BDO Unibank announced that Hidilyn Diaz, the Philippines’ first-ever Olympic Gold medalist, is joining its family of brand ambassadors who will champion financial education.
Three months after ending the country’s nearly 100-year quest for Gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Zamboanga City will promote financial education, not only for her fellow athletes, but also for the unserved and underserved markets including overseas Filipinos.
Though unexpected, Diaz is thankful for having received a string of incentives and gifts for her historic feat. With this in mind, she sees the golden value of handling these incentives responsibly, which BDO has been espousing through its financial education advocacy.
“Importanteng magbukas ng account sa bangko, kahit maliit lang ipon mo sa simula. Para lang ‘yan nung nagsimula akong magbuhat ng weights. Start small, kumbaga. Tapos, ‘pag successful ka na, pag lumaki na ipon mo, pwede mo siyang ipang-invest sa ibang bagay na gusto mo o para sa pangarap na gusto mong matupad, para talagang sulit ang mga pinaghirapan natin. (It is importatnt to open an account with a bank even if your savings are small at the start. It’s just like when I started lifting weights. Start small. Then, when you are already successful, when your savings grow, you can now invest it for the realization of your dream. So we can make the most of what we strive for),” said Diaz, who like many Filipinos, lifted her way to success from humble beginnings.
The 30-year-old weightlifter also reminds her fellow athletes, especially those who have achieved their own feats of how they should prepare for the financial future.
“Di naman tayo forever magiging atleta, diba? Mahaba pa ang magiging buhay natin pagkaretiro natin sa ating mga sport, kaya kung anuman ang naibigay sa atin ngayon, dapat ipunin natin ‘yun para tayo’y makapaghanda, para rin sa ating mga minamahal sa buhay. (We will not be an athlete forever. We have a long life ahead of us after we retire so whatever we earn now, we should save it in preparation for our future and also that of our loved ones),” said Diaz.
She added that, “Mahalaga ring may relationship at tiwala tayo sa bangko kung saan natin ilalagay ang ating mga pinaghirapan. Tiwala tayo sa kanila kasi expert sila sa pagtulong palaguin ang ating mga finances. (It is also important to have a good relationship with the bank where we entrust the fruit of our hard work. We need to trust them since they are the experts in helping our finances grow.)”
“Halimbawa, kung gusto kong magtayo ng negosyo pagkaretiro ko, o bigyan ko ng retirement ang aking mga magulang, alam nila kung paano nila ako gagabayan. Importante ring may serbisyo sila kung saan ako makakapagpadala ng pera sa pamilya ko sa Zamboanga habang nagte-training ako sa abroad. Nakita ko lahat ‘yan sa BDO. (For example, I want to put up a business when I retire or I want to provide for the retirement of my parents, the bank will guide me through this. It’s important also that they also have remittance services so I can send money to my family in Zamboanga while I train overseas. I see all of that in BDO),” she added.
BDO said it is thankful to have found a financial education advocate and champion in Hidilyn and for placing her trust in the bank and its wide array of financial products and services to cater to her needs and those like her.
“The fact that only 48 percent of Filipino adults have savings and just one in five have a savings account in a bank, based on data from the Bangko Sentral, really concerns us and the entire banking sector,” said BDO Senior Vice President and Remittance Head Genie T. Gloria.
She noted that, “While we understand most people’s concern on how they get paid, we believe it does pay to have a mindset of even starting small, like what Hidilyn mentioned.”
“Before becoming a champion for the nation, Hidilyn first was a champion of her own dreams. Along with keeping in mind her hardwork and determination, she valued the proper handling of finances, and we are with her in that journey,” Gloria added.
BDO officials and employees are proud to have Hidilyn become part of their official family.
“I would like to thank you for giving us this opportunity and this honor of counting you as the newest member of our growing BDO family. Welcome to BDO, Hidilyn!” said Jerome Guevarra, SVP and Chief-of-staff of BDO’s Office of the President.
All these form part of BDO Remit's “Kayang-Kaya, Kabayan” campaign, an embodiment of its commitment to empower overseas Filipinos and make them feel that the Bank is ready to support and assist them wherever they may be.