Manulife Philippines is bringing financial literacy to elementary students. The life insurance firm has enhanced its Peso Smart program to cover primary-level students who are set for distance learning this coming school year.
The company has teamed up with education and community development non-profit organization Corazon Sanchez Atayde Memorial Foundation (CSAMF) to launch Peso Smart x RecoveREADS. The program is a learning initiative aimed at equipping elementary students with Peso Smart learning kits—which include an activity journal (based on Manulife’s award-winning modules to teach kids the basics of saving, budgeting, and investing), storybooks, and school supplies.
Under the program, Manulife employees will train volunteer teachers and parents so they can provide guidance in students’ learning progress. Peso Smart x RecoveREADS will pilot in two public elementary schools in Pasig City—Francisco Legaspi Memorial School and Buting Elementary School. It will initially cover 100 students from both schools.
Enhanced program
“We are happy to strengthen our Peso Smart program and continue to support Filipino students’ learning needs,” said Manulife PH Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Henson. “We moved quickly to update and reformat it so we can enable students at home to learn important lessons on money management, which have become even more valuable now.”
“At Manulife, we would like to do our part in empowering our next generation with the knowledge and skills through financial literacy, so they can build a secure future for themselves, and make every day better,” Henson added.
Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto (top right corner) during the virtual launch of Peso Smart x RecoveREADS
Empowering students
CSAMF Executive Director Margarita Atayde said the program was jointly designed to empower students to build a brighter future for themselves by learning the foundations of financial literacy along with the proper attitude and mindset.
During the program’s virtual launch, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto expressed his hope that the initiative could be expended to other public and private schools across the city. “Financial literacy is a challenge in the entire country. If we want to improve Filipinos’ financial habits, to avoid accumulating debt, we should start teaching children while they are young.”