Financial Literacy In The Digital Age

Since March 2020, our country has been experiencing widespread unemployment and underemployment.

- J. Albert Gamboa

Rising inflation continues to be exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, which has recorded the longest lockdown in the world. As our economy is bolstered by OFW remittances, the limited economic activity in other countries has also affected the livelihood of almost 10 million Filipinos working abroad.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno pointed out that the average Filipino’s “apparent financial insecurity” today largely stems from the lack of financial literacy that in turn, hampers the ability to cope with the impact of the health crisis.

Due to limited human movement and health-related concerns, the adoption of digital banking and financial services has accelerated, particularly for money transfer services and digital wallets. But the general public is largely unaware of underlying challenges in terms of cybersecurity, data privacy, and potential financial repercussions in making use of these new platforms.