BSP group gives 100 Bacolod pupils supplies, money lessons

BACOLOD CITY — The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Employees Association Inc. distributed school bags and learning materials to 100 pupils at Bata Elementary School 1 on Oct. 24, pairing the donations with lessons on money management, saving, and budgeting.

The expanded outreach addresses an immediate need for school supplies while introducing financial habits that can shape how children handle limited money later in life.

Its longer-term value, however, will depend on whether the pupils retain the lessons and receive support beyond the one-day activity.

In its Nov. 3 statement, the employees association, known as BSPEAI, said it launched Project Shoebox in 2015 to encourage BSP employees to donate shoeboxes containing school supplies, hygiene kits, small gifts, and personal messages to schoolchildren whom it described as underprivileged.

BSP Deputy Governor Elmore O. Capule joined the 2026 activity with pupils, parents, and teachers, who also attended the session on managing money, saving, and preparing a budget.

Capule told the pupils: “Mangarap kayo, pilitin niyo marating ang pangarap niyo, pagbutihin niyo, lagi kayong magpapasalamat at maging mabuti kayo sa isa’t isa,” (“Dream, strive to achieve your dreams, give your best, always be grateful, and be kind to one another.”)

BSPEAI President Brent S. Lucero said the program combined employee volunteerism with practical help for students.

Lucero said, “BSP employees are committed to this bayanihan to provide tools and knowledge that will help more students build a brighter future.”

The project has benefited more than 40,000 students nationwide since its launch, according to BSPEAI.

In 2025, the organization renamed the initiative Project Shoebox Plus and added financial literacy sessions to its community activities.

The addition fits the central bank’s wider work with the Department of Education, which issued DepEd Order No. 22, series of 2021, to intensify financial education in basic education and teacher training.

The BSP’s 2025 Consumer Finance and Inclusion Survey found that 74% of Filipino adults correctly answered at least half of six financial literacy questions, up from 69% in 2021. Only 60% considered themselves financially literate, while 86% reported maintaining a personal budget.

The figures show why lessons on saving and budgeting can be useful when introduced before children begin earning or using formal financial services.

The BSPEAI release did not disclose the selection criteria for the 100 pupils, the value of the materials distributed, or the duration of the financial literacy session. It also did not identify any assessment that would measure what the pupils learned or retained.

BSPEAI must answer three questions.

How were the 100 pupils selected?

What support will follow the one-day activity?

How will the group measure whether the money lessons changed behavior?

Good intentions still need measurable results.