The taboo no one dares to question, and the quiet rebellion of young Filipinos daring to break it, peso by peso.
I couldn’t talk about money until I was drowning in it. Not the good kind, not in savings, not in dividends, not in “magpa-Grab food ako today” freedom. I was drowning in invisible expenses, emotional guilt, and a sinking feeling that I was the only one who didn’t know how to float.
But here’s the plot twist: I wasn’t alone.
In the Philippines, where family is sacred and appearances are everything, money is treated like Voldemort, he who must not be named. We post our travels, our brunches, our “salary flex” TikToks. But who’s really talking about how much they owe? Who admits they only have P378.95 left by the 27th of the month? Or that their parents expect them to be the emergency fund of the household?
According to a 2023 Sun Life survey, 82.6% of Gen Z Filipinos don’t have enough savings to cover 6 months of expenses. And yet, we’d rather make another Canva post about “soft saving” than admit we’re financially stretched and emotionally spent.
Why?
Is our silence cultural, generational, or just survival?
The High Cost of Hiding
Money taboo isn’t just about etiquette. It’s a costly silence.
When we don’t talk about money, we don’t learn how to manage it. We don’t ask questions. We don’t negotiate salaries. We buy insurance without knowing what a rider is. We fall for crypto hype because it looked sexy on TikTok.
According to a 2022 BSP Financial Inclusion Survey, only 34% of Filipino adults could answer three basic financial literacy questions correctly. That’s less than half. And yet we’re expected to sign 20-year mortgages and invest in mutual funds?
What’s more dangerous: not knowing, or pretending you do?
The Myth of “Magaling sa Math = Magaling sa Money”
Let’s kill the myth once and for all. Just because you’re an engineer or an accountant doesn’t mean you’re good at managing money.
(I should know. I design buildings for a living, and I still had a financial collapse after my 23rd birthday.)
Money is emotional. It’s tied to trauma, pride, fear, even love. So why do we expect logic alone to save us?
Should we stop seeing money as a spreadsheet and start seeing it as a mirror?
Finfluencers, Budol Culture, and the Quiet Crisis of Comparison
On one end of the spectrum, you have finance gurus selling you the dream: “Just budget your 30k and you can invest, save, retire at 40, and still buy an iPhone.” On the other? Your feed is full of #BudolFinds, #GastosGoals, and content that subtly tells you: If you’re not spending, are you even happy?
Here’s the irony: 60% of Filipino Gen Z and Millennials rely on financial advice from social media, but 1 in 3 regret following it.
What if the algorithm is shaping your wallet more than your actual goals?
And in the age of soft saving, when the narrative is “live for now, we don’t know the future,” who’s left planning for the future at all?
Should we blame the influencers, or our own unwillingness to pause and plan?
You Can’t Heal What You Won’t Say
Here’s the unpopular truth: most people aren’t bad with money. They’re just bad at talking about it.
Not talking about money leads to financial trauma, dysfunctional relationships, and even generational debt.
What if instead of hiding our bank balances like nudes, we treated money talks like therapy? A safe space to confess, cry, and then correct.
Because you deserve more than late-night guilt Googling “how to budget my 15k salary.” You deserve a real conversation.
Would you have one if you knew no one would judge you?
A Space to Speak Freely
Here’s the truth: I offer free online 1-on-1 financial coaching, not because I have all the answers, but because you do.
My job is to ask you the right questions. To help you see what’s actually going on in your cashflow. To stop the cycle of fear and confusion by finally… talking.
Think of it like a coffee chat with a financially literate, judgment-free friend who happens to know how to untangle budgets like they’re messy bra straps.
It’s not therapy. But sometimes? It feels like it.
So what happens when we finally start talking about money?
We stop guessing. We start deciding.
We stop comparing. We start planning.
We stop hiding. We start healing.
Are you ready to talk?
Book a free 1-on-1 session and let’s break the silence together.
sources & References:
- Sun Life Philippines (2023).
Sun Life Life & Livelihood Study 2023 – Gen Z & Millennial Report.
Source: https://www.sunlife.com.ph - Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) – Financial Inclusion Survey (2022).
Source: https://www.bsp.gov.ph/Media_And_Research/FIS - Visa Philippines: 2022 Consumer Payment Attitudes Study.
Source: https://www.visa.com.ph - Manulife Asia Care Study 2023.
Source: https://www.manulife.com.ph - National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) & Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Source: https://psa.gov.ph
