Category: Entrepreneurship

Angat Pilipinas and the Financial Literacy Act for Students (HB 490)

Towards the end of the year 2012, our non-profit organization Angat Pilipinas Coalition for Financial Literacy widened its scope from focusing on OFW’s and artists to include the students and youth in its mission to provide financial education to all Filipinos.

Just as we were struggling to look for volunteers and partner organizations to collaborate on projects that will send the message to the government and the Department of Education about our advocacy, a good news came out from the office of a lawmaker named Juan Edgardo Angara from the lone district of Aurora.

The congressman has authored the House Bill 490 or to be known as the Financial Literacy Act which will “encourage the development of financial literacy programs in educational institutions and the private sector.”

This will therefore address my previous concern that financial literacy is not in the 10-point agenda of the Department of Education (DepEd). Continue reading Angat Pilipinas and the Financial Literacy Act for Students (HB 490)

The Hidden Costs of Buying A House or Condo

For most OFW’s (and Filipinos as a whole), owning a land or a house is like winning a championship trophy in a basketball game. In fact, that’s an understatement. For the working Filipino, it is an achievement and a dream-come-true to finally own a tangible “investment”.

But if you are someone who has just started working, being tempted to “invest” in a house or lot somewhere outside the Metro or in a condo unit somewhere at The Fort is rather inevitable.

You can not escape from the binoculars of real estate agents positioned strategically inside malls and commercial establishments. They can identify if you have been dreaming to have a house soon. They know if you’re an OFW or a newbie yuppie from Makati. Continue reading The Hidden Costs of Buying A House or Condo

Financial Literacy: Not in DepEd’s Agenda

Most children in the Philippines are financially-spoiled.

And most parents in the Philippines don’t teach their children the real value of money. When kids want to have something, most of the time, the parents will just give in and will do everything they can to look for money. Never mind if the money is credit card money. Or money borrowed from neighbor or officemates.

Most children are not taught to save money and to work hard to get what they want. However small or big that thing is.

What makes it sadder is that most Philippine schools do not even teach basic personal finance subjects to their young students. And saddest, most teachers are financially- illiterate as well. Continue reading Financial Literacy: Not in DepEd’s Agenda