MANILA, Philippines--A group of some 80 homegrown franchise firms, which are small- and medium-scale, recently embarked on a campaign to promote entrepreneurship as their combined sales grew 31 percent to P13.8 billion in 2007.

Rommel T. Juan, president of the Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc., said in an interview that the group has grown to represent one percent of the country's gross domestic product from a handful of 10 founding member-firms in 1997.

"From a few outlets, we now have more than 4,000 spread across the country," Juan said. "From a few helpers, we now employ more than 24,000 employees."

Juan said AFFI members' collective growth of 31 percent bested industry averages while they averaged P38 million in daily sales last year.

"In this backdrop, AFFI has launched our Kabuhayang Pinoy Muna (KPM) advocacy campaign, consistent with our commitment to develop and support local entrepreneurship," he added.

Juan, who is also president of Binalot Fiesta Foods, said the KPM was aimed at promoting homegrown Filipino business ideas, initiatives and enterprises, particularly micro-, small- and medium-scale.

"AFFI believes that the development of the Pinoy entrepreneurial spirit will result in a deep and wide base of Filipino SMEs all over the country that will become a key to alleviating poverty and attaining long-term, sustainable economic growth," he said.

Juan said that while the campaign was grounded on Affi's conviction that "Filipinos are just as imaginative, creative and sharp in business as the best in the world," it was also meant to help change the growing negativism among many who feel opportunities to prosper could only be found abroad.

He said another AFFI drive would be a grassroots outreach campaign that involves tours to schools, institutions and communities where the group would promote homegrown business opportunities.

"We will also reach out to more people through a series of public fora for overseas workers, retirees and government employees," Juan said.

"We plan to mentor students all the way down to elementary schools, to start them young and early on the path of entrepreneurship and break the 'lifetime employee' mentality," he added.

Juan said AFFI was planning to hold job and business opportunity fairs on school campuses.

"We hope to inspire fellow Filipinos to once more believe in themselves, their ideas, their dreams and most importantly, in their country," he said. "Our slogan is Bago Ang Iba, Kabuhayang Pinoy Muna [Before Anything Else, Filipino Livelihood First]."