Your Network is Your Net Worth

There’s a popular saying, “Your network is your net worth.” It’s a simple truth that reminds us how relationships often shape our success as much as skills and credentials do. And this goes beyond career advancement and financial gain.

Strong, trusted relationships—both personal and professional—open doors to new opportunities, contribute to financial security, give us a wider perspective that inspire better decision-making, and provide support during life transitions.

After we graduate from college, we start our journey in the “real world” and become focused on our personal goals—building careers, raising families, managing finances, etc. All these demand time, energy, and resources, often leaving little time for communities we were once a part of. This was the most common reason I received from those who turned down my invitation to participate in the alumni association we formed in 2023. “Busy ako e!” Fortunately, I only received a few of this response.

Sometime in August 2023, I was invited to help form the alumni association of Economics graduates by Dr. Nandy Aldaba, former Dean and professor of Economics at the School of Social Sciences of the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU). He wrote the Foreword of FQ Book 2:  Why Financial Education Alone Does Not Work back-to-back with The Psychology of Money. As we looked into the roster of Economics graduates, I was elated to find out that I was in good company. Among them are:

Two presidents of the country: Noynoy Aquino (1981), Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (MA 1978)

One president of ADMU: Fr. Bobby Yap, S.J. (1980)

Two governors of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas: Say Tetangco, Jr. (1973), Eli Remolona (1972)

One Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: Maria Lourdes Serreno (1980)

Three Associate Justices: Antonio Carpio (1970), Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa (1980), Midas Marquez (1987)

Cabinet Secretaries: Sonny Dominguez (1965), Roberto De Ocampo (1967), Bertie Lim (1970), Art Yap (1987)

Iconic musicians: Ramon “RJ” Jacinto (1965), Jose Mari Chan (1967), Boboy Garovillo (1973)

CEOs/CFOs/captains of industries: Manny Pangilinan (1966), Tony Boy Cojuangco (1972), Tony Meloto (1971), Francis Sebastian (1975), Bern Siy (1980), and many many more that they won’t fit in a single article!

We came up with a name for the association that’s easier to say than the acronym of Ateneo Economics Association (too many vowels with no consonants make for a tongue-twister). I am proud to say that my batch, 1985, came up with the name that’s easy to recall and pronounce with a good underlying meaning: SAGE – Samahan ng mga Atenistang Graduate ng Economics. In the official name, we added “at Management Economics,” the program that was introduced in the mid 1980s. Sage, aside from the aromatic herb, also means a mature or venerable person with sound judgment, something all alumni would like to be.

Last Saturday, I, together with the new Board of Directors, had our oath-taking led by Fr. Bobby Yap, S.J.

I wish to share my short acceptance speech during our ceremony:

Good morning fellow SAGE members.

Thank you for the warm welcome and for entrusting me with this role. No white smoke was released, but just like in Conclave, here I am—elected in a gathering of wise elders. Fortunately, unlike in the Vatican, we didn’t have to be locked in a chapel without wifi until a decision was made. All that was needed was the nudging and promise of support from Nandy & Goody.

It’s truly an honor to serve as the new president of SAGE, an alumni association that probably boasts of the highest number of graduates who became the captains of industries and government in our country: 2 presidents of the Philippines, 1 president of ADMU, 2 governors of BSP, 1 Supreme Court Chief Justice, 3 Associate Justices, Cabinet Secretaries, a great number of presidents and top honchos of Philippine corporations, some of them are here with us now.

Really something to be proud of. And it might be a good SAGE project to remind the Ateneo community of the glory of the Ateneo School of Economics, a shared dream with Nandy who’s actually an ME graduate.

As Economics graduates of Ateneo, we have a shared language—one that includes supply and demand, incentives, and the occasional debate over economic policies such as the Trump tariffs, a reminder that even global markets can behave like toddlers—prone to tantrums and unpredictable drama. This makes communities like SAGE even more important. Maybe we can help make sense of all these—whether through policy dialogues, mentorship, or just sharing a good laugh about broken economic models.

As your president, I hope to help make SAGE a relevant and fun organization. I’m counting on the help of each and every one of you to bring our alumni together—not just to reminisce about college days but to connect across generations and give back meaningfully.

Thank you again for your trust. Let’s make this term fruitful, impactful, with just the right amount of nerdy. Maraming salamat po.

This was followed by a board meeting where we discussed our short-term and long-term plans—both exciting and daunting for me, but I remain hopeful.

If you are being invited by your own alumni organizations to participate, it might serve you well to accept it, despite being busy with life. If you wait for the time when you’re not busy, that may never come. For the meantime, you’ll miss the opportunity to help and be helped by your network. Remember, lasting success and fulfillment cannot be built alone.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1. Calling all graduates of Economics and Management Economics of the Ateneo de Manila University: We will have our annual homecoming on November 29, 2025, Saturday, 11 am at the Singson Hall. Please mark your calendar. For inquiries, you may message your batch representative or email me at [email protected] with subject “SAGE.”

2. Do you know where you are now in your FQ Journey? Take the FQ Test, click here.

3. Get your copy of the FQ books to start your FQ Journey now. Click here.

This article is also published in Philstar.com