A resounding call for inclusive growth filled Novotel Manila, Quezon City as Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation, Inc. (CLFI) led the National Financial Inclusion Summit 2025 (NFIS 2025), co-presented by the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC), and the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF). The landmark event brought together the country’s leading educators, policymakers, and industry partners under the theme #LahatKasama: Strengthening Financial Inclusion through Education, a collective movement to make financial literacy a national life skill.
Education has long been recognized as the cornerstone of financial inclusion. In a country where nearly half of adults remain unbanked and only 27 percent of youth aged 15 to 19 hold a formal financial account (BSP, 2021), CLFI emphasized that inclusion must begin in the classroom. Teachers, administrators, and learning institutions serve as powerful gateways to equip young Filipinos not only with access to financial tools but with the wisdom to use them effectively.
“Access opens the door, but education teaches people how to walk through it and build new ones for others,” said Jean Henri D. Lhuillier, President and CEO of PJ Lhuillier Group of Companies. “When teachers integrate budgeting, saving, and planning into everyday lessons, they are not only shaping smarter learners—they are cultivating financially resilient citizens.”
The Summit underscored that financial literacy is not just about understanding money. It is about enabling individuals to make informed choices, plan for emergencies, and recover from setbacks. By embedding financial education across basic, higher, and technical-vocational systems, CLFI and its partners aim to ensure that no learner is left behind in the country’s journey toward resilience and empowerment.
The Summit opened with welcome remarks from Dr. Manuel M. Muhi, President of PUP, followed by messages of support from Shem Jose W. Garcia, Chairperson of LCF and Senator Paolo Benigno A. Aquino IV. Representing Secretary Angara, Assistant Secretary Janir T. Datukan delivered the keynote address, “Educating for Inclusion: Turning Schools into Gateways of Financial Empowerment for Every Filipino.”
Morning spotlight sessions featured Carmina F. Bayombong, Founder and CEO of InvestEd Philippines, who discussed how student financing can break barriers to access while Michael F. Rellosa, Executive Director of PIRA, spoke about inclusive and digital insurance as a tool for protection. A panel discussion moderated by Dr. Ria S. Fajilago of PUP followed, exploring how schools can make financial literacy a national strength.
In the afternoon, Dr. Tirso A. Ronquillo, President of PASUC, and Jean Henri D. Lhuillier delivered keynote addresses on linking financial literacy to educational policy and community development. Atty. Charina B. Vera-Yap of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas presented digital inclusion initiatives, while Dr. Francisco S. A. Sandejas of Xepto Education Philippines and Dr. Laarni Evelyn A. Santiago of the University of Makati shared technology-driven strategies for classroom integration.
The Summit culminated in the launch of the #LahatKasama Financial Literacy Module, the most comprehensive FinLit module in the country. The digital learning tool provides teachers with interactive materials on saving, investing, and disaster preparedness, designed to make financial education more practical and engaging.
For Jonathan D. Batangan, Executive Director of CLFI, the Summit signifies more than a one-day gathering. It is the beginning of a nationwide collaboration.
“Financial inclusion is not just access. More importantly, it is empowerment,” Batangan said. “Through our partnerships with DepEd, CHED, TESDA, and our academic and corporate partners, we are turning classrooms into launchpads of empowerment. Every lesson in financial education becomes a step toward a more resilient and inclusive Philippines.”
The NFIS 2025 supports the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (2022–2028) and aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals on education, poverty reduction, and decent work.
Beyond its sessions and partnerships, the Summit stands as a national movement. By linking education with financial empowerment, it calls for every teacher to be a mentor of financial discipline, every campus to be a hub of financial inclusion, and every learner to be an advocate of resilience.
“Inclusion begins with education,” said Lhuillier. “When education and financial literacy move together, we create not only informed individuals but empowered communities capable of withstanding any challenge.”
The Summit reaffirms CLFI’s mission to build a nation where financial literacy is not optional but essential by ensuring that progress, resilience, and opportunity truly include everyone.
