40% of Filipino parents are insufficiently prepared to fund their children’s education. Isa ka ba sa kanila? I’d like to answer no but to be honest, I’m still working, saving, and investing hard to have enough for my son’s education – up until college!
Nag-iiba talaga ang pananaw natin sa buhay once we become parents. One of our biggest worry and fear is the inability to send our children to college. Are you tired of worrying and living in fear of the future? Or, are you trying to ignore this fear and be content with being “kapos” from time to time?
June is Financial Independence month and to raise awareness on the benefits of investing, Sun Life Philippines is releasing 3 short digital films. One of the Sun Shorts released is entitled “She Said, She Said” and it is designed for parents like us who are unsure if we’re doing the right thing. Tama nga ba?
WATCH: She Said, She Said
Filipino moms can be as strong as Wonder Woman
This short film reminds me of how strong us Filipino moms can become. Once we become parents, we suddenly harness super powers and can take on two, three, or more jobs – even before our child is born. There are times I couldn’t believe how I pulled things through and thank God for the grace He gives us everyday. Parang milagro talaga!
Like the mother in the film, I’m sure many of us have experienced working multiple jobs while chopping vegetables, getting our child ready for school, and still manage to look presentable to the outside world. Kailangan e! No one else can understand our need to secure our family’s basic necessities other than ourselves. This is why we opt to do everything by ourselves and most of the time, there’s no other choice.
Making time, money work for you and not against you
Sa dami ng trabaho, something’s got to give. Most of the time, it’s spending quality time with our children. Gustuhin man natin makipag-usap at makipag-laro all day, we have grown-up responsibilities to fulfill – in fact, I often tell myself “No rest for the wicked” in other words, “walang tulugan!”. Maglaro pa kaya?
Time flies! This is me and my son. Photo taken 6 years apart.
In the short film, we see how scarcity of time can lead to communication gap between mother and child. It also reminded me how teenagers will need even more attention but in a different way. My son is just 7 so this is a great preview of what things might be. Syempre, I hope that with financial planning and budgeting – I would be able to afford more time with my son as he grows up.
The mother in the film actually made the right move to make a financial instrument like an endowment plan to serve as her “partner” even if she is a single mom. Because of this, she was able to send her daughter to school but of course, she had to work hard and make sacrifices along the way.
What is an Endowment Plan?
Based on my experience, I got an endowment plan for my son when he was 0 years old. This was with Sun Life Philippines as well. An endowment plan is a combination of investment and insurance with guaranteed benefit to be paid out over an agreed period of time.
It has insurance because in case something happens to the provider, in our case – the mother, the investment continues as if the mother is still alive and paying the insurance premiums. This ensures that your child’s benefit is protected. The riders may vary but at that time, I got the Sun PesoProvider10 which we’re still paying for up to this day.
Can you imagine if all Filipino moms would explore how financial products can help secure their children’s education and future? Syempre, there is no such thing as certainty in life but making our money and time work for us is a better strategy than not doing anything and saying “bahala na”. Nakakatakot yan!
Disclaimer: I am not a registered financial planner, please visit http://www.sunlife.com.ph/ for more information and reach out to one of their qualified financial advisors.
You’re still the best Mom!
At the end of the day, regardless of our financial status and capability, we are still the best moms for our children. They look up to us and we should be inspired to become good role models for them to follow – especially when it comes to being diligent and driven in making ends and more meet for a brighter future.
This short film, She Said, She Said understands what us moms go through, that motherhood is not all flowers and rainbows. For me, motherhood is a beautiful picture that is painted with equal amounts of love and sacrifice, happiness and sadness, enjoyment and hardship. The modern Filipino mom can be a strong, independent, driven, and financially secure. We have a lot to learn but the journey to financial freedom also starts with the first step.
That first step can be as simple as being inspired by a story like She Said, She Said. Go ahead, ask questions and start building a brighter future! You can do it Mommy, you are as strong as Wonder Woman and more!
Mommy Lace is a blogger from the Philippines. She started this blog to share information on pregnancy, breastfeeding, childcare, family, and health.
