November 18, 2022

Seminar on Financial Literacy for SIT Junior and Senior Students.

Other Posts

The University of Baguio – School of Information Technology organized a seminar on Financial Literacy held at the UB Centennial Hall last November 11, 2022. The said seminar aimed to empower the students to make smart financial decisions, to equip them with knowledge and skills on how to manage every cent effectively, and to inspire and cultivate them as young and aspiring business and startup owners.

The program was attended by 83 junior and senior students of the UB-SIT and was officially commenced by the UB-SIT Dean, Engr. Elisabeth D. Calub with an inspiring opening remark followed by the introduction of the seminar’s resource speaker – Engr. Lou Beltran.

About the Speaker

Engr. Lou Beltran facilitated the 3-hour seminar. Engr. Beltran holds a degree in Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering, an alumnus, and a professor of the UB-School of Information Technology. He is also the founder of ASDF Groupe (Singapore), a capital entrepreneur and consultant, a MarTech or Marketing Technology Startup founder, a digital marketing specialist, and an IT Solutions architect. With his achievements and credentials, Engr. Beltran is well qualified to be the resource speaker of the said seminar.

The Seminar

“I don’t do motivational speeches,” said Engr. Beltran. “Motivation should come from within.” In the earlier part of his presentation Engr. Beltran emphasized that motivation is not enforced or given by anyone else but it should come from within. He also shared that self-motivation is fundamental when you set foot in business and entrepreneurship.

One of the highlights of his presentation is the statement “Business should be about the ambition or the process and should not be about the money”. Engr. Beltran shared his startup journey to inspire and remind the young and aspiring entrepreneurs the importance of concentrating on the process rather than making profit. He imparted that the secret to building a long-term business is to focus on the workflow, incorporating your passion, be great at it, and everything else will follow.

Furthermore, Mr. Beltran added that there will be certain sacrifices and lifestyle changes along the way, and people will say all sort of things to drag you down to the ground and discredit your work, but you must have the stamina to endure all of it. “Failing is part of the process,” said Engr. Beltran. “It’s not always sunshine and rainbows, everyday it’s a storm.” He pointed that we always learn best from our mistakes.

The seminar also covered the essentials to finding business ideas. Engr. Beltran shared the value of identifying how your money was taken from you, how you were convinced to buy something, and from there you will be able to learn the lessons in business such as the importance of location, the importance of marketing strategies, and the importance of products among others, and most importantly you will start to see business ideas.

Aside from the fundamentals of starting up a business, finding business ideas, Engr. Beltran also discussed the levels of entrepreneurship, the types of entrepreneurs, the importance of execution and workflow, the importance of investment and the key to persuade investors, and the value of talents. Towards the end of the seminar, Engr. Beltran shared the Top 3 questions that every investor asks during proposals. These questions were provided to the students to ponder upon and help them prepare for their future startups.

With the success of this event, the UB-School of Information Technology is committed to conduct more relevant seminars and workshops to improve its students’ competence and literacy, and to aid and prepare them in advancing their future careers.

Article by: John Manuel Flora, SIT

Features &
Highlights