Many of us are audio-visual learners who absorb lessons better when we personally get to see and hear stories we can easily relate to. This June, join Sun Life of Canada (Philippines) as it marks the 4th Financial Independence Month by finding out how to break free from the cycle of financial shortage and security.

In 2012, I wrote an article for Rappler about how Sun Life uses the power of film to educate Filipinos on financial literacy. I enjoyed watching those clips, especially the one featuring Angel Aquino, because they depicted realities many Filipinos have gone, or are going through, and were able to creatively promote insurance and investment products without being pushy.

This month, Sun Life launched a new collection of Sun Shorts to once more inspire Filipinos to pursue financial freedom. Here are three reasons why all three short films are worth watching:

1) You will see yourself in one of the characters. Whether you are young or old, single, a parent, or a retiree, you'll find something in those films that would make you go, "Yes, that could be me!"

2) You will feel that push to explore why you need to invest and be insured. Each film will lead you to think about improving whatever financial situation you are in at the moment.

3) You could better visualize how to realize your dreams. We all have aspirations but, many times, we have vague ideas how to reach them. By having plans and knowing what steps to take, you'll get closer towards making your goals a reality.

According to Chief Marketing Officer Mylene Lopa, "Sun Life shines a spotlight on relationships to inspire every Filipino to keep chasing their dreams. Through Sun Shorts, we hope to show Filipinos how life insurance can help them ease their life's burdens and celebrate their lives' triumphs giving them the opportunity to show the people they love their commitment to a brighter future for them."

All three films were inspired by stories of Sun Life clients:

• Waves by Zig Marasigan gives a peek into the lives of millennials who are often criticized for adhering to the YOLO (you only live once) mindset and not preparing well enough for their future

• She Said, She Said by Nic Reyes highlights a mom's journey on juggling work and single parenting while trying to raise her daughter to the best of her abilities  

• Sayaw by Mihk Vergara delves into the reality of coping with a long-time marriage that has gone cold and seemingly way past redemption

Access the films at www.sunshorts2.com or through Sun Life's Facebook page. Each mini movie comes with a complementary video where Sun Life brand ambassadors Matteo Gudicelli, Judy Ann Santos, and Piolo Pascual share their thoughts and have discussions with friends to shed light on how insurance and investments enable us to protect the relationships that matter to us.

"The people we love make us a better version of ourselves. So it is important to nurture these relationships because they define us as a people," reminded Ms. Charo Santos-Concio during the Sun Shorts media launch. "We should be able to express our love by securing a bright future for our loved ones and Sun Life will help us make that happen."

Learn more about life insurance and mutual funds by also joining Sun Life's series of activities throughout the month to boost your financial journey. For more details, visit @sunlifeph on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Meanwhile, if you prefer to learn at your most convenient time, there are also basic financial planning courses online at the Brighter Life Institute. Just log in at www.brighterlife.com.ph.

Lastly, Sun Life is launching PA Armor, an affordable personal accident protection that can be easily bought through Sun Life's partnership with Voyager Innovations, Inc.'s online marketplace Takatack.com.

Ms. Mylene sums their advocacy by assuring Filipinos, "Life insurance is a gift of commitment, life, and hope. For as long as [you] have dreams to pursue and relationships to care for, Sun Life will be here as [your] partner in this journey." 

Loving couples that don’t have ANY disagreements do not exist! Take it from two people who are a year away from celebrating 25 years of marriage. That would be my husband and me 😉

The truth is, every relationship has its conflicts and we all know people who still get to survive numerous disagreements with their partners. Why? Because, after a fight, we remain willing to patch things up. 

Last year, Pru Life UK released the results of the Pru Life UK Relationship Index (PRI) that studied peoples’ relationships in 10 Asian countries. The Philippines ranked second out of ten nations in terms of relationship satisfaction. On average, Filipinos’ primary relationships – with their partner (74%), their children (59%), and their friends (50%) – fulfill 79% of their desired relationship needs.

“Filipinos are a highly relational people,” affirmed Gizelle Villareal-Camua, Pru Life UK’s Head and AVP for Brand and Communications in an intimate media event held at Frank & Dean in Bonifacio Global City. As a good example, she mentioned a certain fast food brand’s series of Valentines Day videos that went viral last month. “Those are about relationships and are clear examples of how we are as a people.”

Referring to the PRI survey results, Gizelle likewise shared that, despite a high satisfaction in relationships, Filipinos were found to argue more, with money as the most likely source of quarrels. Too, there is some disagreement between Filipino married couples over who decides where the money goes.

Gizelle Camua of Pru Life UK

(Please read more about the PRI results in my other blog post, here: http://mommywrites.blogspot.com/2016/12/pru-life-uks-2016-relationship-index.html. You may learn a lot things that could help improve your relationships with the people you most care about.)

As part of its financial literacy advocacy, Pru Life UK invited bestselling author and finance and relationship coach Rose Fres Fausto to conduct a couple’s workshop on money management for members of the media. This is in line with Pru Life UK’s goal to help Filipinos understand our relationships better so we can make them more rewarding. 

My husband and I joined other couples in taking a Financial Intelligence Quotient (FQ) test that can be found on Rose’s website, FQMom.com. She said that our results would help us know where we are in terms of financial know-how. I got a higher score than my husband, which affirmed that I am more diligent in studying about savings and investments than he is 😄

FQ Mom Rose Fausto

Next, Rose discussed with us the difference between Conjugal Partnership of Gains (CPG) versus Absolute Community of Property (ACP), under the old and new Family Code of the Philippines, and how ACP (promulgated in 1987) affects married couples and their children when it comes to ownership of properties.

Third, she had us recall a Childhood Money Memory that we wrote down on a piece of paper. Some of our fellow participants shared their stories to the whole group and how certain circumstances in their past continue to influence their money issues today. 

I liked how this activity started a lengthy and healthy discussion between my husband and me while we were going home. Together, we analyzed why we feel strongly about certain money matters and conceded that many of our finance-related decisions in the past, up to the present, indeed had a basis on some of our childhood experiences.

Rose then showed us a Power Point Presentation that highlighted lessons from her book, The Retelling of the Richest Man in Babylon. It’s a story written for children that adults can also learn a lot from. From the book are three things we should remember about handling money:

1. Pay yourself first.

2. Get into a business that you understand and get advice from those who already have experience.

3. Make your gold work for you.

If you’re curious about the longer explanations for each, do get yourself a copy of Rose’s book (with English and Tagalog versions) so you can also share the story with your family. 

Cha-Ching on the web

Lastly, she encouraged us to work on a design that will help us Become a High FQ Couple:

1. Start with your life goals.

2. Keep no secrets from each other.

3. Automate saving and investing.

4. Have your regular balance sheet meeting.

5. Raise your kids to have high FQ.

Speaking of High FQ Kids, Pru Life UK teamed up with Cartoon Network Asia to create Cha-Ching, a TV show for kids ages 7 to 12 that teaches them the 4 Basic Money Smarts: Earn, Save, Spend Wisely, and Donate. In case you don’t have access to the cable channel, your children can visit chaching.cartoonnetworkasia.com to watch educational music videos, play games, check out apps, or download catchy songs.

In addition, there’s a section for parents that provides resources for at-home activities they can do with the kids to practice money smart habits and enhance learnings from the music videos.

moms and dads with Gizelle, Rose, and the Pru Life UK team

I highly encourage fellow moms and dads to learn more about raising your Financial Intelligence Quotient (FQ) as a family. As Pru Life UK CEO and President Antonio de Rosas said in a past media event, if you’re more knowledgeable about money matters and are focused on your goals, you and your partner could avoid quarreling about finances more often. 

Personally, I’d rather argue with my better half over what ice cream flavor to buy the next time we go grocery shopping 😉.

Filipinos are known to value our families much more than those from other nations. This is evident in the way we try to take good care of our elderly and the efforts many of us make to give our children the best lives possible.

This 2016, Pru Life UK launched Asia’s first Relationship Index, a study across ten (10) Asian countries that measured peoples’ satisfaction with their primary relationships and what can be done to improve them. These pertain to relationships with partners, children, family, and friends.

Results showed that the Philippines ranked second (next to Vietnam) out of 10 Asian countries in terms of relationship fulfillment with a satisfaction score of 79/100. This means Filipinos’ primary relationships, on average, fulfill 79% of their desired relationship needs.

“Relationships are at the heart of our business. We know our customers buy our products to protect the people and relationships they care most about. We also know that good relationships are crucial to our happiness and good health,” explained Pru Life UK CEO and President Antonio de Rosas during the Index’s media launch held in Dusit Thani, Makati City.

These days, saying "I Do" has become lavish affairs that couples thoroughly plan for to create a truly memorable event. In the Philippines, Conrad Manila is the latest wedding urban destination to provide soon-to-be husbands and wives with their dream weddings.

The idyllic venue brings to life dream nuptials with the help of its dedicated and inspired team of individuals who ensure that guests' needs are impeccably met and every detail immaculately executed. Conrad Manila further features pillar-less, high-ceilinged ballrooms and a spacious outdoor garden able to accommodate various kinds of affairs that range from intimate to big social celebrations.

But, aside from being conveniently located near the city's grandest churches, this hotel is also perfectly situated such that weddings and other important gatherings could have the romantic detail of the picturesque Manila Bay sunset vista as their breathtaking backdrop.

We are all in different kinds of relationships and they shape us into who we are and what we may still become. The other night, I watched a bittersweet comedy at the Mind Museum called Love/Sick by John Cariani, staged by Upstart Productions. This the first main-stream theatrical offering to be featured at the establishment's auditorium.

the amazing cast of Love/Sick

The show features nine vignettes exploring romantic relationships at various stages. The loosely connected stories tackle moments that range from the first meeting to dating to disillusionment and divorce. As the New York Times described, the critically-acclaimed series of plays "delivers laugh and some cleverness" and would most likely appeal to fans of Almost, Maine, another work written by Cariani.

Love/Sick, defined by Theater Mania as an "unromantic comedy," will make you smile, laugh, feel sad, think, and go "Awwww!" Whether you're single, married, or in an undefined relationship, there's a character or instance in the show that you would probably identify with.

John Cariani