BNI Philippines National Directors Sim Chow Boon (front row-far left) and Sharon Gonzales (front row-4th from left) with BNI Singapore National Director Mervin Yeo (back row-far left) and Founding Members of the Genesis Chapter

Before the January 18th, 2007 kickoff of the Genesis Chapter, the Philippines’ founding BNI Chapter, the core members had some obstacles to overcome. However, the 14 founding members devoted themselves to working as a team and when the date of the kickoff arrived, they were more enthusiastic than ever!

The Genesis Chapter, who chose their name for its ability to distinguish them as the originating point for BNI in the Philippines, hosted 63 guests at their highly anticipated kickoff. Among the guests were some of the core group members for the BNI Harvest Chapter – the second BNI Chapter in the Philippines – which is currently being formed and already has 10 members!

The Genesis Chapter’s talented and motivated Leadership Team is made up of: John Calub (Chapter President), Erick Sam Dizon (Vice President), Leila Punzalan (Secretary/Treasurer), Frank Resulta and Loida Zarragoza (Membership Committee), Kristine Navarro-Chua and Christopher Tan (Visitor Hosts), and Vincent Siy and Arnold Cruz (Education Coordinators).

Sharon Gonzales, who shares the title of National Director of BNI in the Philippines with Sim Chow Boon, explained that the BNI philosophy of Givers Gain strikes an especially harmonious chord with the Genesis chapter by saying:

“The group (is very) enthusiastic in making BNI work for all the members of the chapter. At the core of it all is that for BNI’s system to work for everyone there has to be commitment to the chapter, to the structure and to the members; and Givers Gain is evident in each one. In the Philippines, we have a similar term for this – “bayanihan.” To achieve the goals of the community, the group should act in solidarity and strive to help each other . . . BNI Genesis is a dynamic team and BNI in the Philippines is proud to have these founding members be the pioneers of this business generating system in the country.”

The 14 energetic members of the Genesis Chapter are currently meeting every Thursday at West 6th Resto, Quezon City, Manila, and there are still openings available within the chapter for various professions and business categories. These new member spots are likely to fill up fast because, as Sim Chow Boon said, “The kickoff has generated great interest within the business community – especially in a new trend of generating business the old fashioned way: word-of-mouth!”

Congratulations and welcome, BNI Philippines! You are an excellent example for not only the Harvest Chapter, but for all future Philippine Chapters as well!