How to Propel Davao's Economy as a Technopreneur

We all know that Davao City is one of the progressive countries here in our country. It is because we have a lot of natural resources that is a good source of income such as bananas, pineapples and coconuts. Because of these the economic status of Davao City is always stable. But being a progressive city here in the Philippines is not enough for me, we should be recognized all around the world. We should just not be known for having the Durian or being the home of the majestic Philippine Eagle, we should also be known in the field of Technopreneurship.  As we could notice, big business establishments like big malls, hotels, banks and fast food chains and restaurants are coming out like mushrooms here in our city. Actually this is a good start to make us reach our goal to be one of the progressive cities all around the world, but one thing is still lacking; unlike other countries such as Singapore and Japan we still do not use high technology frequently.
One reason of this problem is our experts in technology here in our city prefer to work outside the city most probably out of the country. Even in some of the universities here are being approached by foreign companies so that they would get the best students and make them work in there country and we as Filipinos, would actually grab that opportunity because of having a low income here in our country. Even some of us are working hard to earn money so that they could go out of the country and work in there. Although our OFWs contribute a lot for the economic growth of our country, it will still be the best if the great minds are working here in our country so we could achieve our goal as a progressive country, and I believe it will start when a city is working hard for it. We will be their good example.

            As a technopreneur, I could greatly help to propel the economy of Davao city because Technopreneurship means business, and business is one of the powerhouses for a great economy. When you have a business, you have to hire workers, so you are not just helping the economy but also you will help the unemployed. One of the things that I have thought to propel the economy of Davao city is to decrease or possibly eradicate the unemployment by having a business. Some of us may have not known this but unemployment is not the effect of economic crisis, but one of the main reasons of it. Actually this problem will continue to create bigger problems, just like disease that keeps on spreading and slowly destroys our system and if not cured at an early stage it may cause too much greater problems. Unemployment makes the government suffer. In many countries just like hear in the Philippines have to pay for the benefits of the unemployed. The greater the unemployed or the longer they are without work the more the government has to spend money. Therefore, the nation has only not to deal with the loss of income and decreased production but also with additional cost. If a person is unemployed, he or she of course has a very low income, this simply means that that person will not spend money but instead he or she will save it, which has a highly negative effect in the economy because the cycle of money is slow. Unemployment will not only affect those who have no jobs but also those who have. Unemployment also brings up discontent and frustration amongst the tax paying citizens. In order to meet the demands of the unemployment fund the government many a times may have to increase the taxes thus giving way to restlessness amongst the tax paying citizens. The increase of tax will then result to decrease the spending of those who are employed. Yes just like the unemployed, they would save their money and another problem has now occurred. Many of us Filipinos ignore simple sickness and will only go to a doctor if the illness is severe. This is because of we are thinking of the expense rather than our health. I think it will not be a problem if all of us are capable of spending money for treatments, but we can’t because we have to save money. This is another effect of unemployment. Another effect of this problem is when the economy is down, we have the one to blame, the government. We blame the government in fact it is the one who is getting pressured when the economy is down even though sometimes they are the great contributor of economic problems. But let us disregard that; let us just imagine that the government is not corrupt (LOL). When the people are blaming the government, there will be a lot of protest especially here in democratic countries. This will cause political instability. And without a stable government, it will be harder for us to regain the stability of the economy. This will most probably occur recession. We have also to consider the increase of crime rate. People with no jobs will be desperate and commit crimes to be able to survive in this concrete jungle. When the crime rate is high, it will be more prioritized by the government. This problem will solve them first because it will drastically increase the problems. Another problem of high unemployment is the employment gap. To further complicate the situation the longer the individual is out of job the more difficult it becomes to find one. Employers find employment gasps as a negative aspect. No one wants to hire a person who has been out of work for some time even when there is no fault of the individual per say. When many of us do not have very low income, the standard of living of the people is also low. This simply means that when the people in a certain place have a low standard of living, the usage of high technology in everyday life is very insignificant. Thus, our dream of living with a technological environment like Singapore and Japan will be almost impossible. And the most common effect of unemployment is the loss of brains and man power of a certain nation. We are actually experiencing it as of now even though the unemployment rate here in Davao city is not quite high. When most of people want to go out of the country because of bigger income then it will be hard for us to attain a high economic rate. Just like I said before, some of foreign companies absorb the good performing students here in our city and make them work in their country. If the other countries are keeping on absorbing our best graduates, we do not have brilliant minds that will help to propel our economy. Those brilliant minds will be recognized all around the world but they do not work for their country, they just work for themselves. All we could do is be proud of them.

            All those problems will slowly decrease in count if we technopreneurs here in Davao city will unite and have a one goal for our city, to be one of the most progressive cities of the world. Here in Davao city, we only have very few technology companies. All we have here mostly are the marketing branch of big technology companies. Now my plan is since I am still a student, I will study hard specially in the field of technopreneurship. This is where it all starts because we need to learn and master this first before venturing and investing into business. Actually I have concepts that if pursued, it will be a big business. My first concept is creating a device that will get your heart rate and determine if you have a heart problem. I call this the StethosPhone. This concept is what I have thought to pass on Y4IT on their concept paper contest. I actually made this idea on the last day of approval of concept paper by our facilitator. I really had a hard time to get the approval from my facilitator that almost ended up me on giving up. Do you want to know more of this story? Yes you will, because you have no choice, I have to keep on typing so that I could reach the minimum number of words. So let us start. Several weeks ago, we were required to create a concept paper to be passed for Y4IT, the biggest IT gathering here in the Philippines. At first I have thought of biometric type of payment. I was so fascinated with that idea that I did not considered the idea that there is someone who has thought of it and posted it on the internet or even implemented it. And when the day before the last day of approval came, that is only the day that I have researched for that concept. I was shocked that it was already implemented and they have even made a business out of it already. I was little disappointed on myself doing late actions. I have to think of another idea but my mind is totally blank. I was keeping on thinking and then if had thought of on idea, I would immediately Google it so that I could check if my idea is still available. I was more upset when I am able to come up with an idea, it is already thought by someone. My head aches that night and I ended up going to bed, sometimes my brain is active when my head lands on my pillow so it may help me, but it didn’t. I just fell asleep. The next day, I spent most of my morning on our computer laboratory. I was searching on the internet for some ideas and I saw a funny gadget. It was a portable ultrasound device that is connected to a smartphone. But that funny gadget made me thought of one of my best ideas. I have thought of a mobile stethoscope. The idea is by the use of a smartphone’s microphone, you will record your heartbeat and the app will visualize your heart rate then determine if you have heart problems or not. It will also prescribe a medication if you have a heart problem. It was already one o’clock when our facilitator is available for checking the concept papers. We were interviewed one by one and I feel very nervous because when this idea will be rejected, I do not know if I still have the time to create a new one. After a few minutes, the first few students who proposed were rejected so the pressure that I felt intensifies. But in spite of being very nervous, I still have the confidence. So my facilitator asked me what is my idea and I started to tell him about it. After telling my idea, he disagreed that my idea of mobile stethoscope will be possible if I am only using the microphone of the smartphone. That moment I just realized that it is not the sound that is used to measure the heart rate but the pulse that is created. So I said that instead of a smartphone’s microphone, a device will be used to measure the heart rate. But he said that this type of idea is beyond my expertise so I stood up and went outside of his office. I need to think of another idea. When I was thinking outside, one of my classmate’s idea was approved and when I questions what was her proposal, she said that it is a pen that could scan letters and transmit it to the computer as a PDF file. I was shocked because their idea was also requiring I device but it is still approved. They said that they just need to collaborate with an ECE student. So after I heard that, I immediately revised my paper and then tried to get my facilitators approval again. And when I proposed my idea, he still rejected it because he said I need to have collaboration with an ECE student so that I could explain and prove to him that my idea is possible. So I came out of his office again and tried to contact my friend which is an ECE student. Few minutes later we found him and I told him about my idea. He said that my idea is possible in fact the technology to implement my idea is already existing and in use. So I returned to my facilitator and told him what I have learned from my friend. But as expected, he did not believed it, maybe he wants to talk to my ECE friend so that he would know if it is true or not. I was hopeless that time because my friend is maybe on a ride home but luckily, he was still not far away from school and he said that he will come back. So when he came back, I made my friend and my facilitator talk about my idea and my friend delivered it well as if he was the one who is proposing. But I thought I will get the approval on that time but there is still a problem, our facilitator said that my idea is really beyond my expertise. I really felt hopeless that time. But I have to go on; there is still a little time so I keep on searching of ideas on the internet until I came up with a digital video processing application. An application that when a surveillance camera gets a scene of fire, accident or even crime, it will automatically alarm and contact for help. So I went back to his office to propose my new idea. We still have talked a little about my first proposal and I do not know what I am supposed to feel. He said that my idea was not rejected and he keeps on saying that I still need to collaborate with an ECE student. I said that my friend was ready to collaborate with me and he even talked to him personally so I asked him; if how could I convince him that my friend will really collaborate with me. He’s answer was very simple, a signature on a contract. My head would like to explode that time. I think he was just really trying my patience and my cleverness in talking with clients. That was a lesson learned. But I still feel good though, because when you analyze the situation my idea is still approved.

            That story has a lot of points to ponder especially when it comes to technopreneurship. If you have an idea and you think that it is good and will help a lot of people, then pursue it no matter what it takes because you do not know what will possibly happen when your idea is implemented. It may create history.

            To sum it all up, to be able to propel the economy of Davao city by the ways of a technopreneur is to have an idea, pursue and implement that idea,  make a business out of it, make the business big s that you will decrease unemployment and make our best graduates work here in our city.