BANK of Saipan on Monday premiered the second episode of its animated series on financial literacy “for ages 7 to 107” at the bank’s corporate headquarters on Beach Road in Chalan Laulau.
There has been a lot of positive feedback from children when BoS launched “Dollar & Sense Episode 1: Introduction to Money Matters” in March last year, said Koniko Nakazato, one of the scriptwriters.
You can watch it on Bank of Saipan’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6p5aKdWB8Q
In that episode, the main and youngest character, seven-year-old Koku, learns the importance of saving money, as well as basic lessons on spending and borrowing money.
A special education teacher at Francisco M. Sablan Middle School, Nakazato said after watching the first episode of the financial literacy video, children became interested in learning how to make wise financial decisions in life.
In “Dollar & Sense Episode II: Counting Money,” Koku asked his grandmother, Nana, a retired accountant, to help count the money in his piggy bank. Koku wants to know if he has enough to open his own bank account.
To watch Episode 2, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foSzeEWFS-c
BOS President and Chief Executive Officer John Z. Arroyo said their effort to provide financial literacy through a series of short videos short “is unique, as it is specially created to appeal to consumers in the Northern Marianas.”
“The ‘Dollars & Sense’ videos depict a local multigenerational family’s journey to financial education,” he added. “While the focus of the videos is on the local experience, the lessons imparted are universally applicable.”
A banker for more than 30 years now, Arroyo believes that learning financial management — from the basics of creating a budget and saving money to the more advanced competencies in investing, trading, credit management, and retirement planning — is a life skill that takes years of practice and discipline to master.
As such, he emphasized the need to teach financial education at a young age.
“There are many important lessons and life skills that we learn in school or from parents, family and friends,” Arroyo said. “Others we learn on the job. There is one very important lesson, however, that is often missed, and that is how to manage money. I believe that in order for this important life skill to be learned and to help our people make sound, financially responsible decisions, we have to start offering financial education to children at a young age.”
He said Bank of Saipan “is committed to provide financial support, direction, and banking expertise to produce a full series of videos for various age groups. The videos will provide useful information on money matters for all ages, from as young as 7 years to teenagers to high schoolers to college students and older adults.:
He said the bank continues to use a wealth of local talent in its financial literacy videos — from scriptwriting to voice acting — to give a platform for local artistic expression.
Aside from Nakazato, the others who penned the script were Daisy Villagomez-Bier and Laura Kyonka.
Priscilla T. Dela Cruz, Mount Carmel School business administrative assistant, played the role of Nana while Mount Carmel School Theater Club actors Maili Peter and Kainoa Tenorio gave life to the characters of Prima Kaya and Koku.
Arroyo said they want financial literacy included in the CNMI’s education system.
“A young girl who previewed Episode 2 was so excited about it that she wanted to learn more about counting money,” he said. “So we invited her to the branch, here, on Friday. BoS Operations Manager Gina Deleon Guerrero and staffers brought down some money, and for one hour and a half, the young girl was counting money.”
Bank of Saipan President and Chief Executive Officer John Z. Arroyo, second right, BoS Operations Manager Gina Deleon Guerrero, right, script writer and Francisco M. Sablan Middle School teacher Koniko Nakazato, second left, and BoS Loan Manager Karen Kalen, left, pose with life-size cut-outs of Koku, Nana and Kaya at the BoS corporate headquarters on Beach Road, Chalan Laulau Monday.
