03/08/2026
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฑ๐ญ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฎ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐๐ฎโ๐ฌ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ
The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), through Cebu Business Month (CBM) 2026, launched ๐ก๐ฒ๐
๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ฒ๐ฏ๐: ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐. ๐๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ. ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ. on August 1, 2026, at the Asmara Urban Resort & Lifestyle Village.
Organized in partnership with Sip & Scale Cebu, NextGEN Cebu brought together young entrepreneurs, family business successors, startup founders, students, professionals, creatives, innovators, investors, and mentors for an afternoon of candid conversations, practical insights, and purposeful networking.
The initiative seeks to build a community where Cebuโs emerging leaders can learn from real entrepreneurial journeys, form meaningful relationships, and connect with the wider business and startup ecosystem. It also supports CCCIโs continuing efforts to develop Cebu as a center for entrepreneurship, innovation, and inclusive business growth.
๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ฏ๐โ๐ ๐ก๐ฒ๐
๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
In his welcome remarks, CCCI President Regan Rex King emphasized that Cebuโs future will be shaped by both established enterprises and the new ventures being built by young Cebuanos.
โThe future of Cebu will not be defined only by the companies that have been around for decades. It will also be shaped by the startups that are just beginning, the family businesses preparing for a new generation, and the bold ideas that young Cebuanos are willing to pursue,โ King said.
He encouraged participants to listen with curiosity, connect intentionally, and recognize the opportunities that can emerge from a single conversation.
โThe person sitting beside you today could become your future business partner. The idea you write down this afternoon could become the business you build tomorrow,โ he added.
Russell Rex King, ASEAN Head for Partnerships of Sip & Scale, highlighted the role of communities in making opportunities more accessible to emerging founders and builders.
โTalent here in the Philippines is everywhere. Opportunity is often a matter of community,โ he said.
He shared that Sip & Scale, which began as an intimate gathering of around 10 people, has grown into a global community spanning 40 cities across six continents. He also challenged participants to meet someone new, learn what they are building, and remain open to where one meaningful introduction could lead.
โCommunities create connections, but partnerships create opportunities,โ he said.
๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ง๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐, ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐
Presenting the rationale behind NextGEN Cebu, Bryan Yap, CBM 2026 Overall Chairman and NextGEN Committee Lead, explained that the initiative was created to engage emerging leaders before they formally assume executive or decision-making roles.
โIf we wait until someone becomes a CEO before we invest in them, we have waited too long. Leadership begins much earlier,โ Yap said.
He explained that NextGEN is not defined by age, but by the mindset and courage to challenge old ways of thinking, create opportunities, and build something meaningful.
โNextGEN Cebu was born not as another seminar nor as another networking event, but as a community,โ he said. โThe future of Cebu will not be built someday by someone else. It will be built by the people in this room through the ideas we create, the partnerships we form, and the courage we choose to show today.โ
Anchored on the pillars Grow, Engage, and Network, the initiative aims to encourage continuous learning, authentic collaboration, and relationships that can evolve into partnerships, ventures, and lasting contributions to Cebu.
๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฝ
The first panel, โLegacy Is My Startup: Reinventing a Family Business for a New Generation,โ explored the opportunities and pressures faced by successors seeking to preserve a family enterprise while preparing it for a changing market.
Rey Nerius Calooy, Vice President of RNC Marketing Philippines, underscored the importance of innovation without abandoning the values that built the business.
โModernization is not about change. It is about improving how you do things. Quality, customer relationships, and trust in our people should be maintained,โ Calooy said.
Reimer Neil Bonghanoy, Operations and Brand Manager of Bon-Ace Fashion Tools, Inc., emphasized that next-generation leaders must first learn to follow, serve, and understand the vision of those who built the enterprise.
โStart with humility, have a servant heart, and prepare the next generation so they are trained and equipped when their time comes,โ Bonghanoy said.
Andrea Alessandra Aldeguer, Chief Brand Director of The Islands Group, encouraged successors to believe in their ideas while investing in the people who will carry the organization forward.
โWhat really stands the test of time is the culture of your people, and that is something that can be carried over into the next generations,โ Aldeguer said.
Moderating the discussion, Samantha Manigsaca, NextGEN Committee Lead, reminded participants that leadership in a family enterprise remains a continuing learning process.
โWe started exactly where many of you are today, and in many ways, we are still learning every single day,โ Manigsaca said. โOur shared goal is to build on the legacy we inherited while preparing it for the future.โ
๐๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐ฐ๐
The second panel, โBuilding on a Legacy: Choosing Your Own Entrepreneurial Path,โ featured leaders who used their experiences, interests, and available networks to create ventures beyond their respective family enterprises.
Ken Ngo, Partner at Gobi Partners Philippines, spoke about the discipline needed to pursue a new direction and sustain it through uncertainty.
โDelayed gratification is one of the most underrated pieces of advice. If something does not immediately turn out the way you wanted, wait it out, try what you have not tried yet, and the next effort may be the one that pays off,โ Ngo said.
Bryan Yap, CEO of Republiq Group of Companies, stressed that aspiring founders should move from prolonged preparation to practical validation.
โIf you really do not start something and make that commitment, you will always find reasons not to begin,โ Yap said. โJump first and build the parachute later, but fail fast in a way that you can afford.โ
David Anthony Chan, CEO of tCAAP or The Cebu Arts and Animation Protocol, encouraged entrepreneurs entering unfamiliar industries to remain curious, conduct serious research, and translate knowledge into action.
โFind out what you do not know, learn what you need to know, and then execute. Once you do it, you will discover there is more to learn, and you repeat the process until success finds you,โ Chan said.
Panel moderator Earl Christianson Ng, NextGEN Committee Lead, emphasized that creating an independent enterprise is another meaningful way of building on oneโs family legacy.
โIt is noble to continue a family business, but it is just as noble to create your own company and build on your familyโs legacy through an enterprise in a different industry,โ Ng said.
๐๐๐ถ๐น๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ผ
The final panel, โBuilt From Zero: Starting with Nothing but an Idea,โ offered practical lessons from entrepreneurs who transformed simple concepts into growing businesses.
Bobby Adan, President of Prutasan Ni Adan, shared how he started selling bananas with only โฑ5,000 in capital before growing the venture into a trusted specialty grocery supplier serving supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, and cafรฉs across Cebu.
โStart small, dream big, stay consistent, keep learning, and stay strong,โ Adan said. โWhat is important is not only scaling, but making sure your business can sustain itself.โ
Maria Monina Isabel Neri, Co-Founder of Ukay Ta Bai, encouraged aspiring founders to overcome overthinking and accept that improvement comes through experience.
โYour first attempt is not going to be your best attempt. Just decide to do it,โ Neri said. โUse every setback as data, make the necessary adjustments, and remain open to change.โ
Jose Aaron Roska Espina, CEO of Immuni Global Incorporated, highlighted the importance of building trust, staying resilient, and creating businesses that deliver value beyond profit.
โWhatever you start should be impactful to the community and the people around you. It should improve not only your own life, but the lives of everyone who takes part in it,โ Espina said.
Moderating the panel, Shannen Keisha Tan, NextGEN Committee Lead, reflected on the common thread behind the ventures presented.
โStarting a business begins with finding what people need, taking calculated risks, gathering data, and continuously improving how you respond to the market,โ Tan said.
๐๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฒ๐ฏ๐โ๐ ๐ก๐ฒ๐
๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐
NextGEN Cebu combined its panel discussions with curated networking, table conversations, founder and builder introductions, audience exchanges, and a Sip & Scale networking mixer. These activities enabled participants to share experiences, explore collaborations, and become part of the growing CCCI NextGEN Community.
CCCI also recognized Bernard Vonn Sia, Vice President for Business Mobilization, for delivering the closing message and encouraging participants to sustain the relationships formed during the gathering.
โYou are not just the next generation waiting for your turn. You are the next generation creating that future today,โ Sia said.
The Chamber expressed its appreciation to its event collaborator, Sip & Scale; event partner, GT Cosmetics; official venue partner, Asmara Urban Resort & Lifestyle Village; and official livestreaming partner, Qualfon Philippines.
CCCI also acknowledged its CBM 2026 partners and sponsors, including Aboitiz, Cebu Landmasters, L.H. Paragon, Oakridge, AppleOne, Cebu Pacific, Eastern Communications, Therma Visayas, and VECO, as well as its media partners Cebu Online News Press Corp., CDN Digital, Dual Story, Republiq Group of Companies, and RMA News. The Chamber likewise thanked the NextGEN Committee, CBM 2026 team, CCCI Secretariat, speakers, moderators, participants, and community partners whose support made the gathering possible.
Through NextGEN Cebu, CCCI calls on young Cebuanos to move beyond waiting for the perfect idea, opportunity, or moment. The Chamber encourages emerging entrepreneurs and leaders to start building, continue learning, seek mentorship, support local ventures, and turn new connections into meaningful collaborations.
The future of Cebuโs economy will not be shaped by a few successful companies alone. It will be built by a strong community of founders, successors, professionals, creatives, and innovators ๐ฌ๐๐ค ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ, ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ง๐๐จ๐๐ก๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ช๐, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ก๐๐๐.
NextGEN Cebu marks the beginning of that community and a sustained commitment to developing the people who will carry Cebuโs businesses, ideas, and industries into the future.
๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ฏ๐!
