Financial Literacy

“Success in life depends upon on previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.”— Confucius.

According to a study, there are only 10% Filipinos who are financially free, 10% who are financially independent and 80% who live below the poverty line. From this we can already picture out that many Filipinos are facing difficulty in managing their lives. In order to lessen the number of people who are below the poverty line, different government and non-government institutions seek ways to help them.

Good employment opportunities, savings and investments are tools in making one’s standard of living better. These are life securities designed to protect the financial well-being of an individual. As people become rich, they also become afraid of losing their lives and properties because of dangers and hazards. Their worries can be mitigated by entering in insurance contracts, their protection against future losses after prepayments to the insurance company. People need to manage their resources well and experts are available to help them.

There are three people’s behaviors on money: (1) INCOME minus EXPENSE equals SAVINGS, (2) EXPENSE minus INCOME equals DEBT, and (3) INCOME minus SAVINGS equals EXPENSE. One should not be a spendthrift or someone who is recklessly wasteful. The ideal behavior of people on money is the third one because out of the income, you deduct your savings and the remaining balance will be allocated to your expenses. With this in mind, a person can plan his/her necessary expenses after maximizing the needed savings from one’s hard-earned income. 

At the age of 20 or earlier, a person is already getting started in handling his/her day-to-day expenses; he/she also starts saving money. Ages 27 to 30 are certain periods of having a family and preparing a budget for the entire household. People can start investing their money on worthy investment schemes once their budget allows it and by the age of 40-60 years old, they can have sources of funds in case of emergency situations and retirement. The last phase is when somebody dies or the leaving legacy, wherein assets and properties are transferred to the immediate family.

The key ingredients in building your fortune are time, money, energy and discipline. With the efficient and effective utilization of money, you can have more. But if you do not use the money well, you will have a bad future ahead of you. Plan for your expenses and list your priorities, be it in education, health, travel or food. Try putting your savings in a bank to earn interest, or investing in stocks or bonds to earn income, or establishing a business. These things will not only make you financially stable, but also will make you a catalyst of change for the improvement of the economy.

My Sister's Speech during the Recognition Day

My heartfelt greetings to all of my fellow Ateneans! This is indeed a celebration! I have never been so excited to share some thoughts to a lot of people.

First of all, I would like to thank God for giving me life – a life that I can share to the people I love. Lord, I know that the struggles we face are just indications of our very own capacity to solve them in the most efficient and effective manner.

To my family, friends and to all the supporters of my co-awardees, I thank you for always showing your warmest care and love. There will come a time that we can repay all the sacrifices you do just to make sure that we are safe and refined individuals.

To our mentors, faculty staff and school administrators, my deepest gratitude to all of you for being instruments of change and advocates of excellent education. You serve as inspiration to us all. Please continue to guide us so that we may not be able to enter the path of doom. Thank you so much!

Excellence is a habit. It is not a mere act observed for just a couple times. It should be demonstrated in our everyday living. It is a continuous process. We may find something extra-ordinary, but as times pass by, new things of greater worth emerge for our eyes to see or utilize.

Neither have we settled for less nor for mediocrity. The world is so vast and dynamic to remain ordinary at the middle of unique possibilities. Be proactive! Become leaders of your own lives. It is never been too late to reveal your true self to the entire universe – not for a sheer entertainment but for a grander purpose. Remember that you were not born to follow the trend – yes you may do so – but be ready to make innovations by yourself or with the help of others.

Neither have we settled for what is already present. We are the advance forms of Earth creations. We are the hope of restoring balance and social justice to the world. Let us all cooperate in striving for brilliance that is, quality in everything we do. Don’t be stagnant water, but rather a flowing current of crystal-clear water. We can make a transformation, even just a simple one because once all of these simple changes are combined; we can see a massive sphere of human revolution to betterment. If you have something worthwhile to say, do not hesitate to speak for our own welfare. Stop being lazy and use your talents and skills for very satisfactory human progression and environmental protection.

Overcome your fears and become the fear-remover of others. You have strengths – improve them; you have weaknesses – try to make them disappear; threats? – Oh, c’mon! You are definitely bigger and wiser than them! Exceed your known limits and you will discover that there are more things you can accomplish. Reach your full potential and accept varying degree of opportunities for your self-development and self-actualization. Just do not forget to put God at the center of your lives. Have faith in God that all things happening to you are according to His divine plan.

Lastly, I challenge every one of you to take a step ahead and make this world a better place to live in for the next generations to come.

AD MAJOREM DEI GLORIAM!