School is cool

 Ihave a love-hate reationship with my credit cards.   I love using them. I loathe paying for them. In fact, I have grown quite adept at emulating my yaya’s whiny, high-pitched voice every time the credit card representatives ring up my house, “Wala po si ser, nagtratrabaho po para bayaran yung credit card niya (My boss isn’t here, he’s working hard to pay for this credit card bills).” I believe the credit card companies have sent repossession companies to confiscate the bounties of my P5,000 credit limit (Goodbye, comic book collection).

But ever since my wife and I became the parents to a bouncing baby girl who has the mutant ability to finish five bottles of milk formulation and six-pack diapers a day, I have had to re-think my credit card priorities. I have grown to appreciate the parenting advice of the late Uncle Ben to Peter Parker (a.k.a Spider-Man) “With great power comes great responsibility.”

With my wife’s guidance, support and death threats, I have finally done the adult thing: prioritize my baby’s baby gym and swimming classes and de-prioritize the completion of my Superman collection.

And, to top it all of, my wife tells me that I have to find another job soon aside from being a real estate developer, magazine editor, newspaper columnist, blogger, television and events host, struggling actor, yoga practitioner and manservant because – sooner than I would like to think – I will enter the most rewarding, the most challenging and the most hair loss-inducing moment of my life: when my baby daughter sets foot in school. 

But I now realize that I could be using my credit cards with great responsibility, especially since I will be responsible for the future education of my daughter. 

 So to help me harness my credit card for good (and to also help me save what is left of my hair in the process) is the first vice-president and Banco De Oro (BDO) consumer lending group marketing head Ma. Nannette R. Regala, who will explain to me the super-power benefits of the BDO credit card for school and school-related expenses.

 PHILIPINE STAR: If I already own several credit cards, should I still get a BDO credit card? I am wary of getting more credit cards since I am already using my credit cards to pay off for my credit cards.  

MA. NANNETTE R. REGALA: There are quite a number of credit cards out there, and each one has it’s own special card features and perks.  If you were to ask me, you just have to choose the right card that fits both your lifestyle and your status. You have to choose a card that works for you. For example, I have many facets in my life:  I am a mom, a wife, and a professional.  What I look for in a card is a financing tool that responds to my needs when it comes to my personal and family expenses.  

What I look for in a credit card is one that I can voluntarily pay back.

(Laughs) That’s why the Back-To-School Program is so advantageous (for parents) because the new school year is just around the corner.  All the school-related expenses that parents are anticipating — rising tuition fees, school supplies, uniforms — will be easier on their budget with BDO credit cards.      

I have been preparing myself for that corner. Let me know if you have any job openings for a product endorser, please.  So should I get a BDO credit card to specifically handle my future school expenses?  And how about my future school-related expenses?

You can use your BDO credit card not just for traditional school expenses such as tuition fees and books, but also other school-related expenses such as sneakers for PE class, a new colored printer for school projects, and even the bill from the mananahi (sewer) for uniforms.  As long as you can provide an official receipt, your BDO Credit Card can take care of it.    

Huwow! To paraphrase from my favorite department store, ‘The BDO credit card has got it all for you!”

The Back To School Program takes care of every aspect of your school-related spending.  For one, there’s Easy Pay Cash wherein you can turn your receipts back into cash and the amount gets charged to your card for as low as 0.99 percent interest and for as long as 24 months. 

Almost like magic. So I can charge the tuition fees to my credit card?

Yes, you can also charge tuition fees to your BDO credit card just by sending us the school’s assessment form. We’ll send the check to your school and charge the amount to your card.   And if you had already bought school supplies, had uniforms sewn, or had upgraded to a new computer for the family— even through cash— all you have to do is accumulate the receipts, and apply for Easy Pay Cash. Then we’ll give you your cash back.

I can hear the collective sighs of relief of thousands of back-to-school parents.

On top of that, you also enjoy our Buy Now Pay Later program. This program lets you start paying off your bills not on the next billing cycle, but rather on the succeeding payment cycle. This means that you get a one-month reprieve from paying your first installment.

These are one of the few times when being delayed can be construed in a positive light.

Secondly, there’s the Absolutely Zero percent interest for in-store purchases wherein you enjoy no interest for your installment purchases at merchant partners such as The Landmark, Adidas, Kickers, Yamaha, Ahead Learning Center, Accent Micro computer shop, and a lot more. 

BDO credit card, where were you when we were growing up? The only group that were looking out for our interests when I was in grade school was Dr. Armstrong and the Voltes team.

The minimum spend requirement is just P3,000 for in a single transaction.  But for SM Department Store, you have the option to accumulate your purchases of up to P5,000 to enjoy the Absolutely Zero percent Interest offer.  Plus, you also start paying your installments during the second billing cycle through Buy Now Pay Later. 

You had me at zero percent.

These offers may actually help you in terms of budgeting as you can already track your expenses and spread them into payable installment amounts.  

Great! Now I just have to work on getting a budget. Can BDO credit card also help tutor my kids as well?  I don’t think I’d make a good teacher for math and financial literacy.

(Laughs) In a way, yes!  Just charge the tutor’s bill to your BDO credit card through Back To School Easy Pay Cash.  

I’m not too sure if my yaya will issue a receipt for her tutoring services. Wait a moment, can I avail of BDO’s back to school promo with all levels of schooling? Nursery? Kindergarten? Grade school? High School? College? Graduate School? Doctorate?  Cooking school?  Driving school? Beautician school? My mom always told me that I should be in a reform school.

Yes!  The program was designed to cover every child’s learning stage.  And the program even covers those who are children at heart as we included workshops for us adults, such as School of Fashion and the Arts, Make-up Design Academy, and Center for Aesthetic Studies.  

Now I can be the beautician that I always wanted to be.

If you want to avail of our Easy Pay Cash program for these classes and workshops, simply drop by any of our over seven hundred BDO branches nationwide or log on to our website to download the Request Form.  For our Absolutely Zero percent interest deals, just visit any branch of our merchant partners nationwide.  

What are these other school-related expenses that I can get freebies and discounts on as well? Lunch boxes?  Pencil cases?  The ever-important bimpo (face towel)? 

On top of the zero percent installment offer, if you use your BDO credit card in any of our Back To School merchant partners, you will also get instant freebies such as a 4GB USB Drive at Complink, or a body bag from Ahead Learning Systems, or up to 10 percent discount in Adidas.  It sweetens the deal even more.

Really sweet! Although I don’t know what my daughter will be able to do with a 4GB USB Drive in nursery school.

And you can use your BDO credit card at any SM Department Store or The Landmark. For gadgets and computers, you can use your card at Accent Micro, PC Live and Complink.   

Computers are included too! I think my baby daughter needs an i-Pad. And what kind of computers can I, este, can my child get?  Does PS2 qualify as a computer as a school expense?  

Kids are growing up in a fast paced environment and you want them to keep up.  So if you plan to splurge on a computer or a new printer with your BDO credit card, you’ll get instant freebies such as computer accessories.  Luckily enough for you, as long as the PS2 can be purchased in our merchant partner stores that you can definitely pay it off at zero percent installment!

The PS2 will be used to help improve my daughter’s hand-eye coordination. Promise. Hold on, will yaya also benefit from the BDO credit card discounts? Even for her uniform?  After all, she will be making hatid-sundo (dropping off, picking up) her alaga (ward) the whole day. Yaya deserves a discount, too. 

There are yaya uniforms available in SM Department Stores and The Landmark in Makati.  You might as well buy them new ones and together with your accumulated purchase amounting to at least five thousand pesos you can pay it on zero percent installment on our Buy Now Pay Later scheme.

(Tsup tsup tsup – RJ is smothered with kisses by his yaya.)

Are there any other benefits that I can get for my BDO credit card that will help my child with school?  Can the BDO credit card help my child skip a grade? 

Let’s put it this way, BDO credit cards can help you provide the tools your child may need to help him or her excel further in school.  Aside from our Back to School Program, BDO credit cards have more to offer to you year-round.  We have the Delights program that lets you enjoy discounts, perks and freebies from restaurants, boutiques, hotels, resorts and spas. Then you also earn Rewards points for every transaction so you can redeem gifts.  Through our SM Exclusives Program, You enjoy exclusive discounts and perks from SM Department and SM affiliate stores nationwide when you use your BDO Credit Card.  

All those programs are so enticing. I have to look for my ninth job now. What can we reward our children with if they do a good job in school?

Right now, we have a partnership with California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) wherein they are giving away their classic BBQ Chicken Pizza for every three thousand peso single transaction until August 15 exclusively for BDO Cardholders.  All you have to do is present your transaction receipts to any CPK restaurant to get your treat.  With BDO credit cards, you always get a little something extra even if it’s just paying for everyday things such as your gas or groceries.        

And that little something extra will go a long way for the next 20 years (or so) of tuition fees. Now for the fine print: Where can I apply for a BDO credit card?  What will be my credit limit? And what are the monthly interest rates like?

If you want to apply for a BDO credit card, visit any of our branches nationwide or log on to www.bdo.com.ph for more info on BDO credit cards and to download application forms.  Your BDO credit card credit limit will depend on your annual income. And rest assured that BDO has competitive interest rates for your credit card.  

With BDO credit card’s back to school promos, my wife and I can have enough children to field a basketball team!

(Can you keep his credit limit at P5,000? – RJ’s wife)