CITY OF MALOLOS — Recognizing that financial preparedness begins long before adulthood, fourth-year students of Bulacan State University (BulSU) organized the “Kita Mo Yan?”: Financial Literacy Fair on October 17 in Brgy. Saluysoy, City of Meycauayan to encourage young Bulakenyos to develop sound money management habits early in life.
According to Arabela Dianne M. Enriquez, the research team leader and a fourth-year Bachelor of Arts in Broadcasting student at BulSU, the initiative was driven by research findings on the financial vulnerabilities experienced by many Filipinos during middle adulthood.
“Ang gusto po ng aming team na matutunan ng ating mga kabataan ay matuto po silang maghanda dahil dadaan po tayo lahat sa punto na tatanda tayo, magtatrabaho, dadaan sa vulnerabilities, kakailanganin ng mga emergency funds, so why not start as early as now,” she said.
She also cited a study indicating that only 25 percent of Filipino adults are financially literate, a finding that further motivated the team to pursue its financial education campaign.
To provide participants with practical and reliable financial guidance, the fair featured resource speakers from established financial institutions and organizations, including Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)’s Ma. Lourdes I. Laconsay who discussed saving, budgeting, investing, and crediting; while Kristel Nicole A. De Armas and Marinella Faye I. Roxas from the Land Bank of the Philippines, Danilo Alcala from the City Cooperative Development Council, and Jobert Vailoces of Sun Life Philippines shared their expertise on the matter.
Participating financial institutions and organizations also set up information booths to introduce attendees to their respective products and services including the Philippine Digital Asset Exchange, St. Peter Life Plan and Chapels, GoTyme Bank, BPI, GCash, Sun Life, LandBank, and the Parish of St. Francis of Assisi Meycauayan Credit and Development Cooperative.
Divine M. Timkang, one of the youth attendees, said that the importance of saving was among her most significant takeaways from the fair, noting that building savings can help provide a more secure and promising future.
Meanwhile, fellow attendee Clyde M. Balanay likewise emphasized the need for young people to start saving as early as possible.
“Sinabi nga po ng mga bayani natin na kami ang pag-asa ng bayan kaya’t maaga pa lang ay dapat natututo na kami mag-ipon para po sa future namin,” Balanay said.
