PASIG CITY, June 23, 2022 – The Department of Education (DepEd) in partnership with Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) recently launched the “DiskarTech-Aralin sa Madiskarteng Pananalapi,” last May 26, 2022, at the Rizal High School in Caniogan to help promote financial literacy to teachers and learners in Senior High School.

The program is in support of DepEd Order No. 22, s. 2021 titled Financial Education Policy and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) National Strategy for Financial Inclusion, which is aligned with DepEd’s programs to include financial lessons in the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum.

“Financial literacy is very important not just for our teachers, but to the learners as well. We all have crucial financial decisions that can result in important consequences in our lives. As our children grow along with their responsibilities, they should possess the knowledge to make sound financial decisions,” Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones said.

The said launch is in support of RCBC’s DiskarTech program, the country’s first and only Taglish inclusion super app and ATM Go, and a neighborhood handheld ATM device, which allows withdrawals from all ATM/prepaid/debit cards.

The DiskarTech program digitalizes the concepts of “alkansya” (savings), “paluwagan” (loans), “Seguro” (insurance), and “bayad” (payments). It aims to promote financial stewardship practices with the teachers and parents by allowing the learners to experience building financial education milestones through the program.

“Whatever you do, whatever you want to study just make sure that your digital skills are developed. You can become a digital lawyer, a digital doctor, you can become anything. One of the best things to prepare for that is through this mobile app. So I encourage you to download the mobile app and learn those things that can help you become a more responsible adult,” RCBC President and CEO Mr. Eugene Acevedo said.

Spearheaded by the External Partnership Service (EPS), the event featured the overview of RCBC’s DiskarTech: Madiskarteng Pilipino Education campaign, as well as a class demonstration of the Aralin sa Madiskarteng Pananalapi (Lessons on Smart and Resourceful Financing) Module. The material is now available and may be downloaded from DepEd’s Learning Resource Portal.

DepEd and RCBC also turned over of the coffee table book of Aralin sa Madiskarteng Pananalapi and other classroom materials to external partnership focal persons from various division offices of DepEd NCR and Region IV-A CALABARZON, where DiskarTech program will be piloted before the nationwide implementation.

Furthermore, the event featured the launching of the DiskarTechpreneur Bootcamp and Competition, a virtual webinar and business case competition open to all senior high school students in NCR and Calabarzon as an extension program and application of DiskarTech Aralin sa Madiskarteng Pananalapi Financial Education module.

“With partnership programs like the DiskarTech of RCBC, we expect that these programs will provide Filipinos with relevant, responsive, and inclusive digital financial services. This would also let us experience how the technology works in securing our finances and save for the most important and unanticipated events in our lives,” Undersecretary for External Partnerships Tonisito MC. Umali said.’

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