Yuchengco-led Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), through its financial inclusion super app DiskarTech, recently launched its grassroots financial education program, in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd).

Opening salvo of the Madiskarteng Pilipino Financial Education campaign was held at the Rizal High School in Pasig City late last month.

The event, which was attended by senior high school students of Rizal High, hopes to educate young Filipinos on the values and importance of financial literacy with the aid of technology, and how this can give them “asenso at ginhawa” in the future.

RCBC, with its inclusion mobile app DiskarTech, hopes financial literate young Filipinos will be armed, with the help of technology, for the challenges of the real world. This collaboration with DepEd was made possible by the memorandum of agreement signed November last year. RCBC and DiskarTech’s grassroots financial education program is also aligned with DepEd Order No. 022 (series of 2021) – Financial Education Policy that empowers learners, teachers and other non-teaching personnel in making well-informed financial decisions through different capacity-building activities.

Present on the first day were RCBC President and Chief Executive Officer Eugene S. Acevedo, RCBC Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation and Inclusion Officer Lito Villanueva, Pasig City Representative Roman T. Romulo, and DepEd Undersecretary Tonisito Umali.

In his message, Acevedo said it is necessary for Filipinos—especially those still in school—to develop digital financial skills.

“The pandemic has been a great disruptor not just for our health but also in our efforts to keep our vibrant economy alive. But what we discovered during this challenging period is that digitalization is possible and can make our lives easier,” he said.

For his part, Rizal High School Principal Gilbert Inocencio noted that financial literacy is both relevant and timely to young Filipinos who would soon embark to adulthood. “This program would really be a big help for students,” he said.

‘Aralin sa Madiskarteng Pananalapi’ modules

Three financial education programs meanwhile were launched during the program.

The campaign’s flagship program, the Aralin sa Madiskarteng Pananalapi (Financial Inclusion and Management for Everyday Use) is a curriculum-based digital finance study program for senior high school students nationwide, particularly those under the accounting, business, and management strand.

The module will be integrated into the senior high school curriculum in the upcoming 2022-2023 academic year, with the aim to explain to young Filipinos the concepts of digital finance, financial technology, and financial inclusion through payments, insurance, savings, investments, and loans.

DiskarTech will also hold the DiskarTechpreneur Bootcamp and Competition, a business case webinar and contest for senior high school students in Metro Manila and Calabarzon as an application and extension program of the financial education modules. The mobile app also launched the Lahat Pwede Tiktok Dance Challenge, an online campaign to promote greater awareness on Filipinos’ positive values.

Villanueva explains that these programs are in line with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) vision of a digital Philippines anchored on its National Strategy for Financial Inclusion. The BSP said that over 51 million Filipinos do not have bank accounts or do not know how to avail of bank services, leaving them with few options for financial services and assistance.

The financial education program is RCBC’s way of filling this gap, helping provide financial education to young Filipinos and, at the same time, creating inclusive and easy-to-use financial products such as DiskarTech, the Philippines’ first and only Taglish and Cebuano financial inclusion app.

All materials for the Aralin sa Madiskarteng Pananalapi module will be available online, so it could reach and be used by public high school teachers and students all over the country.