A YEAR following its pilot implementation, the “Sapat-Dapat” Comprehensive School Program is now on its "Experiential Level" and has solicited positive response from their pilot partner schools, according to its benefactors.
Orlando Palompon, Bayad Center Area Head for Visayas and Mindanao, shared that at present, they noticed that some of the students have already started having their own savings through “alkansiya” or piggy banks.
“We were able to observe sa kanila na may savings na rin and some may earnings na nga. So what we did is to heightened their financial literacy awareness for them to also share their knowledge to other students,” Palompon said in a press conference held on Wednesday, March 6.
The CIS Bayad Center, Inc. with the Department of Education and Marylindbert International, launched the “Sapat Dapat” Comprehensive School Program to make a keen effect in the Filipinos' mindset, particularly high school students, by introducing them to financial education.
It is composed of three program components such as the Knowledge, Emotional, and Experiential Level.
Under the Experiential level is the hands-on application of the program in which a Bayad Center Quiz Bee, open to all high school students in Cebu, was conducted from the elimination to the finals round on Wednesday, March 6.
The Philippines, according to the recent study of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is ranked 68th on a worldwide financial literacy index.
Financial literacy is the understanding of varied financial areas such as topics related to managing personal finance, money and investing.
The program, launched on June 2018, will run for three years until 2021, and is envisioned to become part of the school curriculum of Grades 9 and 10.
“It's not enough that we teach them how to earn, but as well as how to maximize it. We wanted it implemented on these grade level because it is direct since they have economic classes,” said Jonathan Pavig, vice president and head of operations of Marylindbert International.
At present, the program is piloted in 15 schools in Cebu.
Among these schools are Abellana National high School, Don Vicente Rama National High School, Mandaue City Comprehensive National High School, and Marigondon National High School.
Wendell Labre, Bayad Center marketing head, said the program is expected to adopt more schools in Cebu and plans to extend its advocacy to Davao City this year.
“Cebu is our pilot province, for we believe that it's where there is a good mix of urban and provincial mind set. We start it here, the to Davao, and then bring it to Manila, that's our strategy,” Labre added.
In English, Sapat Dapat literally means “must be enough” in which everything must be financially and economically enough.
Aside from primarily targeting high school students, Labre also said that the program aims to cater to parents, teachers, and to the general public.
Also under the program, DepEd- validated learning materials, will be distributed to each of the students of the program's partner schools.
Teachers are also provided with financial literacy teaching guides.
Bayad Center is a multi-channel payment platform in the country with more than 30,000 payment collection sites nationwide.