I was invited by Tita Toots Ople to be their guest last week in their weekly radio program at DZXL: Bantay OFW. You can see me with Tita Toots, Atty. Gwen Pimentel, and Roderick Marcelino. My topic was on money management and debt. I also shared a little about my book YOUnique.
One of the main problems of OFW’s is their financial literacy. They can earn so much working abroad only to lose it in a short period of time becuase they don’t know how to keep their hard-earned wages.
Debt is an issue for most of them. Some even borrow money to start businesses thinking they can pay it back. Borrowing money to start a business can be a trap, many have fallen using this misleading tool.
I shared a lot of my “kapalpakan” (failures) stories to inspire them that “it’s not how hard you fall, it’s how fast you get back up again.” I gave them 3 ways to start a business: Borrow money, Look for partners, or Be Patient until you have the money to start. The best way is the third option because you are not short-circuiting the process of learning. The risk is less and your commitment is much higher when the money you put in the business comes from the sweat of your brow.
OFW are heroes, but if a hero doesn’t learn how to handle his/her finances, even a hero can turn into a zero.
I had a blast being in the show, Tita toots and the gang are very friendly and accomodating. I can see that they do this for the love of it and for the love of OFWs all across the globe. Thank you for having me in the show. Till next time. =)