and also here in the Philippines the competition is not free. And I am very lucky to hear that our instructor told us that there company that the competition is free. And with this, I am honored that our young ones can show their ideas regarding to help them achieved the success. This competition is such a great opportunity because with this we can discover new talents. And with this I can say that with the good ideas that the contestant might present in the said activity, it may help the society to achieve something. It can help the Philippines to grow in terms of technoprenuer. And also the competition will be a great help so that the mindset of the young ones will change. This may help the youths of my generation to be more knowledgeable regarding to our emerging technology. Instead of doing drugs it will help them to change for a better. I think one of the reasons why youth nowadays try drugs because they don’t have the change to excel in something they want. They think that using drugs, they can be powerful. The companies that are holding the said activity open a new path to the youth to take on. With the guidance of the elders the youths that are in the bad side will have the change to change. And I think that this will be a great opportunity to them to start a new life. He also introduces to us what should be our mindset. The mindset of the most Filipino nowadays not broad, the usual mindset of the people is go to school, get good grades and have a job. Mostly of our parents send us to school because they want us to learn new things to be able to get good grades and to have a good job that has a high salary. And this kind of mindset swallowed by students nowadays. It is not that bad to have a usual mindset and it is not always about getting high salary for being an employee. It is much better to have a vision of becoming the employer, the manager, or the owner instead just dreaming to become an employee. We should always dream high, aim high, believe in our abilities, work hard and survive the challenges. Majority of the schools today embrace the default mindset which is the employment mindset. I just realized that since we are young, we must put in our mind to aim high because when we have that kind of perceptions, we are not afraid to try anything just to attain our goals. There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that is you own self- Aldous Husley. But there is a better mind that our instructor told to us and it is “go to school, get good grades, create and own a company”. They say the school is our second home. Like in the home we can learn and enhance our physical and mental abilities. In school, everything that you do will be observed, recorded graded and appreciated. Students must bear in mind to always be excellent in everything they do while in school because the more they strive hard and work hard to be on top, the more chances they could have to get good grades, get on top of the class and have awards and medals. It is always a fulfilment to the parents if they see their children graduated, be professionals and be able to raise money for living. For those students who have high ambitions, they will not be contented on just becoming employees or workers. They will have the vision to have their own company, have their own workers and employees and be known on their expertise. Alternative Mindset is not just focusing on getting good grades and earning a high salary but it is beyond of the boundaries. I said “beyond the boundaries” because we are not sure if we will achieve to create and to own a company. But what matter most is that we have a perspective to reach this kind of goal. Before aiming this kind of objective we should use our knowledge wisely and effectively, as well as our skills, core values, our creativity and passion in order for us to create and innovate technology. And I think that if we imagine the Filipinos have that kind of mindset. I am very sure that the Philippines will have a good future. Imagine when somebody creates a company and this company will create jobs. And if the mindset of the young ones is like that the Philippines can evolve immediately. And when the time that it will come the number of the people who is jobless will be lessened. Our facilitator also shares about his experience regarding on the invitation of the Australia Company to attend the training and seminars for technopreneurship in Australia. I am so proud what our professor thinks. He doesn’t think of himself only, He thinks for the people, to our society. I am inspired to his motivation to spread what is technopreneurship. Because I myself, in that situation would now think like that, I don’t have the courage to tell others what I am thinking. But after the time our instructor tell us his experience I have the guts to tell them what my knowledge are. But instead of going to Malaysia he tells to the Malaysian that why not they will come here in the Philippines particularly in Davao. Our instructor explains to them the possible effect that may affect them in deciding. He convinced them and let them choose where the path they going to choose weather, they will come here in the Philippines and conduct a seminar so that many of the technoprenuer and entrepreneurs will be inspired and learn a lot. Because the possibility if there is a lot of people will know the more chances that the new the technoprenuer will be spread. The more the merrier. Because if our instructor go to the Malaysia there is a small possibility that the spreading of the learning they learn from other country will be fast enough. And also I am very proud to my instruction, because imagine that he convince big ranking people and change their mind. If I were in the position of sir, I possibly don’t think like that, and I learn something from the sharing that he told to us. A lot of graduates from the country are unemployed. Those who are not graduates with flying colors have lesser chances of getting employed and those with no work experience. So most graduates from the country ended up going abroad to work. It’s very unfortunate that our people are not working for our own country. Our own people are working under another country and instead they are helping another country. Yes it’s good to help however with our economy we should prioritize the rise of our country instead of another. And it’s a heart melting situation that we our currently facing right now that our masters or good programmers is going outside the country and work abroad to earn big money, because if they stayed here in Davao, Davao don’t have the facilities to accommodate and help the good programmers and the good technopreneurs here in Davao. Davao City can be able to match Manila and Cebu in so many ways. We are a growing city and I hope that our graduates will be able to watch our back and be there to help in the growing IT Industry in our city. It is really such a waste of talent if we don’t utilize our graduates’ potential. We should help in building the Industry worth boasting for. Let’s teach our people into thinking that they don’t need to go abroad just to earn money or to land a job. Let’s teach them that they could start their own business and maybe they can build their own company. Don’t ever set a limitation because the sky is the limit. Let’s prove to everyone the truth behind the saying that, Davao Life is Here. We have to apply or use the Alternative Mindset and let’s not dwell on the past. Our usual mindset or the mindset that was planted in our minds were to go to school, do good, graduate, receives diploma, look for a job, be a good employee, marry, have a family, grow old and then die. But what if there has always been another route? What if we can always have another choice? Instead of living a life following the norm why don’t we just try and take the other way. Let’s make it habit of thinking for the Alternative solution. Let’s look at the other side of the coin and see whether it’s much better than the other side. Why don’t we just start our own business and be the employer instead of being the employee. If we think that way then we are opening to another solution. We are opening for other suggestions. Let’s not be close-minded and are one-sided looker. Always remember that we always have a choice, we will always have. Choose to be the leader of the change. We should never limit ourselves into thinking that we are only employee compatible because that is not true. Anyone can be the next Steve Jobs or Bill Gates in this century of ours. The question now is “Can I do that too ? ” I made a challenge to myself because I was really amazed of the achievements of my co classmates or batch mates in IC. Our facilitator introduced some competition that we will be joining and I’ve researched some of those. These are the following: ideaspace - “Our goal is to develop and nurture innovation and entrepreneurship by delivering a support program to local technopreneurs who bear great ideas that exhibit potential as a solid investment and the foundation for nation-building. The program is intended to provide”. Smart Sweep which we recently had an seminar. And I forgot some of the competition being discussed by our facilitator. This events can help us nurture our skills in thinking a innovative way to help our country and to help ourselves also this is a big events that we are joining and hopefully we can bring the name of the school on top of more than a hundred or a thousands of participants. We can now apply all the lectures that have been tackled all along the way to enhance our ability to speak to other people and to market the idea that we are going to propose to them in just minutes. A long process of preparation for just an two (2) to five (5) minutes pitching in front of hundreds or thousands of people that are ready to hear your idea that can make a difference or that can be helpful to the society. This subject is not just a subject it is a stepping stone to a greater future ahead of us, but before we get to the peak point of success we have to face all the terminators that are waiting on our way to get to the peak point of success. As we all know other colleges called the IC students a Sleeping Dragons, The geniuses, and more because as of them we are the big giants of the campus and I can’t even figure it out how did I became a Giant of this campus why am I a sleeping dragon why are we called the geniuses, in that situation I realized that we care called like that because they think that we are all more advance or we are a champion and they are the contender. But as we all known there is always a villain when there is a super hero, there is always a terminator. And for this subject I can conclude that we students that we are the heroes and the sleeping dragons and the giants, then our facilitator is the villain, the terminator, and the more genius than we are for now, but we all know that all the story that with Hero and Villain the super heroes win the battle at the end. We can compare that situation on our side, we can compete with the villains out there and the terminators out there they only gives us the courage to learn new things, to explore new styles and techniques to conquer the odds that comes in our way on success, even a super hero can be defeated on battle so as we as a student we can be also defeated most likely if the terminator is like our facilitator PEACE.