When President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said that the Filipino dreams are also his own dreams, it "resonated deeply" with the country's small businessmen, former Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Jose 'Joey' Concepcion III said Thursday following the inauguration of the new leader.
In a statement, Concepcion, who is also the founder of Go Negosyo, said he "was extremely moved by the President's inaugural address."
This was because, he explained, Marcos Jr. "shared a comprehensive vision for our country, and the role of government for its citizens."
"President Marcos spoke of the people’s dreams being his own dreams, of wishing for a better life in a safer, more prosperous country. I think that resonated deeply with our country’s small entrepreneurs," he said.
Concepcion said Marcos Jr. will have the support of the private sector, especially now that the country faces health and economic challenges.
"I could feel his sincerity and determination to bring a better life for all of us,” he said," noting how the new president captured the country's collective desire for unity and better future.
"We all want a better life for Filipinos, and our MSMEs (micro small medium-sized enterprises) are prepared to put in the hard work for a future of plenty and sufficiency," he added.
Concepcion is optimistic that Marcos Jr.'s plans to prioritize agriculture and to promote self-sufficiency will mean unprecedented assistance for the country’s farmers, many of whom are self-employed agripreneurs.
"Given the many challenges we are facing today, I agree with the President that the sooner we start, the surer and quicker the prospect of achieving our goals for the future," he said.
"I think the President understands that the pandemic and the inflation brought by the war in Europe unfairly affected the smallest and the most vulnerable, especially the MSMEs, and they will need all the help we can give them," he added.
Concepcion expressed his support for the Marcos administration that will continue to manage the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The private sector is doing what it can to help the government on the health front," he said as he also looks forward to more public-private sector cooperation under a Marcos presidency.