Monday, October 24, 2016

Speech: Digital Marketing Skills Training Opening Remarks




“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

My greetings to our distinguished and esteemed Resource Speakers: the ever vivacious 
Mr. Jhonny Paul Lagura, Founder and CEO of RISPhillipines. To the ever dazzling Mr.Ronald Ramboanga, Founder and CEO of Knights of Online Marketers. To the debonair Mr. Junriel Bonachita, Co-Founder and CTO of RISPhilippines. Mrs. Xerxes Queen Apostol Libre, Proprietor of Dexter Printhouse. Mr. Francis Steve Martinez, Enterprise owner of Tibo Martinez Videography.  To the ever hardworking event organizers, energetic students, ladies and gentlemen good morning and welcome to the 1st Digital Marketing Skills Training in Mindanao State University, Marawi City.



The advent of the digital age has made the world of business more exciting, interesting and vibrant. It has paved the way for boundless opportunities from searching keywords to uploading contents online, from the traditional office jobs to virtual assistance programs and from brick and mortar store to electronic storefronts.

Today, I am enthused and overjoyed with the first big step we are traversing: that is, to explore digital opportunities and I thank the good Lord for the guidance, provision and for the availability of our Resource Speakers for this significant event.

The idea of conducting Digital Marketing Skills Training sprouted out of the need to elaborate and support the theories tackled in Mktg 111 which is all about E-Commerce and Internet Marketing. I firmly believe in the essence of putting into application the theories for it to become more useful not just to the learners but also to the beneficiaries such as the customers and the country at large. We also would like to capacitate the students with Digital Marketing skills and have it as one of their competencies in earning extra income while studying through online job opportunities and selling products through the e-commerce sites.


At this point in time, I would like our Resource Speakers to know that I am truly grateful for their lives. Thank God for allowing me to meet Sir Pau at the British Council’s Leaders for Social Impact Workshop, who at the time became part of my decision to finally appear at the venue because despite his busy schedules, he made it through the workshop (in stalker mode ako that time) :D To Miss Piper, reigning Miss Earth who really looks like a lady, thank you for our first meeting during the Rural Impact Sourcing Forum together with Mr. Junriel Bonachita who also readily said yes to my invitation for this Digital Marketing Skills Training. To Ms. Queen, my former marketing officer when I was the Marketing consultant at Tita Fannies Liempo and Chicken Haus and now our graphics designer in Deliciosa Ice Cream Center, thank you for the great works you have done. Thank you also to Sir Tibo for the quick positive reply to my invitation through facebook :) Even invitations have gone digital :) Thanks to the internet technology.

To my students, take this as a great avenue for learning and application. You have so much potentials to succeed in this field.

I’d like to end this talk with a quote from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe which goes “Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.”


Once again, welcome to the Digital marketing skills training and may God bless us all. 

Prof. Richard S. Celeste, MBM, REB
Mktg 111 Adviser