The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), through the University of the Philippines Ventures for International and Transformative Academia (UP VINTA), welcomed Enrich Hong Kong for a courtesy call and exploratory meeting on 25 August 2026 to discuss potential areas of collaboration, particularly in developing financial literacy courses and learning opportunities for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families.
UPOU Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Assoc. Prof. Aurora Lacaste (third from right), with (from left) Clarenz Rendell Ocampo, Project Staff from Faculty of Management and Development Studies (FMDS); Asst. Prof. Lorena Jean Saludadez, Assistant to the Chancellor for UP VINTA; Ms. Shine de Castro of Enrich Hong Kong; Asst. Prof. Jephte Muñez, faculty member of FMDS; and Ms. Maryrose Alingasa, UP VINTA Project Staff, during the courtesy call and exploratory meeting at the UPOU Headquarters.
UPOU Vice Chancellor Aurora Lacaste welcomed Enrich Hong Kong to the UPOU Headquarters on behalf of the UPOU Chancellor, Prof. Joane Serrano.
After the courtesy call, Ms. Shine de Castro, Head of Development of Enrich Hong Kong, shared insights into the financial concerns and learning needs of migrant workers in Hong Kong. The discussion highlighted financial pressures, debt management, and the challenges migrant workers may encounter when accessing financial services, including unauthorized online lending platforms.
The meeting also underscored the importance of providing accessible and practical financial education to help OFWs make informed financial decisions and better manage their resources while working abroad.
UPOU and Enrich Hong Kong during the hybrid exploratory meeting to identify ways forward for the financial literacy initiatives for OFWs.
UPOU also shared its ongoing exploration of financial literacy initiatives, including potential courses on money management, the time value of money, risk and return in personal finance, and investment options. These learning opportunities may be designed to address the practical financial needs of OFWs and support them in making sound financial decisions for themselves and their families.
The exploratory meeting was a result of UPOU’s recent engagement with the Filipino community in Hong Kong through the UP VINTA lecture-workshop on digital literacy held in July 2026. The engagement provided an opportunity for UPOU to better understand the learning needs of OFWs and identify areas where open and accessible education can contribute to their personal and professional development.
Through the meeting, UPOU and Enrich Hong Kong identified financial literacy as a potential area of collaboration, with the shared goal of providing relevant learning opportunities that can benefit OFWs and their families.
Written by Maryrose Alingasa | Edited by Lorena Jean Saludadez, Primo Garcia and Anna Cañas-Llamas
