The growing wave of fraudulent investment schemes and unregulated borrowing products continues to harm Filipino consumers, especially students, employees, and daily earners who lack the financial skills to evaluate promises of fast profit. These schemes thrive because many Filipinos do not have the critical literacy needed to protect themselves.
To address this, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) held this year’s Investor Protection Week (IPW) from November 12-14 with the theme “InvestED Tayo sa Kinabukasang Sigurado,” highlighting the importance of financial literacy, responsible borrowing, and safe investing among Filipinos.
The three-day IPW celebration brought together employees from both public and private sector institutions, as well as students from various schools and universities to improve their financial literacy. It featured discussions on responsible borrowing and spotting investment scams, which were headlined by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG), and Fuse Financing, Inc.,the lending arm of GCash.
During his keynote message, SEC Chairperson Francis Lim emphasized the urgency of the national effort, stating that “financial literacy is not a privilege” but a protection. He added that financial knowledge is the “only investment that cannot be stolen from us,” underscoring the Commission’s push to make financial literacy a core subject in high school. This is crucial as many scams promise unrealistic returns, with some promising to double an investor’s money in a span of just one month.
The event also featured the launch of the SEC Academy, an accessible and user-friendly educational platform that aims to help guide Filipinos in their financial journey. The forum was also marked by foundational learning sessions, including a financial literacy class led by financial journalist Salve Ibañez.
Driving the importance of responsible borrowing
One of the major event highlights was the Regulatory Engagement panel discussion during the opening forum of the IPW on November 12 titled “InvestED Tayo sa Financial Literacy at Responsableng Pag-utang.” The discussion, featuring leaders from SEC Financing and Lending Companies Department (FinLend), the BSP Consumer Protection Office, the PNP-ACG Cyber Response Unit, and Fuse Financing Inc., highlighted the importance of safe and responsible borrowing, as well as the shared goal of protecting Filipinos in an increasingly digital financial landscape.
BSP’s Consumer Protection and Market Conduct Director, Rochelle Tomas stressed the central role of consumer decision-making in avoiding financial harm. “The most important skill for consumers today is critical thinking and the ability to determine the right information about investments” she said.
Meanwhile, Fuse Financing Inc. President and CEO Tony Isidro added, “You have the choice to select the best financial services you want and that fits your needs. So it’s important to be critical about the information, and make your own personal decisions.” He further emphasized that this deliberate decision-making is key to choosing safe, licensed institutions instead of hard-to-trace, unregulated online lenders.
The panel stressed that consumer protection, intrinsically linked to a firm’s regulated status, demands two key skills. The BSP defined critical thinking as the “ability to determine whether an information that’s being given is correct and the ability to determine where to go when there is a problem,” while SEC FinLend Director Lupango-Tamayo reinforced the need for comprehension: “Interest rates are good for you if you make it work for you. Interest rates are bad for you if you do not understand what it means to your debt.”
The discussions throughout the program reinforced a shared vision for the country’s financial future. This collaborative effort lays the groundwork for long-term defenses against fraud and financial instability, ensuring that the public is better equipped to make informed financial decisions.
Simplifying safe investments for everyday Filipinos
Speaking on a panel discussion on when and where to invest on November 14, GCash Head of Market Education for Wealth Management John Garcia stressed that accessing investments have traditionally felt complex for ordinary Filipinos, while underscoring the need for greater financial literacy to determine between safe and potentially fraudulent or misleading opportunities.
“Let’s simplify it. Investing is not as complicated as it seems but to many Filipinos, it feels intimidating. At GCash, our goal is to make investing straightforward and understandable for every Filipino,” says Garcia.
Garcia also said that many Filipinos dream of owning a business someday. He explains that when one invests in stocks, that person essentially becomes a business owner. “You put your money into that company because you believe it will grow, and as a part-owner, you can earn
dividends. If the business grows, you grow with it. But you also share in the risks in the business.” says Garcia.
Furthermore, SEC Markets and Securities Regulation Department Director Oliver Leonardo likewise reminded audiences, “Bago mag invest, mag-imbestiga,” further stressing the importance of conducting due diligence on investment opportunities. PSE’s Corporate Planning and Research Head Mica Ella Cu also referred the audience to the PSE EDGE portal for company disclosures like financial reports, material transactions, corporate announcements as well as PSE EQUIP for access to relevant market data in analyzing company performance and price movements.
For more information, please visit www.gcash.com.
