BUKIDNON 3rd District Rep. Audrey Kay Zubiri is advocating for financial education to be included as a core subject in both Junior and Senior High School under the proposed Financial Education and Literacy Act.

Zubiri urged her colleagues to support House Bill No. 6091, which she authored, noting that the measure addresses the growing problem of Filipino families trapped in debt due to limited financial knowledge, weak saving habits, and reliance on informal and often exploitative lending institutions.

Failing to tackle the issue now, she said, risks keeping the next generation stuck in a cycle of poverty and indebtedness.

“This bill is about prevention. If we do not equip our young people with the right financial skills early on, we are setting them up for the same struggles their parents face today,” Zubiri said.

She cited World Bank research showing that 47.1 percent of Filipino adults are currently in debt, while only 19 percent are debt-free. The data also indicate that younger adults aged 18 to 39 have higher financial literacy, whereas middle-aged and older Filipinos have limited exposure to formal financial education.

Under the bill, financial literacy would be integrated into the basic education curriculum, teaching students practical skills such as budgeting, saving, responsible borrowing, and financial planning.

Zubiri emphasized that institutionalizing financial literacy in schools is a long-term investment that can help cultivate financially responsible citizens and strengthen the country’s economic resilience.