FINANCIAL literacy is the cognitive understanding of financial ideas and skills, such as borrowing, investing, budgeting, taxation, and personal money management. Someone is deemed financially illiterate if they lack a certain set of abilities. Financial literacy is the basic understanding of money matters and its four primary pillars: investing, saving, debt management, and budgeting. It involves understanding how to leverage these pillars’ strength to build wealth over a lifetime (htpps://corporatefinanceinstitute.com).
DepEd Region VII is so fortunate to have top management who are thinking of the welfare of the personnel, not only professionally, but also in terms of personal growth in terms of knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, and in terms of financial management. In 2000, the twenty primary teacher cooperatives in the region came up with a cooperative bank they called as National Teachers and Employees Cooperative Bank (NTECB). The coop bank offers products and services that would cater to the financial needs of the clients, and the DepEd personnel. One of the major products of the coop bank is Teacher Savers, where teachers can deposit any amount through automatic payroll deduction. One of the factors considered in this product is that the client/depositor can withdraw the deposit in times of need.
The coop bank is managed by competent, dedicated, and value-laden Board of Directors. Chairperson of the Board, Leonilo B. Oliva, Vice Chair Recaredo G. Borgonia, with Directors Dir Salustiano T. Jimenez, Dir Ronald G. Gutay, Dir Manuel F. Biongcog, Dir Lorna E. Rances, Dir Marilyn S. Andales, Dir Sheila G. Dela Cruz, Dir Enrico D. Zerna, Dir John Roy Ravina, Dir Rhea Mar Angtud, Dir AnianoT. Bautista, Dir Nimfa D. Bongo, Dir Belinda B. Maravilla, and Dir Delia Kiamco. Mary Faith R. Alvez, served as the General Manager.
On February 24-25, 2024. NTECB conducted a Seminar on Marketing and Salesmanship Seminar to the board of directors, officers, and bank staff, at BE Resort Macta, Punta Enganom Lapulapu City, Cebu. The two-day seminar provided the following objectives: craft effective marketing strategies in handling customer service and salesmanship, enhance the ability of the participant to handle clients/borrowers, and foster a customer-centric approach.
One of the sessions discussed the following traits of an excellent service provider: clear communication skills, time management, self-control, productive speaking skills, patience, ability to use positive language, effective listening, attentiveness, knowledge, adaptability, empathy, taking responsibility, thick skins, and willingness to improve.
The lead facilitator of the seminar is Kevin M. Adolfo, with co-facilitators Monica Bianca A. Castro, and Gioveth G. Malupig. It is expected that after the two-day activity, the marketing, and service skills of the bank staff, employees, officers, and board of directors will be a more costumer-centric focus, and be of service to the DepEd personnel in terms of financial literacy concepts.
