How Nfis 2025 Pushes Financial Inclusion Through Education

Financial Inclusion Through Education takes center stage at NFIS 2025

At Novotel Manila in Quezon City, teachers, students, and advocates gathered for a summit that treats money lessons as a life skill. Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation, Inc. led the National Financial Inclusion Summit 2025 with PUP, PASUC, and the League of Corporate Foundations. The theme, #LahatKasama, highlights one goal. Financial Inclusion Through Education for every Filipino learner.

The numbers show the need. Nearly half of Filipino adults remain unbanked. Only 27 percent of youth aged 15 to 19 have a formal financial account. For parents and young people, this means many still keep money in cash or at home. One emergency can erase years of effort.

Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO Jean Henri D. Lhuillier stressed that access alone is not enough. Banks and apps open doors, but people need guidance to use them with confidence. When teachers include budgeting, saving, and planning in regular lessons, students learn to treat money with intention rather than fear.

The program lined up voices from education, finance, and tech. PUP President Dr. Manuel Muhi welcomed guests. Messages from LCF Chairperson Shem Jose Garcia and Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino set the tone. Assistant Secretary Janir Datukan shared the keynote on schools as gateways for Financial Inclusion Through Education.

Morning sessions showed how money lessons touch daily life. InvestEd Philippines founder Carmina Bayombong shared how student loans, when managed well, help learners stay in school. PIRA Executive Director Michael Rellosa talked about inclusive and digital insurance as protection for families. A panel led by Dr. Ria Fajilago of PUP asked one key question. How can schools make financial literacy a strength of the nation.

The afternoon turned to policy and technology. PASUC President Dr. Tirso Ronquillo and Lhuillier linked financial education to community development and school reforms. Atty. Charina Vera-Yap of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas discussed digital inclusion. Speakers from Xepto Education Philippines and the University of Makati shared classroom strategies that blend apps, modules, and real life scenarios.

A major highlight came with the launch of the #LahatKasama Financial Literacy Module. The digital tool gives teachers ready to use lessons on saving, investing, and disaster preparedness. The content aims to keep classes practical and engaging, so students see money choices in real situations at home and in their communities.

For CLFI Executive Director Jonathan Batangan, the summit marks the start of deeper collaboration nationwide. He described financial inclusion as empowerment, not only access. Through work with DepEd, CHED, TESDA, schools, and corporate partners, the goal is clear. Turn classrooms into launchpads where Financial Inclusion Through Education prepares every learner for crisis, recovery, and long term goals.

By aligning with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ National Strategy for Financial Inclusion and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the summit anchors financial literacy in everyday life. Every teacher can become a mentor for money discipline. Every campus can support better money choices. Every student can grow into a citizen ready to face financial shocks with knowledge, not panic.