In a world where boardrooms and prayer rooms rarely intersect, the Gatekeepers Connect 2026 at New Life Southwoods boldly declared that faith and business are not opposing forces but powerful partners. Sponsored by Neo Group of Companies and Manila Bulletin, this pioneering gathering, held on Feb. 21, 2026, marked the birth of a movement that redefines success through eternal purpose.

Entrepreneurs, young professionals, graduating students, and marketplace leaders answered the call to rise as light and salt within their industries, embracing stewardship, influence, and lasting impact. With the New Life Core’s approval and the spiritual guidance of Pastor James and Pastora Grace Magat, senior pastors of New Life Southwoods, the atmosphere was charged with vision, conviction, and bold leadership. This was not business as usual—it was business as ministry, a church-led initiative to empower the next generation of professionals to lead with integrity, faith, and transformative influence.

The highlight of the event was the keynote message titled “The Intersection Between Faith and Business” delivered by Dr. Christine May Daguno-Canoy, MBA, chairwoman of Neo Group of Companies and member of the New Life Main Impact Core Group. Under the Neo Group umbrella are Neocolors Productions and Advertising Inc., Neo Golden Towers and Trading, Neo Express International Inc., Staffsavvy Manpower PH Inc., and Educare for Life Foundation. Though trained as a dentist by profession, Dr. Christine chose a different path, one that would allow her to merge faith with enterprise. Her journey began humbly with Neocolors and only three employees, when she made the bold decision to resign from a stable job to pursue a God-given vision.

Growing up not in a wealthy family, she carried within her a burning conviction that her children would inherit a different story. Not one defined by limitation, but a story marked by faith, courage, and opportunity. This vision became her anchor, the force that propelled her to step out of comfort and into calling. Fear was present, but it was a healthy fear—one that strengthened her faith rather than paralyzed her. From those modest beginnings, she has now built Neo Group of Companies into a thriving enterprise with 96 employees, extending its visibility and influence across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Her journey stands as living proof that with faith at the center, even the smallest seed can flourish into a legacy of influence, opportunity, and hope.

At this intersection, leaders are compelled to embrace a higher calling that elevates purpose beyond profit, to cultivate cultures where integrity and responsibility are non-negotiable, to shape communities through compassion that touches employees, clients, and suppliers alike, and to adopt a way of doing business that is both sustainable and transformative. Her testimony reminded everyone that prosperity is not measured solely in financial terms, but in influence, integrity, and the generational legacy passed on to future leaders.

As the event concluded, it left more than inspiration—it ignited conviction. Leaders were reminded that ministry is not limited to the church; it reaches into the marketplace, where they are called to bring purpose into business, create meaningful change in society, and lead with compassion, integrity, and responsibility. Community was emphasized as essential, with like-minded believers sharpening one another and exchanging practical wisdom. The words of Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 rang true: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.”

The Gatekeepers Connect affirmed that faith and enterprise are not separate callings but a divine partnership. And as this pioneering event continues to grow, it promises to shape leaders who surrender their hands to God’s direction—empowered not merely for personal success, but for the transformation of communities and generations to come.—Trisha Marie D. Bermillo