VIA GRAPHIC PLUS — BDO Foundation, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), and the City Government of Tagbilaran signed a memorandum of agreement to strengthen efforts in promoting financial inclusion in the city through a series of activities aimed at bringing financial education, banking services, and learning opportunities closer to local communities.
To launch the partnership initiative, the partners organized a financial learning session for micro, small and medium enterprises, senior citizens, civil society organizations, and other community representatives. Participants were given the opportunity to open accounts with participating financial institutions immediately after the session, helping translate financial education into greater access to formal financial services.
The highlight of the three-day activity was the ceremonial signing of a memorandum of agreement among BDO Foundation, BSP, and the Tagbilaran City Government, formalizing their continued collaboration on financial education and inclusion.
The ceremony was attended by Tagbilaran City mayor Jane Yap, BSP deputy governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, and BDO Foundation president Mario A. Deriquito, together with city officials and other partners.
The partnership will consist of integrating financial education into local programs, including the use of existing financial education lesson exemplars in K to 12 schools, the adoption of the BSP E-Learning Academy or BELA by higher education institutions, and the inclusion of financial education in selected community and public service programs for Tagbilaran residents.
BDO Foundation and BSP also met with representatives of Holy Name University and Tagbilaran City College to explore the adoption of BELA. The free online learning platform offers self-paced modules on personal financial management, digital financial literacy, scam prevention, retirement planning, investing, and other topics.
Beyond the classroom, the partners brought financial education to Bohol’s fisherfolk communities through the Fish N’ LEarn program.
A total of 40 fishers, who participated in the gamified financial education session registered improvements in their understanding of concepts such as budgeting, saving, responsible borrowing, and financial planning.
Through partnerships with government, the financial sector, schools, and community organizations, BDO Foundation continues to support initiatives that make financial education more accessible and help build financially empowered communities.
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