CEBU CITY – Teachers and small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) in Cebu have become the primary sectors benefited by a thrift bank’s continuous quest to create digital financial services.
The City Savings Bank, Inc. (CitySavings) continues to assist the teachers and SMEs for their easy, convenient digital banking systems amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic through its relevant products and digital channels.
Lorenzo Ocampo, City Savings president and chief executive officer, said in a statement on Thursday the bank started the rollout of its own Visa Debit Card last year as a safer and more convenient channel to transact online.
To date, more than 75,000 of the bank’s clients have switched to the new Visa Debit card, as all savings account holders are expected to be fully re-carded by October 2021
Paula Ruelan, assistant vice president for reputation and brand management, that CitySavings’ official chatbot, “Talk to Maria” is like a 24/7 sales associate that provides a quick and easy way for new clients to apply for a loan online from the comfort of their own home and can provide information on product and service-related inquiries, bank advisories, as well as ATM and branch locations.
The bank, she said, also recognizes the huge demand for motorcycle loans needed for socially distanced, convenient, and affordable transportation as it recently launched its 0-percent interest installment product for education and medical front-liners which allows them to avail of pre-loved motorcycle units payable in 12, 18, and 24 months.
Meanwhile, in response to the Department of Education’s (DepEd) call for support from stakeholders, the bank has pivoted most of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs to support educators in transitioning to blended teaching and learning modalities.
To date, over 200,000 educators have benefitted from these intensive online training programs.
Ruelan said the bank currently provides tools and courses to upgrade educators’ online teaching skills through Project Agile: Learning Series for Teachers and HEROES 2021 (Help Educators Rise to Online Education SY 2020-2021) in partnership with Thames International School, EduRescue Philippines and Akadasia Singapore.
One of its core programs, Ruelan said, is “Project Peraparasyon” which is instrumental in strengthening the bank’s advocacy on financial literacy to educators and non-teaching personnel across the country.
The program highlights the simple steps on saving, building an investment and managing debt as keys to practical wealth management.
The bank also partnered with MentalHealthPH and introduced Project #BetterMe, a mental wellness program for the front-liners in education, aiming to help teachers develop self-care strategies and provide practical ways to take better care of their mental well-being amidst the challenges they face in the new normal, she added. (PNA)
