–Marga L. Taganas
The College of Business Administration (CBA) and the Graduate School’s Master in Business Administration (MBA) Program of Baguio Central University formally launched “ONE BUSINESS COMMUNITY: A CBA-MBA Collaborative Project” on November 29, 2025, at Purok 27, Irisan, Baguio City. This initiative represents a joint community extension effort designed to promote financial literacy and strengthen the university’s engagement with local communities.
The collaborative project underscores the value of vertical integration of knowledge between undergraduate and graduate business programs. CBA students benefited from the mentorship, strategic insights, and applied managerial frameworks imparted by MBA students, many of whom possess extensive professional experience. Conversely, MBA participants were provided an avenue to further develop their leadership, project management, and instructional competencies by mentoring undergraduate learners and facilitating community-based learning initiatives.
As part of the university-wide community extension program, the College of Business Administration was tasked to deliver a Personal Financial Literacy Seminar based on the identified needs of the barangay, determined through a prior assessment. MBA students were invited to serve as guest speakers and facilitators during the session. Ms. Cathy Louise Almojuela, an MBA student, discussed the importance of tracking daily expenses and introduced a savings tracker kit to assist participants in managing their finances more efficiently. She emphasized the significance of distinguishing between fixed and variable expenses to promote sustainable budgeting practices. Meanwhile, Mr. Jordan Dom-ayan, an MBA student affiliated with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), presented an overview of business registration procedures, covering both online and offline transactions.
The participants actively engaged during the open forum, raising pertinent questions regarding personal finance and enterprise registration. The program concluded with the awarding of certificates to the participants and the distribution of evaluation forms facilitated by the CBA Student Government Organization (SGO) officers. A photo opportunity followed, after which the College of Hospitality and Tourism Management took charge of the succeeding segment of the activity.
The ONE BUSINESS COMMUNITY project strongly aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by promoting inclusive and sustainable community development. Specifically, it supports SDG 1, No Poverty (Indicator 1.4.2) by enhancing financial literacy and access to economic resources; SDG 4, Quality Education (Indicator 4.4.1) by equipping youth and adults with practical financial and entrepreneurial skills; SDG 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth (Indicator 8.3.1) by fostering entrepreneurship and the formalization of small enterprises; and SDG 17, Partnerships for the Goals (Indicator 17.17.1) by strengthening institutional collaboration between the CBA and MBA programs. Through this joint initiative, the CBA and MBA programs of Baguio Central University reaffirmed their commitment to academic excellence, community involvement, and the holistic development of students as future business leaders dedicated to advancing inclusive growth and financial empowerment.