- Payments technology firm Visa continues its partnership with Tanghalang Pilipino, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), and Teach for the Philippines (TFP) for a financial literacy project.
- The project aims to help further financial management education in the country, providing teacher-training program to educate teachers about finances.
- Meanwhile, Tanghalang Pilipino has brought the “Lukot lukot, Bilog bilog” financial literacy play to educate Filipino youths about the value of money.
Even when it is already 2018, financial literacy is still alien word to most Filipinos. Referencing a study by the World Bank, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said that Filipino adults could correctly answer only three out of seven financial literacy-related questions, relating to basic numeracy, compounding interest, inflation and investment.
That’s why, instead of addressing the problem of financial illiteracy only to the young ones, Visa is providing financial management education even to teachers, to expand their knowledge about finances. This was announced by Visa Philippines at the Power Mac Center in Circuit Makati on September 12, as it re-launched its Financial Literacy Program.
Even before, both informative and entertaining stage plays about financial literacy are being done by the Tanghalang Pilipino. The stage play “Lukot lukot, Bilog bilog” aims to educate young adults about financial management. Since late last year, the theatrical production has been making the rounds of schools in the metro, reaching close to 6,000 students and teachers.
But, with Financial Literacy Program carried out, the “Lukot lukot, Bilog bilog” will soon be part of the students’ lessons as Tanghalang Pilipino will soon have its digital version – just ideal for today’s modern society as a handy tool within the classroom. Envisioning to equip all Filipinos with money management knowledge, Visa aims to reach out more and more students through the theatre production. Moreover, as part of the Financial Literacy Program, TFP trainors will teach teachers how to incorporate financial literacy concepts into their lesson plans.
These efforts by Visa, TFP, and Tanghalang Pilipino, are aligned with the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion led by BSP. Notably, the BSP, together with the Department of Education, have integrated financial literacy modules in the K-12 curriculum.
This will enable Senior High School students, as well as future graduates, to be equipped when seeking employment or business ventures in the near future.
