Theme: From Knowledge to Impact: Transforming Teachers’ Financial Literacy into Learner Empowerment 

Speaker: Majah-Leah V. Ravago PhD 

The INNOTECH Seminar Series on Education, Innovation and Technology held on October 3, 2025, featured SEAMEO INNOTECH Center Director Dr. Majah-Leah V. Ravago, who presented findings from the study “Unlocking Teachers’ Financial Literacy: A Comparative Study with Non-Teaching Adults.” Conducted with researchers from the Ateneo de Manila University and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas under the BSP-Ateneo Visiting Researcher Economist Program, the study examined the factors that shape teachers’ financial literacy and whether teachers are more financially literate than the general population. Drawing on the 2014 Metrobank Survey, the 2022 Teachers’ Survey on Financial Literacy, and the BSP’s 2018 Consumer Finance Survey, the study found that Filipino teachers, on average, demonstrate higher financial literacy than non-teaching adults. It also identified household financial status, educational attainment, the education levels of household members, and access to information assets as factors associated with teachers’ financial literacy.

Dr. Ravago emphasized, however, that higher financial literacy does not necessarily translate into financial well-being, pointing to the continuing financial vulnerability and indebtedness experienced by many teachers. This presents an important challenge given teachers’ dual role as managers of their own household finances and as educators who can influence the financial knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of learners. The study therefore points to the need for a dual approach that strengthens financial education through behavioral tools and debt-management strategies while addressing broader structural barriers. Among the recommendations presented were embedding financial wellness in teacher training, expanding access to fair and low-cost financial services, using media and digital platforms to promote financial awareness, addressing concerns related to compensation, cost of living, and family pressures, and monitoring the impact of financial education interventions. The findings underscore that strengthening teachers’ financial well-being can benefit not only educators themselves but also their capacity to help develop financially knowledgeable and responsible future generations.

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