Senator Bam Aquino, the country’s youngest senator and a globally recognized youth leader and social entrepreneur, will be the opening keynote speaker at the 2013 ENACTUS Philippine National Finals, to be held on July 26, 2013 at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City.

ENACTUS, formerly called Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), is an international organization that brings together students as well as academic and business leaders “who are committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to bring progress around the world.”

Once a year, the National Champion Enactus teams from around world meet at the World Cup, where they present the results of their community outreach projects to a prestigious group of international business leaders. Through a written annual report and live audio-visual presentation, teams will be evaluated based on how successful they were at using business concepts to improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in need.

According to ENACTUS Philippines Chairman, Jose P. Leviste, a total of 65 students representing 12 colleges and universities in the country will be participating in the competition, which will choose the Philippines’ representative to the Enactus World Cup scheduled on September 29 to October 2, 2013 in Cancun, Mexico.

The participating institutions are: Adamson University, Baliuag University, Columban College, Divine World College of Calapan, Holy Trinity College of General Santos City, Lyceum Northwestern University, Mariano Marcos State University, Nueva Vizcaya State University, Pangasinan State University, Sultan Kudarat State University (Isulan and Tacurong), and the University of Antique.

In a message to ENACTUS Philippines, Senator Aquino said, “I have always believed in the youth as the hope of this nation. From my time as a student leader up to my days in government and social enterprise, I have seen young Filipinos use the strength of their idealism and ideas, the power of their on-the-ground and online networks, and their passion and determination to truly make a difference in the world around them. It is, therefore, our responsibility to inculcate in our youth the ideals and virtues that they can carry with them as they steer our nation to greater heights.”

“With this belief, I laud the efforts of Enactus Philippines in shaping and molding our youth to become catalysts of change. Thanks to their programs in entrepreneurship and innovation, Enactus Philippines serves as a platform for our young and vibrant entrepreneurs to make a positive impact in their communities. We have seen in their work their ability to create programs for change and, therefore, be a collective force for economic progress.”

“May you remain as models of social responsibility, hard-work, and self-reliance as you move towards your goals of uplifting the lives of our fellow Filipinos,” the senator adds.