An ENTREPRENEUR is defined by Merriam as one who organize, manages, and assumes the risk of a business or enterprise. While the encyclopedia explain that an ENTREPRENEUR is one who is willing to help launch a new venture or enterprise and accept full responsibility for its outcome.

In the Philippines, many a housewife, is lured into entrepreneurship to augment the family income. These housewife include the wives of Filipino seafarers who enter into business endeavours such as gift-making, food processing, furniture-making and “pasalubong”-making in their own homes.

To help these families, the Welfare Section of Ventis, led by its indefatigible Welfare Officer, Teta T. Bacolod, braved the heavy rains on July 30,2011, and together with Josephine A. Po, Welfare Staff went to Naga City to conduct a seminar on “How To Start Your Own Business.”

Teta, through the efforts of Mrs. Athena Marasigan, the Regional Coordinator in Bicol Region, invited a resource speaker in the person of Mrs. Cythia Olaguer, the Business Development Division Chief of D.T.I. in Legaspi. Mrs. Olaguer gave tips on how to start your own business and also some insight on the advantages, rewards, challenges and the risk of starting and putting up your own business.

The seminar started at 10:00 AM and ended at 2:00 PM. Mrs. Milagros Maceda, wife off C/Ck Arnel Maceda of “Triton Highway” led the  operating prayer.

Immediate after, Teta gave a talk on “Effective Parenting & Managing Family Finances”. She shared some of the learnings she got when she attended a seminar on the  same subject. She shared the effective parenting style and some parenting tips & strategies. She also discussed the importance of savings & budgeting and the Medical Insurance Program of Ventis for the crewmembers and their dependents. A total of 39 families with a total 68 attendees came and made the activity a successful one.