PRESS RELEASE: Cebuana Lhuillier Holds Pasasalamat Event

PASASALAMAT Event: Cebuana Lhuillier extends heartfelt thanks to loyal clients for decades of trust, loyalty

For many of Cebuana Lhuillier’s pawning clients, their pieces of jewelry are more than valued accessories. To many, these items were heirloom pieces, fruits of their hard work, or precious investments. During times of need, they also represent a quick solution, an opportunity for a better life, or a fresh restart.

For more than 35 years, Cebuana Lhuillier has known these stories from its clients as they go through its doors during their times of need. More than its high appraisal rates, they comfort its clients with the assistance of well-trained branch personnel and the assurance that its precious pieces are safely and securely taken care of. This eases the burden of parting with the jewelry for the clients, until the time that they come back to claim their pawned items.

Aware that the value of the items in their care goes beyond their weight in gold, Cebuana Lhuillier thought of a way to further give meaning to the Holiday Season for some of its most loyal clients.

Salamat, Ka-Cebuana

As part of its CSR initiatives, the company has made it its annual tradition to give back to those in need during the Holidays. Usually, these gift-giving activities were held every 6th of December in celebration of the Feast of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of pawnbrokers and the inspiration behind the legend of Santa Claus.

This year, Cebuana Lhuillier chose the best recipients—its valued clients, many of whom have stayed with the company for years, entrusting some of their most precious items in their times of need. The event, dubbed “Pasasalamat,” gathered more than 200 clients across eight regional locations nationwide in a simultaneous celebration of thanks and love from Cebuana Lhuillier. The gathering proved to be more than a celebration as attendees were feted to a day of fun and prizes, but the end of the program proved to be the most poignant of all when Cebuana Lhuillier, through its operations team, returned all the pawned items of its attendees as a special surprise.

Jean Henri Lhuillier, President and CEO, shared, “Pasasalamat 2022 is our way of giving thanks to our clients for the trust and partnership we have established in the last 35 years. We’ve known their stories—and were blessed to be with them as they chased their dreams and provided better lives for their loved ones. With “Pasasalamat,” we are returning this trust by gifting them the items they pawned with us. We hope that through this small gesture, Cebuana Lhuillier is able to give further meaning to this season.”

A Season of Joy, Hope, and Giving Thanks

For many of the attendees of the Pasasalamat celebration, the unexpected blessings were more than expressions of gratitude coming from a long-time ally—it brought hope and joy as precious pieces, family heirlooms, and cherished investments found their way back to them.

For Grecilda Torres, a small business owner and client of Cebuana Lhuilier for 26 years, the unexpected return of her pawned items—all rings—brought to tears. “Nakaka-touch isipin na gumawa ng time si Cebuana Lhuillier na ipakita sa amin na importante kami. I am very much grateful and thankful na—yung 26 years naming magkasama, it keeps going lang. My business and the business of Cebuana Lhuillier, magkasama pa din kami. Nagka-doctor na akong anak, pero still, nandito pa din ako with Cebuana. And for that, I am very thankful,” she shares.

Meanwhile, Remigia Mejia, a 79-year-old cancer survivor and loyal client of Cebuana Lhuillier for 30 years, cannot believe that a pendant which her late husband gifted her before they were married has found its way back to her. She shares, “Hindi ko akalain na babalik yung mga alahas ko since pinag-iipunan ko din na matubos sila. Karamihan sa kanila, matatagal na sa akin, including yung pendant na bigay ng asawa ko and yung singsing ng anak ko which I gave her nung nag-debut siya. As much as possible, ayaw ko silang maremata kasi they are very valuable and sentimental pieces para sa akin. Kaya nagpapasalamat ako sa Cebuana Lhuillier for this event and for the many years na hindi nya din ako pinabayaan. Nagtra-trabaho pa lang ako, kasama ko na ang Cebuana Lhuillier and even till now, kami pa din ang magkasama.”

For Ana Marie Mendoza Rapido, a teacher from Cavite and a Ka-Cebuana since 2012, Cebuana Lhuillier has been a trusted ally during times of emergencies. Through their pieces of jewelry, Ana Marie and her siblings were able to sustain the hospitalization and medication of their mother who has been in and out of hospitals in the last ten years. “Ang Cebuana po, trusted na namin at lagi naming taga-sagip sa oras ng kagipitan, lalo na nung panahon ng pandemic,” shared Ana Marie who was in tears when she opened the box and saw her pawned item inside.

Grecilda, Remigia, and Ana Marie were just three of the many loyal clients whose continued trust and loyalty to Cebuana Lhuillier proved to be instrumental in the company’s continued reign as the country’s number one pawnshop.  With Pasasalamat, the decades-old financial institution was able to express and extend its thanks to the many whose continued patronage remains the reason for its longevity and its continuous desire to serve as an ally and a friend to millions of Filipinos and their journey towards a better future.

Cebuana Lhuillier Celebrates World Savings Day

It’s October 31, 2022! It’s Halloween!

Well, aside from that, there’s also another event worth celebrating today – it’s World Savings Day! In fact, Cebuana Lhuillier has been celebrating this consistently for some years now, never missing a bit in their quest for awareness of the importance of saving as a fundamental step towards the journey to financial freedom.

This year, in anticipation of the event, Cebuana Lhuillier, the Philippines’ leading and largest micro-financial services provider, held an intimate but knowledge-packed blogger session dubbed ” 2022 World Savings Day: Restart Your Finances”. It had a guest speaker, SavingsPinay.ph’s blogger, Ms. Izza Glino.

The Financial Advisor in me was delighted to have been invited as any talk about financial literacy is always a welcome treat. Savings, after all, is the best foundation that can jumpstart one’s journey toward achieving financial freedom.

The talk aimed to impart valuable knowledge and awareness on how we can get our finances back on track. Towards the end, there was even a bonus activity – a workshop on how to use bullet journaling to help us keep track of our finances, monitor our cash flow, and stick to your set budget.

All attendees were oblivious to the heavy rains outside as we were all focused on the topics on hand. In the end, Izza and Cebuana Lhuillier were able to successfully send the message across. How can Filipinos reset and solve their money problems? Izza shared seven (7) steps you can follow and take to heart:

  1. UNDERSTAND YOUR CURRENT FINANCIAL SITUATION
    • Take inventory of your finances – your income. expenses, debt, and assets. With a clear picture of your current financial standing, you can easily draw a plan to solve your money problems.
  2. REVIEW YOUR SPENDING HABITS
    • Find out WHO and HOW are you when it comes to spending your own money lately.
      • Are you a SAVER or a SPENDER
      • Do you spend more on your needs or your wants?
  3. MAKE SMALL CHANGES
    • Find small ways you can reduce your daily expenditure in order to save more
      • What tiny habits can you do for your finances?
  4. BUDGET
    • Setting and following a monthly budget can help you gain a sense of control
  5. SET NEW OR BETTER SAVING GOALS
    • Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals – as any financial advisor will teach everyone, our goals should always be “SMART” – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound. These parameters as they pertain to your goal help ensure that your objectives are attainable within a certain time frame.
  6. PUT YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
    • Implement steps that can minimize the chances of another financial setback.
  7. CORRECT AND ADJUST
    • Perfection is impossible. Get started with your saving goals, correct and adjust along the way.

Starting your savings is key to opening the doors to financial freedom. With well-established savings, you can level up to more financial instruments that are necessary to provide that peace of mind and a lifetime of financial stability.

Choose to restart your finances now!

With Cebuana Lhuillier’s Micro Savings, you can open regular savings account easier because it doesn’t require a maintaining balance. Account holders can deposit anytime and withdraw anywhere at their most convenient time with Cebuana Lhuillier’s network of more than 3,000 branches nationwide. As a Micro Savings account holder, you can also pay cashless using your card in any of 350,000 Unionpay and Bancnet accredited retail stores and withdraw in any of  21,000+ Bancnet ATM nationwide.

Micro Savings provides Filipinos with a more convenient and affordable means to save their hard-earned money.  Filipino citizens as young as 7 years old are qualified to open a savings account, which can be considered as a “kids savings” or “junior savings” account in banks.

Happy World Savings Day everyone. I wish you all a smooth journey to financial wellness. As Cebuana Lhuillier always reminds us, “Maging isang IPONARYO, dahil PANALO LAGI ANG MAY IPON!

The Barangay Resilience Exchange 2022

Are you and your community ready when disaster strikes? Can you survive a calamity?

These and other disaster-related issues were the topics that the 2nd Barangay Resilience Exchange Forum (BRX2022), an initiative of Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation, Inc., aimed to discuss when it held its sessions on October 13 and 14, 2022.

Adopting a theme of “Ang Handang Barangay, Mahusay!”, this year’s forum – the first and only digital conference of its kind in the Philippines, highlighted the importance of collaboration and coordination among the government, private organizations, NGOs, and the community in order to survive and thrive following a major calamity.

“Cebuana Lhuillier has always prided itself on its commitment towards helping Filipinos lead better lives—whether through our call towards financial inclusion or through our CSR programs designed to empower Filipinos. Disaster Resilience is one of our main thrusts as it impacts the safety, security, and livelihood of the very communities we serve. Through BRX2022 and with the help of our partner institutions, our hope is that our barangay leaders will get valuable learnings that they can use in times of emergencies,” shares Jean Henri Lhuillier, president & CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier.

Jonathan Batangan, First Vice President & CLFI Executive Director, adds, “The second staging of BRX2022 continues CLFI’s thrust in promoting the importance of public-private and community collaboration. We are lucky to have gotten the support of the government, as well as the organizations who lead the way when it comes to disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, rehabilitation, and recovery encompassing the disaster risk reduction and management value chain”.

First Vice President & CLFI Executive Director, Jonathan Batangan was joined by BRX2022 Speakers Dr. Ted Esguerra, Ms. Veronica Gabaldon, Ms. Simonette Lat and Dr. Mahar Lagmay as they sign the BRX2022 Manifesto

With the support of the government through the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), this year’s BRX Forum offered two days of online learning courtesy of the number of agencies who signed up to share their knowledge. Leading its roster of speakers are DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., and Secretary Renato Solidum of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). Also sharing their expertise for the first day of the two-day event include Dr. Alfredo Mahar Lagmay, Executive Director of UP Resilience Institute, Joy Santiago, EnP of the UP NOAH Center, Dr. Jojo Sayson, President & Founder of Project Michael Angelo Foundation, Usec. Raymundo Ferrer from the Office of the Civil Defense of the Department of National Defense, and Felix Ayque, Founder & CEO of Komunidad.

The second day of BRX featured talks from Dr. Teofredo Esguerra from the Energy Development Corporation, as well as live interviews featuring disaster resilience advocates, local community leaders from across the country and panel discussions with representatives from Department of Trade and Industry (DTI),  Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), German Cooperation Agency (GIZ), Globe Telecom, SM Supermalls, Oxfam , Sagip Kapamilya, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices, Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Brokers,  among others.

At least 4,000 registered for this two-day event. They were composed of Barangay Leaders, Local Government Units, Non-profit and Civil Society Organizations, MSMEs, and the media.

You probably missed out on this but don’t fret, you can still check out the forum as it was recorded and streamed live on various social media pages. Learn a lot of knowledge and tips on how to be fully prepared in times of calamities. Check out days 1 and 2 of the forum from the following:

For more details, visit https://cebuanafoundation.org/brx-barangay-resilience-exchange/

Zaldy Bueno – Public School Teacher, is 2019 Happiest Pinoy!

Cebuana Lhuillier’s 2019 edition of the Search for the Happiest Pinoy has finally been concluded last May 29 at the Grand Awarding Ceremony with Public School Teacher from Gumaca, Quezon, 37-year old Zaldy Bueno honoured as the 4th Happiest Pinoy!

The event, was intimate- by popular awards ceremony standards, but is still grand! The program opened with a production number from Philippines’ pride – El Gamma Penumbra and with additional entertainment provided by the UP Singing Ambassadors. Ang bongga talaga!



The top 10 finalists were initially presented wearing Filipiniana attire, each one looking like a winner! 

But of all ten, Zaldy came out on top, chosen by the judges to be the one who most exemplifies the character of a Happiest Pinoy – a Filipino with the innate characters of optimism, resilience, and hope amidst different life crises. I will never forget that one of Zaldy’s greatest achievement was the help he gave his mother in order for her to finish her secondary education. Sya ang naging teacher ng nanay nya!

I am truly grateful to have been invited to the Happiest Pinoy events – from meeting the first ever Happiest Pinoy, to getting to know the top ten finalists up-close and to finally seeing who the grand winner is. The Search for the Happiest Pinoy was not just a very meaningful journey for all who took part in it, but also an inspiring journey for bloggers like myself who was able to follow their progress. 

Congratulations Zaldy! You deserve to be the Happiest Pinoy 2019! Kudos to Cebuana Lhuillier, led by their President and CEO, Jean Henri Lhuillier! You not only know how to come up with awesome micro-financing products but also with projects or advocacies that highlight the indomitable Filipino spirit. Cheers!

To read more about the event, please refer to the official press release below.

PRESS RELEASE:

Public School Teacher named Cebuana Lhuillier’s Happiest Pinoy 2019

Zaldy Bueno, a 37-year old teacher from Gumaca, Quezon was hailed as the 4th Happiest Pinoy, winning Cebuana Lhuillier’s Search for the Happiest Pinoy which honors and celebrates the Filipinos’ innate “optimism, resilience, and hope amidst different life crises.”

Zaldy bested nine other finalists from different categories, winning one million cash and a trophy.

The board of judges composed of Usec. Zenaida Maglaya, Gang Badoy Capati, James Deakin, RJ Ledesma, Love Anover-Lianko, Jonathan Yabut, Winston Maxino, Rommel Arellano, and Richardson Navor chose Bueno unanimously by virtue of his advocacy to see more children’s lives change through education. Zaldy volunteered as an ALS teacher and taught on weekends, he even had his mother as his student at one point and helped her finish her secondary education. Zaldy also co-founded project PADYAK in 2017, PADYAK stands for Pidal Apakan Dunong Yayaman, Asenso’y Kakamtan, which aims to provide bicycle units for students who could not afford to travel to school.

The project turned out huge with so many people donating new and used bicycle units from all over the Philippines even getting donations from OFWs abroad. This project drastically increased attendance for students at school for which their school received a perfect attendance award.

“I am very happy with the results of this year’s search — with over 800,000 entries received through our branches, online, SMS, and walk-in entries. It’s been amazing to read the entries of the 10 finalists and Zaldy proves to be a worthy winner as his tale will definitely inspire countless people to push on despite life’s difficulties, Zaldy exemplifies the commendable Filipino spirit of rising up from your current predicament and using that as fuel to make a difference in the lives of others.” said Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO, Jean Henri Lhuillier.

Currently, Bueno serves as the head teacher of the English department at the Gumaca National High School. As a kid, their family would often encounter financial difficulties, Zaldy would help his mom wash clothes for their neighbours and would get his daily allowance from selling vegetables he planted to augment the family income. Zaldy vowed to work hard and study hard in order to improve their life.

A turning point in Zaldy’s life was when typhoon Rosing hit in 1995 which completely obliterated their house, and forced to stay at the barangay health center. During clinic days, Zaldy and his family had to move their things on the street to accommodate the influx of patients.

After graduating secondary school, Zaldy tried to get a college education but had to stop schooling due to financial constraints. In order to get back to school, he had to work two jobs, including stints at a tile store and as an advertiser scout for a local radio station. He finished college after 6 years.

Bueno is the fourth winner of the biennial search following Richardson Navor (2015), Rommel Arellano (2012), and Winston Maxino (2009).

When asked what Bueno will do with the prize money, he shared that he will use it to further improve Project PADYAK by acquiring more bike units which more youths can use to get to school. He also shared that he will use a part of it to bring his parents to Singapore for a well-deserved vacation.

Breaking its own record, the Cebuana Lhuillier search received over 800,000 nominations this year, the most entries it received in its ten-year history.

Happiest Pinoy Grand Winner Announcement on May 29!

Place your bets now as the Happiest Pinoy top 10 finalists – actually, the top winner for each of the 10 categories, has been announced and presented to media and bloggers:

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  • Khaye Celine Maggay – youth 
  • Francisca Tumampil – senior citizens
  • Fortunato Januto – OFWs
  • Rodrigo Roble Jr – lingkod bayan
  • Zaldy Bueno – professionals
  • Hercules Soringa – manggagawang Pinoy
  • Mark David Cerezo – entrepreneurs
  • Alfred Santos – employees
  • Jayson Dela Fuente – persons with disability
  • Leovy John Terrado – LGBTQ community

These ten were luckily chosen from close to 800,000 applications, the largest number of entries that this campaign has had so far.

The grand winner, who is bound to take home one million pesos (Php1M) in cash prize, will be chosen by these members of the panel of judges:

  • Zenaida Maglaya – DTI Undersecretary and head of the panel
  • Gang Badoy Capati – Rock Education Project Inc. founder
  • RJ Ledesma – Entreph co-founder and Motivational Speaker
  • James Deakin – TV host, journalist and online influencer
  • Love Anover-Lianko – TV host
  • Jonathan Yabut – The Apprentice Asia winner and JY Consultancy and Ventures founder and managing director
  • Winston Maxino – first Happiest Pinoy Grand Winner
  • Rommel Arellano – former Happiest Pinoy Grand Winner 
  • Richardson Navor – former Happiest Pinoy Grand Winner 

The Happiest Pinoy is an advocacy program of Cebuana Lhuillier, the country’s largest micro-financial services company. The program celebrates the value of optimism, resilience and hope as it aims to find a Filipino who has a positive outlook in life, was able to rise above life’s challenges and had a positive impact in the lives of others.

“Filipinos are one of the most resilient people in the world, facing life’s challenges with optimism, faith and can-do attitude. At Cebuana Lhuillier, we believe that this should be recognized and encouraged at all times,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier president and CEO.

The Search for the Happiest Pinoy Grand Awards Night will be held on May 29, 2018 at the New World Hotel in Makati.