"Lack of money, being broke, and constant worry over how to pay the bills does indeed put significant stress on both relationships and happiness. Lack of money can easily end both".
Overseas Filipinos can learn a thing or two or even more from our kabayan Papa P or Piolo Pascual. Everyone knows that he is very smart when it comes to money matters.
BDO Remit brand ambassador Piolo Pascual is very proud of his life as an Overseas Filipino (OF). While it was very challenging, he said his life abroad was full of valuable lessons, which helped him achieve financial freedom.
People may not know that Piolo temporarily left showbiz at age 19 to join his mom and other siblings in California, USA. There, he juggled two jobs, working as a hospital staff during the day and as a security guard in downtown Los Angeles at night. He was working almost 16 hours a day, only to make ends meet.
“It was hard at first because I was blocked out of the life that I had here. I was already an actor back then living a different lifestyle. When I migrated to the US, I had to start from scratch. I had to work right away or else I wouldn’t have any food on the table,” he said of his early struggles.
“My sister and I were just renting a place. My mom, who lives in the same community, would drop by once in a while to give us food. But even so, we still had to fend for ourselves. I had two jobs because my salary was not enough to pay for my insurance, my car, my rental, my food, and allowance,” Piolo added.
“I wouldn’t be what I am today if it weren’t for the hardships I went thru as an OF. I learned to work very hard to be able to pay for things but at the same time, I learned not to spend beyond my means. It really takes discipline to be practical and not buy things that you really do not need,” he said.
Piolo did not only work hard to earn his keep, he worked doubly hard to protect it. He shared he remains a very practical person, who would rather spend on things that would bring in returns, than on material possessions.
More importantly, he learned that part of protecting your hard-earned money is choosing the right remittance partner, one that not only promises convenience but security as well.
“My mom was already in the US when we were growing up. At that time, it was so hard for us to get money from her for our schooling. We would then go to an agency, which would charge us with all sorts of fees. BDO really changed the landscape of remittance. They made it easy for Filipinos overseas to send money to their loved ones,” he said.
As a former OF, Piolo said he knows how much our kababayans abroad sacrifice just to be able to provide for their families back home and so he cautions OFs against sending money to just any remittance agency especially those they just happen to see online.
“You are entrusting your hard-earned money to others. Always go for someone who is trustworthy, who has a track record, and who has been there for a long time. The last thing that you want to happen is for your money not to reach your loved ones. That’s why I always choose BDO. With BDO, you are confident that your money will be safely remitted to your loved ones back home,” he said.
About BDO Unibank, Inc.
BDO is a full-service universal bank which provides a wide range of corporate and retail banking services. These services include traditional loan and deposit products, as well as treasury, trust and investments, investment banking, private banking, rural banking, cash management, leasing and finance, remittance, insurance, retail cash cards, credit card services, and stock brokerage services.
BDO has one of the largest distribution networks, with more than 1,400 operating branches and over 4,400 ATMs nationwide. It also has full-service branches in Hong Kong and Singapore as well as 20 overseas remittance and representative offices in Asia, Europe, North America, and the Middle East.
BDO ranked as the largest bank in terms of total assets, loans, deposits, and trust funds under management based on published statements of condition as of September 30, 2019. For more information, please visit www.bdo.com.ph.
BDO Unibank, Inc.
BDO Corporate Center
7899 Makati Avenue
Makati City 0726, Philippines
Tel +63(2) 8840-7000
www.bdo.com.ph
