Philippine lender Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company (Metrobank) has launched a financial literacy campaign anchored on behavioral insights and storytelling, as rising living costs push households to reassess spending and savings habits.
Dubbed ‘Moneygurado,’ the initiative combines a public awareness campaign with a docuseries that frames money management through real-life Filipino experiences rather than traditional rule-based guidance.
The program reflects the bank’s broader strategy to deepen customer engagement by translating financial concepts into everyday decision-making.
The campaign’s name is derived from the Filipino word ‘manigurado,’ or ‘to make sure,’ blending ‘money’ and ‘sigurado’ to emphasize confidence and security in financial choices.
‘Moneygurado is about helping Filipinos become more intentional with their money by understanding the ‘why’ behind their decisions,’ Metrobank Chief Marketing Officer Digs Dimagiba said. ‘By starting with real stories that reflect everyday realities, we make these conversations more relatable-and ultimately more actionable.’
At the core of the campaign is a docuseries that examines how cultural norms shape financial behavior, from borrowing and saving to spending and resilience.
Instead of prescribing fixed rules, the series explores how deeply embedded values-such as utang na loob (debt of gratitude), hiya (social shame), and pakikisama (social cohesion)-influence financial decisions.
The premiere episode features entrepreneur Audrey Cruz, founder of OnlyPans Taqueria, whose business rebounded after a fire disrupted operations. The narrative highlights a central theme-resilience alone is insufficient without financial preparation.
Subsequent episodes will feature filmmaker Jose Javier Reyes, historian Xiao Chua and author Michelline Suarez, each examining different aspects of financial behavior through a cultural lens.
Shifting From Reactive to Intentional Finance
The rollout comes as Filipino households contend with elevated fuel prices, higher food costs, and broader economic uncertainty-conditions that are prompting a shift from reactive spending to more deliberate financial planning.
Metrobank said the campaign aims to reposition financial literacy as a practical mindset rather than a theoretical concept, encouraging behaviors such as goal-based saving, disciplined spending, and risk awareness.
By embedding these principles in culturally relevant narratives, the bank is seeking to close the gap between awareness and action-an area where traditional financial education efforts have often fallen short.
Metrobank plans to complement the docuseries with digital learning modules and community-based materials distributed through its Earnest platform, targeting students, families, and emerging professionals.
The lender, one of the Philippines’ largest banks by assets, has been expanding its consumer engagement initiatives as competition intensifies across retail banking and digital finance