The Social Enterprise Development Partnerships, Inc. (SEDPI) successfully completed training 1,145 Overseas Filipino Workers on financial literacy for remittance senders. The trainings were held in the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Singapore, Hong Kong, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Austria and the United Arab Emirates.
Rhoda Amodia, 36 years old and a domestic helper in Rome, Italy expressed, “For the first time, I was able to go home to the Philippines without spending all my savings and income. Thanks to the training conducted by SEDPI.” Rhoda first attended the financial literacy training in February 2009 and has applied what she learned since. Ariel Centeno, 29, an architect working in Dubai, was able to use his savings when he got laid off due to the global financial crisis. He has found a better job in Dubai since. Corine de los Reyes, planned to work for one last year in Amsterdam before she retires in the Philippines. She cried during the financial literacy training when she found out that it would take her close to five years to attain the retirement fund she needs. Tita Coring, as she is fondly called, actively saved and invested and is right on target for her target retirement.
These are just three of the many positive stories of OFWs who attended SEDPI’s trainings on financial literacy. The training provides practical advice and true to life applications on establishing savings discipline, debt management, setting financial goals, spending and differentiating needs from wants. During the training, skilled facilitators provide animated advice on how OFWs should communicate their financial plans to their family members back home and gain commitment to the financial plan at the same time.
Vincent Rapisura, SEDPI’s President and CEO jolts OFW participants when he delivers his opening statements, “If your family members in the Philippines treat your remittance as permanent, it only means one thing. They do not want you back in the Philippines.” He then proceeds to deliver the training in an animated and entertaining fashion that both strikes the minds and shakes the core of the migrants’ emotions.
SEDPI implemented the financial literacy course in partnership with Cordaid. It also forged strategic partnerships with Stichting Habagat in the Netherlands and OFSPES in Italy to promote finance education and investments in the Philippines among Filipino migrants. SEDPI links with Philippine embassies abroad to engage them in this advocacy.
SEDPI’s financing arm, SEDPI Capital Credit, Inc. (SCCI) was able to facilitate close to eight million pesos (PhP8,000,000) worth of socially responsible investments from Overseas Filipinos. These were invested to Microfinance Institutions all over the Philippines to emphasize the developmental nature of the investments.