Last night, at the UP Alumni Center, Diliman Campus, “Nelia T. Gonzalez: An Entrepreneur’s Journey,” a publication of the UP Los Banos Alumni Association, was formally launched.
The book is about the accomplishments of Nelia T. Gonzalez, an agri-business icon of the country and a pillar of the University of the Philippines, having been a long-time alumni leader and member of the UP Board of Regents.
The book, according to the foreword written by former Philippine President Fidel Ramos, is a celebration of many things. It is “the triumph of a woman entrepreneur, triumph of agribusiness in the Philippines, and triumph of the rural folks who never once thought that their agricultural goods can make money and bring them out of poverty.”
Former UP LB Chancellor Rex Victor Cruz cited the many hats Mrs. Gonzalez has worn: as agriculturist, agro-industrialist, business leader, resource developer and public administrator.
The book is divided into seven chapters, each one narrating one facet of her life and career in which she excelled and made a difference in the economic and social life.
These include her role as technocrat who fostered entrepreneurial principles in government; as a real-estate entrepreneur who broke new grounds; as agricultural development technocrat where she bridged the gap between research and commercialization; as contract growing entrepreneur where she introduced systems innovations; and as social entrepreneur who practiced social entrepreneurship at the time the term had not yet been coined.
The book was written by faculty members of UP Los Banos.
Present at the book launch were Mrs. Gonzalez’s family members and friends and colleagues at the University of the Philippines Los Banos, University of the Philippines Diliman, UP Alumni Association, SERDEF, and other circles in which she moves.
Mrs. Gonzalez is the incumbent Chair of the Board of Trustees of SERDEF.
SERDEF members who attended the launch were Trustees Herminia Fajardo, Serenidad Lavador, Fortunato de la Pena, and Francisco Medina and members Gloria Canela, Arlene Liberal, and Myrna Co.
