Photo courtesy of Bong Go/fb
NATION

Kuya Bong seeks youth financial skills, entrepreneurship boost

DT

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go is pushing to institutionalize financial literacy and entrepreneurship as core subjects in the junior and senior high school curricula.

In an effort to strengthen the economic knowledge and skills of young Filipinos, Go, who chairs the Senate Youth Committee, filed Senate Bill No. 672. The bill aims to amend the “Youth Entrepreneurship Act” to broaden its coverage and deepen its integration into the education system.

“If our youth learn proper money management and business at an early age, they will be more ready to face the challenges of life,” Go said. “Let’s remember that the youth are the hope of our nation, and education is the key to their better future.”

The bill proposes to make financial literacy and entrepreneurship separate core subjects in both public and private secondary schools nationwide. At the elementary level, the programs would focus on instilling the values necessary to become successful entrepreneurs.

Go cited a 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report that found 46 percent of Filipinos had a positive view of entrepreneurial opportunities in the country, highlighting the potential for nurturing this mindset among the youth.

The bill also mandates the Commission on Higher Education and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to promote entrepreneurship and financial literacy programs in higher education and technical-vocational institutions.

According to a June 2025 “Ulat ng Bayan” survey by Pulse Asia, 53 percent of Filipino adults identified having a good job or reliable source of income as a top personal concern, second only to staying healthy at 64 percent. At the national level, job creation was the third most pressing concern for 25 percent of respondents, following inflation at 62 percent and the need to increase worker pay at 51 percent.

To ensure the new subjects are relevant, Go is proposing multi-sectoral consultations with educators, business leaders and the public to determine the most appropriate content.

Go is also an author and co-sponsor of several other education-related measures, including the Student Loan Payment Moratorium During Disasters and Emergencies Act, the No Permit, No Exam Prohibition Act and the Free College Entrance Examinations Act. He has also refiled measures to expand the tertiary education subsidy and to institutionalize mental health services in state universities and colleges.