Step reels off

T he Students Technologists and Entrepreneurs of the Philippines (STEP)

skill competition is being held today October 4 and tomorrow October 5 at
Zeferino Arroyo High School, San Agustin, Iriga City sponsored by the Iriga
City Division with the theme of the said program is “Step: Upgrading Skills,
Improving Lives.
The annual program aims to develop and enhance students’ skill in the
different areas of Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE).It was
participated in by different private and public schools of the Secondary Level.
During the first day a short and simple program was held at the said
school. Nimfa Sabularse lead the Opening Prayer and followed by the singing
of the Philippine National Anthem conducted by Maria Fe Catimbang. A
welcome address was given by Miriam Camila. Mr. Edgar Lumabe, a STEP
Coordinator was given the honour to present the delegates from the different
schools namely UNEP, PHHS, SMHS, SPHS, SHS, ZAHS, SAHS, SNHS, RNTVS
and USANT. Before the contest began, a message was Mrs. Ruby Abundabar,
Assistant Division Superintendent. After all, Dr. Niña Ciron gave the
Guidelines to avoid protest from different schools.
The events that the students will be going to compete are Table
Setting, Dish Garden, Hair Styling and Make-up, Techno Quiz, Masonry, T-shirt
Printing, Photographic Printing, Upholstery, Mural, Cocktail Mixing, Newsletter
Making, PowerPoint Presentation, Homepage Development, Project Proposal,
Spreadsheet and Motor Start Engine.
The Second day will be the continuation of the STEP Skills Competition
and to be followed by the awarding ceremony.

DepEd Looks to IT for Changes in Education

Landscape
Despite having classroom infrastructure issues, the Department of Education is still hoping to
find better methods of compensating for these problems by looking at information technology.
In a memorandum, DepEd Officer-in-Charge Fe Hidalgo requested education policymakers,
managers and IT experts to submit abstracts of researches on how to improve the country’s
education with the use of the latest IT tools.
Hidalgo noted that the abstracts would presented and discussed during the 2nd Basic National
ICTs in Basic Education Congress in September. The theme of the event is aptly called
“Innovating with Technologies: The Challenge to Education Policy and Management.”

DepEd Strengthens Students with IT

THE DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) is including IT for business in its Student

Technologists and Entrepreneurs of the Philippines (STEP) skills development program,
an annual activity where students are taught the basics of different skills in home
economics, agricultural development, and industrial arts to increase the productivity of
the Filipino students and to familiarize them in I.T.
 Turn to page 4
Opinion
How is the STEP skill competition able to help you?

The STEP Skill Competition is really a great a help to the students like us.
This enhances and develops the student skills in different area especially
entrepreneurship which includes the ICT Assisted Project Proposal, PowerPoint
Presentation, Spreadsheet, Newsletter Making, Homepage Development. Not
only this help develop but it prepares the students cope up with the
challenges of the 21st century. This STEP skill Competition maybe is one of
the reason why we will succeed in the future.
It is the first time we join here and this contest really develop and mold us
to become discipline and confident about are selves.

How do we get more of our young people to want to be entrepreneurs?

While there have been many success stories, I believe that the entrepreneurial
attitude still meets too many roadblocks in India. Our societal norms accord primacy to
attributes such as a steady and stable individual career path, reduction in the levels of
uncertainty and ambiguity, an aversion to failure, and the desire to 'fit' within a certain
'mould'. Hence, only a very small proportion of the educated elite in India opts for
entrepreneurship as a way of life. Even in the case of those who do become entrepreneurs,
most of the ventures are clustered around businesses that are more predictable and stable.
Few entrepreneurs go for the jugular — the breakthrough.

Do You have What it Takes to

Become an Entrepreneur?

Fully one in ten adults in the United States today is an entrepreneur. This
phenomenon is by no means restricted to North America. The leading country for
entrepreneurship is Brazil with one in eight adults an entrepreneur. Australia is not far
behind the U.S. with one in twelve. These countries - Brazil, the United States and
Australia - lead the way. Contrast, for example, Germany (one in 25), the United
Kingdom (one in 33), Finland and Sweden (one in 50) and Ireland and Japan (less than
one in 100). (Source: Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2000.)
ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEFINED
The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 1999 defined entrepreneurship as "any
attempt at new business or new venture creation, such as self-employment, a new
business organization, or the expansion of an existing business, by an individual, a team
of individuals, or an established business."
ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY - AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Entrepreneurship is a major contributing factor to the economic well-being of a
country both in terms of economic growth and job creation. Traditionally, entrepreneurial
ability tended to focus on the following four attributes:
Initiative - the entrepreneur takes the initiative to bring together the economic resources
of land, labor and capital to produce a commodity (whether a good or a service) with the
hope that such production will create a profitable business venture.

Risk-taker - the entrepreneur risks his or her time, effort, business reputation and
invested funds in the entrepreneurial venture.
Innovation - the entrepreneur is an innovator, attempting to introduce new products and
new ways of doing things.
Decision-making - the entrepreneur makes the basic business policy decisions for the
business, thereby setting the course of the enterprise.
THE MODERN ENTREPRENEUR Until recently, the above attributes, especially
innovation and risk-taking, were the dominant factors that defined the characteristics of
those who chose to become entrepreneurs.
Now, however, with corporate downsizing being a fact of life, many entrepreneurs find
themselves thrust into the role by default.
The question for anyone either finding themselves in this position involuntarily or
thinking about leaving corporate life for the heady world of entrepreneurship is whether
you have what it takes to be successful ... the right stuff in other words. Some people do,
in spades. Others simply don't. If you're one of the ones who just doesn't, either resign
yourself to working for someone else or cultivate in yourself the qualities that successful
entrepreneurs share. Believe it or not, entrepreneurs are not just born. Well, some, of
course, seem to be natural-born entrepreneurs, but for the rest of us, the qualities of
entrepreneurship can definitely be acquired by hard work and application.

Life on Agriculture Among the Youth

Have you ever realized how important the agriculture is? … Did you ever
wonder why agriculture is still there despite of having modern technologies? … The
answer lies within every people’s heart… TRUTH… Yes! Because of these, life is
nothing.
The Philippines is chiefly an agricultural country. Its soil is rich and fertile, and
crops grow abundantly throughout the year. The principal farm products are rice, corn
(maize), coconut, sugarcane, abaca (Manila hemp), tobacco, maguey (used for making
such products as rope), and pineapple. Many tropical fruits are also raised, the most
important being banana, mango, lanseh, citrus, and papaya. A wide variety of
vegetables are raised for domestic consumption.
Many achievers of today succeed because of agriculture that is why,
agricultural arts is a part of education to build up the minds of every students and
equip the students with sufficient skills and abilities for them to cope with the future
that awaits them.
We can be successful someday as long as we took courage to improve our lives
through agriculture. After all, we can help our country to rise up from its great
downfall.

The principal minerals mined include gold, silver, iron, copper, manganese,
zinc, lead, coal, and chromite; some petroleum is also extracted. Many of
these minerals—notably copper—are produced for export and thus are
vulnerable to fluctuations in world demand. Much industrial growth has taken
place in the Philippines, particularly in the 1950s and the 1970s, but the
manufacturing sector is still in an early stage of development. Many factories
are licensees of foreign companies or act as subcontractors for foreign firms,
turning out finished products for export from imported semifinished goods.
Major manufactured goods include processed foods and beverages, petroleum
products, textiles and wearing apparel, and chemicals.

Education dep’t to step up student entrepreneurship program

THE Department of Education (DepEd), through its Center for Students and Co-Curricular
Affairs (CSCA), will launch the thrusts and schedule of activities for the Student Technologists and
Entrepreneurs of the Philippines (Step) for School Year 2007-2008. This activity will be hosted by
DepEd Region XI and the DepEd Division of Davao City on Nov. 19 to 24, 2007.

Arroyo Watch: Sun.Star blog on President Arroyo

This year's theme “Step: Upgrading Skills, Improving Lives”, puts a premium on the participation
of school-based organizations in disseminating skills and knowledge on technical and vocational
education.

"Our utmost concern in the department is the mismatch between the number of graduates
schools produce and the number of available jobs most of which require vocational skills and
knowledge. Millions of college diploma holders are still unemployed despite the huge demand for
skilled workers," said Education Secretary Jesli Lapus.

Areas to be included in the Skills Development Program are: Home Economics, Agricultural
Technology, Industrial Arts, and Retail Trade. These courses aim to mainstream technical-
vocational education in both public and private schools and increase technical aptitude among
the students.

DepEd to strengthen student entrepreneurship

with IT
By Alexander Villafania
INQ7.net
Posted date: June 27, 2006

THE DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) is including IT for business in its Student Technologists and
Entrepreneurs of the Philippines (STEP) skills development program, an annual activity where students are
taught the basics of different skills in home economics, agricultural development, and industrial arts to
increase the productivity of the Filipino students and to familiarize them in I.T.

Under STEP's new Entrepreneurship and Information and Communications Technology Integration, students
will be given basic knowledge on multimedia presentations, spreadsheets for business reporting, and website
creation to promote various products and services, as well as computer-based newsletter layout and PC-
based project proposal creation.

The inclusion of an IT skills development level will show how budding entrepreneurs can use the latest
technologies to improve their operations.

DepEd Officer-in-Charge Fe Hidalgo said this year's STEP activities, particularly the IT skills development
level, aim to strengthen the agency's Technology Livelihood Education, and to establish more linkages with
government agencies and private organizations to help encourage young people to become entrepreneurs.

"STEP aims to develop its members, to become active partners in nation-building and achieve
competitiveness and productivity through different skills," Hidalgo said.