Isa Carlo Hermocilla
Rotary Club of Imus Independencia
“Follow the yellow brick road.”
The yellow brick road is derived from The Wizard of Oz as an allusion to “the road to happiness or success.” Everyone has his own path to success. But like the confused Dorothy at the beginning of The Wizard of Oz, many people do not know how to get there or are unaware of its existence. Sadly, some spend their whole lives running around in circles trying to find it. They need someone to show them the way.
We are all used to charity programs where volunteers would hand in goodie bags containing items that would let the beneficiaries survive for another week or two. It is undeniable that such are notable gestures, but as quoted from the novel entitled Mrs. Dymond, “If you give a man a fish, he is hungry again in an hour.”
Rotary Club of Imus Independencia (RCII) believes that we all have our own paths to success and are capable of getting there. The only issue is that some don’t know where to begin. This is why the organization came up with the concept of New Leadership, which aims to lead people and serve them towards attaining their own success. We want to help them find the path that would change their lives forever. What helped Dorothy in the story? Not a piece of bread that would ease her hunger temporarily but information.
RCII, under the leadership of the Life-Changing President Rolly Dilidili, put on the unique concept of New Leadership by steering away from the traditional acts of charity. Instead, the Club helps people achieve long-term success on their own by providing them with the information they need. The Club collaborated with the Department of Trade and Industry on a webinar on Establishing Micro Enterprise held on June 9, 2021, via Google Meet and FB Live. The virtual seminar aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs a jumpstart by equipping them with the know-how of micro-enterprise.
Representatives from DTI tackled the topic of entrepreneurship. Mrs. Marivic R. Cruzat, MBA, Senior Business Counselor, introduced the audience to the different types of entrepreneurship and ways of getting capital. PP Jaie Flores-Ador, CEO of 3D Container and Packaging Corp., shared her story of starting her business from scratch, emphasizing the importance of getting support from people, making the best use of the education you have, and paying back people who stood with you through tough times. To top it off, Ms. Analyn Santiago Varias, Trade and Industry Development Specialist, touched on essential consumerism laws that would guide the entrepreneurs-to-be. The webinar lasted for two-and-a-half hours and was attended by 99 participants.
What was the point of the whole event? A 21st-century leader is no longer one who carries everyone else on her back. She is no longer the person who spoon feeds others. The new leader believes that every individual is capable. She trusts that with the proper boost, the individual would find her strengths and use them in her own path to success. The new leader does not give men fish but teaches them how to fish so that they may independently travel their path to success and meet other leaders at the end with whom they can perpetuate the cycle of empowerment together. The virtual webinar is only a teaser to the Club’s broader Padyak to Pangkabuhayan Program. We can’t wait to show everyone the real deal!