Kaunlad Pinoy (#133) founder and first nominee, Kuya Choi, has vowed to create a stronger environment for startups and small businesses in the Philippines, highlighting the need for real mentorship and community-based support instead of reliance on government aid.

Speaking before members of the media at a press conference held in Davao City on Saturday, Kuya Choi drew from his nearly two decades of experience in the retail industry to share how Kaunlad Pinoy aims to address the persistent struggles faced by small entrepreneurs, especially startups struggling to survive in an increasingly competitive market.

“Failure is part of the journey,” he said in Filipino. “But no one should have to face it alone. That’s why we built Kaunlad Pinoy — to bring together business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs to share lessons, real experiences and opportunities.”

Kuya Choi stressed that unlike traditional entrepreneurship programs often tied to government funding, Kaunlad Pinoy operates independently, with its founders and nominees coming from the private sector.

He added that the organization was born out of the hardships faced during the Covid-19 pandemic, calling it “the great equalizer” that exposed deep gaps in the support system for businesses.

While acknowledging the efforts of government agencies like the Department of Trade and Industry, Kuya Choi pointed out that current programs are often not enough to reach the grassroots level, particularly informal businesses with minimal capital.

Instead of offering empty promises, he outlined a grassroots approach centered on real-world knowledge sharing.

“In business school, they teach case studies because there’s no one textbook for success,” he noted. “In Kaunlad Pinoy, we want entrepreneurs to become each other’s case studies.”