SCG empowers youth with life skills

MANILA, Philippines - ASEAN building conglomerate SCG goes beyond financial support to educate Filipino youth by providing a life skills workshop on financial literacy to its scholars

The late Nelson Mandela once said that ‘education is the most powerful weapon which can change the world.’ And as children grow up to become teenagers, education becomes even more crucial in their development. After all, the lessons they learn and habits they form in this stage will shape the important decisions they will have to make in the future.

ASEAN building conglomerate SCG strengthens its commitment to improve the lives of the Filipino youth by providing a one-day life skills workshop. This workshop is part of its SCG Sharing the Dream scholarship program to provide a more holistic development for its scholars.

“In our SCG Sharing the Dream program, we believe that education is beyond just having a high school diploma,” said Anukul Kongrit, country director of SCG in the Philippines. “Education also includes forming the students’ character and equipping them with valuable life tools for better decision making to help them reach their dreams.”

The life skills workshop, which focused on financial literacy, was held in the different manufacturing plants of SCG’s local subsidiaries - United Pulp and Paper Co. in Taguig and Bulacan, and Mariwasa Siam-Ceramics, Inc. in Batangas. The workshop was led by Unang Lingap Kapwa Philippines, Inc.’s Education program coordinator Maribel Sollorano, who helped them visualize their goals and understand basic financial education concepts through discussions and engaging activities.

 â€œIt is crucial for these children to be knowledgeable on how use their money wisely because at the end of the day, money is necessary for their basic needs,” explains Sollorano. “Today, the youth are preoccupied with the need to be ‘in’ or popular by going out or having the latest gadget. They need to have the mindset that money -big or small- can help them achieve even their short term goals. This will help them have better decision skills when it comes to money matters.”

The scholars learned important prioritizing lessons to identify their needs versus their wants. Valuable skills and information such as budgeting, accounting, savings options, and sources of income were imparted to the students. These were also applied through hands-on activities, such as creating a personal budget plan and a vision board.

“My friends and I learned a lot in this workshop. It is very useful because now I know how to handle the allowance given to me and see where it is being spent.” One of the participants, Mikaela de Jesus, 14, shared. “This experience is something that I can share to my younger siblings so they will also appreciate the importance of handling money.”

Kongrit explains that SCG strongly believes in nurturing the potential of the youth to empower them in contributing to the improvement of their living standards, as well as to their community. “SCG is committed to sustainable development, and through our SCG Sharing the Dream program and life skills workshop, we believe we can continue empowering the Filipino youth to value education, persevere in school, and to foster the idea of sustainable development in their respective communities,” said Kongrit.