Rj and Romelee Angeles share how giving back to the community fuels their drive to pursue success. Guided by compassion, selflessness, and community, the Angeles family is leading the way to a more sustainable future for Filipino society.
For the Angeles family, a life lived for others is a life worthwhile. Helping Filipino youth access higher education not only continues their late father’s legacy but also keeps them inspired and motivated to build relationships with existing partners and future innovators.
Now the country’s leading soft commodity brokerage team, ROMARCOM International Marketing Corporation sprouted from humble beginnings. ROMARCOM was built from the ground up by Mr. Romeo S. Angeles—a simple yet ambitious man from the barrios who became a successful entrepreneur in the 90s. He unlocked his potential and cultivated his skills with determination, hard work, and access to higher education. After graduating from the Philippine School of Business Administration, he worked at Cargill—an international animal nutrition supplier—where he met the people who encouraged him to open up his own enterprise. Supported by his family and colleagues, Romeo and his wife, Mrs. Maria Dolores “Dolly” Angeles, started a trucking and animal feeds distribution business, which blossomed into the ROMARCOM of today. The name ROMARCOM stems from the first syllable of Romeo’s and Maria’s names, to signify their strong bond. Since the beginning, the company is rooted in the shared values they have as a couple and even more so as business partners.
“My father used to think that he had a long shot at building a life for himself because he lived in the barrios where everything was simple. This perspective changed when he got into UP Diliman and met all these people who made it feel that anything is doable as long as you get the right support,” Rj shares. With the family and business growing, Romeo and Dolly made sure that their children could have access to learning opportunities and reach their own enlightened perspectives about success and life. As such, the couple supported their children’s pursuit of their own dreams and interests. “He gave us a free hand to run our own things and let us realize at our own pace that we could go back and help the family, ” Rj highlights. “They did not pressure us to take agriculture courses in college,” Romelee adds. Now, the Angeles siblings bring into the company their wealth of experiences from the disciplines they studied—Rj and his knowledge of Business and Economics, Romelee with her expertise in Business Administration, Riccia with her proficiency in Marketing and Sales, and Ron with his Sales and Digital Marketing background. Now, the siblings are continuously growing the ROMARCOM Group together and cultivating a culture of support that would allow the organization to withstand and overcome the challenges they will face moving forward.
“Businesses will come and go—you will earn, you will not earn—but the impact that you have in your employees’, customers’, or business partners’ lives is imprinted for life,” Romelee shares as she talks about one of his late father’s guiding principles which later translated to ROMARCOM’s 6 Cs: Commitment to excellence, Camaraderie, Compassion, Cost-consciousness, Critical thinking, and Community involvement. She adds that with a thriving business, a sense of duty to fulfill social responsibilities comes naturally to the Angeles family as a way of paying it forward to the people who supported them. Romelee and Rj recount how their father, as a great believer in education, made it his mission to give back to the community by aligning his social work and family responsibilities closer to education. “He would build bathrooms, classrooms, libraries. I remember that before he passed away, he built a library in his hometown where he graduated elementary,” Romelee adds. “Since we were the blessed guys in the family, he would also send some of our cousins to school, pay for their tuition,” Rj recalls. Branching out to people within and beyond ROMARCOM is Romeo’s commitment to building better communities through access to education.
While Romelee had already been supporting other educational organizations on her own, the rest of the family took this as an inspiration to find an initiative that they could support and work on together as one, big Angeles unit. “We have the economics to put up a foundation for students, but we were short on manpower to manage it, so we decided to do it with InvestEd,” Romelee explains. The family discovered and quickly supported InvestEd and their student loan program that builds the financial knowledge and financial management skills of unbanked Filipino youth—important capabilities for the late Romeo Angeles who believed entrepreneurship is a way for Filipinos to achieve financial independence. Rj is also excited to share that the Angeles family has been planning with InvestEd to provide seed capital to support aspiring student-entrepreneurs while they are still in school.
The Angeles family’s commitment to making higher education accessible through InvestEd is their way of replicating their father’s success for more Filipino students. This endeavor is also the family’s way of living their father’s maxim that profit alone is not enough to sustain one’s drive to keep moving forward. “With InvestEd, we now have this extra motivation to do better in our business, so we can invest more and help more students transform their dreams into reality. That gives us a different perspective and mindset in running the business,” Rj shares. The Angeles siblings hope that more companies and corporations follow their lead and join InvestEd’s Education for All (Educ4All) movement to help build a better future for students and their families and communities.
Pangkaraniwan na pangangailangan na ng mga estudyante ngayon ang gadgets. Bukod sa pagiging libangan, pinapadali nito ang kanilang mga gawaing pang- akademya: mula sa pag-type, pag research, at hanggang sa pakikipag-ugnayan sa mga propesor at kaklase. Para kay Casey na kumukuha ng kanyang masteral sa Polytechnic University of the Philippines, laptop ang katuwang nya sa bawat hakbang sa pag-aaral.
Nag-umpisa ang kwentong InvestEd ni Casey nang masira ang gamit nyang laptop. Sa dami ng mga kailangang dokumento para makapag-apply ng gadget installment sa mga retailer, nahirapan s’yang palitan ito. Kung bibili naman siya ng second-hand, hindi sya sigurado sa tibay at authenticity.
Minabuti niyang tumingin sa Lazada dahil isa ito sa mga pinaka-accessible na platform. Dito nya nakita ang InvestEd bilang gadget loan provider para sa mga naka-enroll sa eskwela na gaya niya.
“Because of my urgent needs, I decided to seek help. Grateful that I got to know about InvestEd.” (Dahil sa biglaang pangangailangan, nagdesisyon akong maghanap ng makakatulong sa akin. Mabuti na lang at nalaman ko ang tungkol sa InvestEd.)
Sa katulad nyang breadwinner, prayoridad ni Casey ang pagkain, kuryente, at iba pang mga pangunahing pangangailangan sa bahay. Bago siya maka-avail ng Lazada Student Gadget Loan, tini-tiyaga nyang tapusin ang kanyang mga report sa library o kaya computer shop.
“InvestEd has saved me from doing my research in computer shops at night.” (Dahil sa InvestEd ay hindi na ako kailangang gabihin sa mga computer shop sa pagreresearch.)
Mahalaga ang research sa pag-aaral ni Casey; siya ay nasa larangan ng science at kasalukuyang nasa unang semester ng Masters in Biology.
Hindi na rin naman bago sa kanya ang pagtanggap ng aid at suporta mula sa mga institusyon. Maging ay kanyang undergrad course ay natapos niya sa pagiging iskolar.
“I took BS Biology because I really enjoyed my biology subject back in high school. Right now, I am working as a Research Assistant at the same university I studied during my undergrad.” (Pinili ko ang kursong BS Biology dahil isa iyon sa mga na- enjoy kong subject noong high school. Sa ngayon ay isa akong research assistant sa unibersidad kung saan ako nagtapos.)
Binahagi din ni Casey ang pagnanais nyang mag-iwan ng mas maayos na kalikasan para sa mga susunod na makakatamasa nito.
“I hope the future generations could still enjoy the environment that we have right now. If it could be improved through science, much better.” (Hangad kong maranasan pa ng mga susunod na henerasyon ang kalikasan natin. Kung mapapaganda pa ito sa pamamagitan ng science, mas mabuti.)
Sa kabila ng mga hamon ng buhay, sinisikap ni Casey na makapag-ambag sa ikakabuti ng kinabukasan. Aniya, “It may not be as grand as everyone else’s, but I hope I could be of any help for the environment.” (Hindi man kasing engrande ng ibang kabuhaya, gusto kong makatulong sa kalikasan.)
Katuwang naman niya sa pag-aaral ang kanyang pamilya na nagsisilbi ring inspirasyon at pinaghuhugutan ng lakas.
“We were raised by a single mom, so early on I understood the importance of education and hardwork.” (Pinalaki kaming mag-isa ng nanay namin kaya noon pa lang ay alam ko na kung gaano kahalaga ang edukasyon kalakip ng sipag.)
Inaasahan niyang magiging kaagapay nya ang nabiling laptop sa Lazada hanggang sa matapos nya ang kurso.
“My family is what keeps me going. They are the reason why I am doing all of these. My mom has been my constant supporter ever since I decided to pursue higher education,” dagdag pa nito.
(Ang pamilya ko ang dahilan kung bakit ako nagpapatuloy, sila ang dahilan ng pagsusumikap ko. Nanay ko rin ang pinakamalaking supporter ko simula nang magdesisyon akong kumuha ng post-graduate degree.)
Dulot ng pag-alalay ng InvestEd kasama ang Lazada, ang simpleng gadget ay makakapag-ambag sa kinabukasan ng mga gaya ni Casey na may marangal na pangarap na hindi lang para sa kanya kundi sa mahal sa buhay.
“I am now living my childhood dream—to be a scientist.” (Isinasabuhay ko ang pangarap ko ‘nung bata pa ako—ang maging scientist.)
Powered by the vision of a world where every young dreamer has no barriers to success, InvestEd thanks its Educ4all Alliance partners for providing a total of Php 130 million in funding this 2022.
Amidst a very difficult economic climate, InvestEd delivered outstanding results to its partners. It achieved average repayment rates above 90% in 2022 and since the latest school year started, InvestEd hit average growth rates commensurate with fast growing startups in the region. All this while upholding its mission to provide large, collateral-free loans to unbanked students. Given this, InvestEd saw a 100% lender renewal rate this 2022.
It is indeed a testament to InvestEd’s business performance and impact that its Educ4all Alliance includes funders from a wide range of backgrounds—from high net worth individuals, family offices, bank and non-bank financial institutions, large employers, venture capital funds, and foundations.
This year, InvestEd received follow-on funding from its existing funders which include angel investors in 2021, Credit Suisse APAC Foundation, Johnson & Johnson Foundation, and Cartier Women’s Initiative. New alliance members this 2022 include large employers in the Philippines such as Consistent Holdings and Bank of Makati- infusing not just capital, but also nationwide employment opportunities for InvestEd’s growing student borrower community. InvestEd also welcomed funding from financial industry c-levels such as Jojo Malolos, Chairman of GoTyme, one of the country’s leading neobanks, Tokumori Sasada, Managing Director of Bank of America Singapore, and Konrad Chan, APAC President of Global Payments. Family funds of Shau-Uy Family, Angeles Family of Romarcom Group, and Scholten Family as well as regional venture capital funds Goodwater Capital, Eduspaze, and Epic Angels also became part of the alliance. Lastly, InvestEd also partnered with non-bank financial institutions such as iGlobal Financial Services who now funds InvestEd’s youth entrepreneur portfolio.
Funds raised this year will make a significant impact in supporting Filipino students otherwise considered unbankable by formal financial institutions, and young professionals who want to pursue advanced degrees and certifications. InvestEd provides a suite of student loans that are transparent, personalized, and flexible—designed to support its borrowers in managing their personal finances and achieving their goals.
Interested funders are welcome to be part of InvestEd’s growing family and may reach out to capital@invested.ph to join the Educ4all Alliance.
The partnership allows students to purchase gadgets for school from Abenson and pay through InvestEd’s Gadget Installment Plans.
The last two years saw a huge change in the learning experience of students: classrooms were closed and books were replaced with gadgets amid the distance learning set-up due to the pandemic.
And as movement restrictions easen, learning institutions now adapt to changes by blending face-to-face classes with ones done online. Thus, the implementation of hybrid learning, which allows students to study on campus and online.
The introduction of this new learning set-up comes with a growing demand for digital tools or gadgets among young adult learners. While gadgets like laptops and tablets were already a necessity for studying even before the pandemic, the need for these tools ballooned amid the new setting.
In an aim to provide Filipino students easier access to gadgets for school, globally-acclaimed impact business InvestEd partnered with gadget retail store chain Abenson.
With the partnership, college students can purchase learning gadgets or laptops from Abenson and pay it through InvestEd’s “Study Now, Pay Later” financing program. Abenson will, then, deliver the items purchased directly to the students’ doorstep. Students can also avail other school productivity tools such as internet devices, as well as tables and chairs through the partnership. The delivery coverage, however, is limited to Luzon for now.
“We are very excited to welcome Abenson, one of the country’s largest retail store chains, to our Education for All Alliance. Gadgets and conducive study setups are essential for today’s students, and non-possession of these are now a barrier to learning and student success. With Abenson, we can now reach students who are not able to purchase school necessities due to lack of access to affordable credit.” InvestEd CEO and Founder Carmina Bayombong said.
The partnership is a major boost to InvestEd’s “Education for All Alliance,” adding another reputable brand that has more than 130 branches nationwide to its growing list of partners in promoting education access for underprivileged Filipino youth. To date, InvestEd has two large ecommerce platforms, Lazada and Abenson, in its Alliance.
“Abenson as the leading appliance and gadgets store in the country aims to always bring the Good Life to Every Filipino,” Aurora Mendoza, Abenson’s Senior Vice President, said. “We welcome partnership with organizations like InvestEd to help and support young Filipinos in achieving their dream education, through quality and affordable gadgets for learning within reach. With strong partnerships, we’ll be able to continue to serve and help the community better.”
A globally-awarded impact business, InvestEd partners with organizations and brands to address the gap of education access affecting underresourced youth through its Education for All Alliance. Since its inception, InvestEd has co-created education access programs with mission-aligned companies such as Lazada, Johnson & Johnson, Credit Suisse, UNICEF, and Cartier To date, InvestEd has helped thousands of low-income Filipino youth from 500+ schools increase their income by 2.3 times and navigate success in a fast-changing world. If you share our vision of equitable education access for the youth and would like to join InvestEd’s Education for All Alliance as a partner, please contact partnerships@invested.ph
Abenson Group is the trusted appliance, gadget and furniture store chain in the country, with over 130 stores nationwide.
The couple shares how strong, mission-driven relationships help us rise.
Far from ready to brush off the chalk from their hands, Jessica Shau and Edric Uy are only getting started with scaling new heights. Youth educators with a passion for climbing, the couple is unwavering in the face of every crux, steadied by each other and secured in their mission to empower Filipino youth to set their own routes in life.
New heights can be daunting, but with the right tools, strong supports, and steady resolve, those heights are surmountable. Anchored by their faith, Jessica and Edric are working to ensure that Filipino youth are equipped to rise through life confidently.
“Currently, we’re serving alongside each other in the youth ministry of the church, and we envision ourselves continuing to do that,” said Jessica. Seeing how the pandemic struck youth’s well-being, she discerned her calling to become a clinical psychologist specializing in children and adolescents. Jessica decided to navigate out of her corporate career, and she’s now gearing up to study Christian counselling full time.
Reflecting on his own educational foundations, Edric expressed a similar desire to be a stronghold for young adults through his work as a youth ministry director. “Growing up, I was blessed enough to be equipped, empowered, and edified. That helped me realize that I want to serve in a ministry where I get to reach out to the youth as they try to determine what they want to do when they grow up.”
United in their shared mission, Jessica and Edric are setting the notches for youth to reach new peaks. They began envisioning ways to grow their impact as they moved into life as a married couple.
“We were supposed to get married two weeks right after the initial lockdown,” Edric recounted. In early 2020, he and Jessica hoped that COVID-19 restrictions would ease up and that they could have the big wedding they had initially arranged. The pandemic had other plans, but so did the couple—this time involving InvestEd.
Through fellow Industrial Engineering graduate, CEO Carmina Bayombong, Jessica learned about how InvestEd makes higher education accessible to more Filipino young adults. Jessica first began her partnership with InvestEd shortly after college, and Edric followed her lead as they were about to get married. “When Jessica was telling me about InvestEd,” Edric recounted, “we saw a new opportunity, right when the pandemic happened.”
Working in the youth ministry, Jessica and Edric understand the impact of building supportive bonds with youth in their journey to adulthood. Like belaying a climbing partner, it’s important to the couple that young adults feel fully supported and assured that someone has their back, every step of the way.
Jessica and Edric partnered with InvestEd to create a similar kind of steadfast relationship. “I think that it’s a really sustainable way of helping people. You’re not just giving a one time donation,” Jessica shared.
“I think opportunities are always built around relationships,” Edric agreed. “Our partnership with InvestEd really targets to create relationships that give students opportunities to learn and to be equipped. They get to learn and practice managing their finances, so it’s a learning experience for them and a learning experience for us.”
Jessica drew a connection between their work and mission, “It’s about putting those two things together—the needs of the community and your interests—so that you’re able to help the people around you and you’re also able to meet your financial goals.”
In the same vein, she and Edric started their small business, The Chalkbag Project, offering customized chalk bags handmade by a team of seamstresses. Through InvestEd and their own project, the couple is building new relationships and creating new opportunities out of shared passions.
As climbers, Edric and Jessica know the importance of falling safely, learning to get back up again, and understanding that there are many ways to the top. These principles shape their relationship, personal and financial decisions, and approach to education.
“When people ask us how we got together, we always say it depends on who you ask,” Jessica quipped. Each of them remembering different parts of the story, Jessica and Edric had crossed paths a few times—at church camp, college, and the climbing gym—before they got together. At all these points, Jessica and Edric grew as individuals shaped by time and new experiences, transforming them into the people they are today, together.
Reflecting on her own path, Jessica shared, “When you’re in college, there’s so much pressure to think, ‘Oh, I have to take what I want to do, and that will dictate what I will do for the rest of my life’…Looking back, would I have told my younger self to go into psychology instead? I realized, no. I have a background both in industrial engineering and counselling, and I’m able to put those two things together, like making systems for counselling and guidance programs.” Apart from enabling her to advance her vocation uniquely, Jessica’s industrial engineering degree also opened doors to her previous corporate jobs, which helped her save up for her career shift and continued education.
“There’s always going to be open opportunities here, closed opportunities there,” Eric said, calling up the image of a climber about to embark on a new route. Through their partnership with InvestEd, he and Jessica are enabling more youth to navigate their own holds.
“Higher education gives you another chance to discern what you really want to do for the rest of your life,” he shared. “You can see from there, whether you enjoy something or not. There’s no shame in going back and changing course, or deciding to try out something new.” Growing with the InvestEd community, Jessica and Edric are grateful for every ground-up.
A globally-awarded social enterprise, InvestEd partners with family funds, employers, and financial institutions to finance the education of unbanked learners. Since its inception, the organization has raised over P150 million in capital from funders who seek to invest in education or build on specialized lending programs together with InvestEd. To date, InvestEd has helped thousands of low-income Filipino youth from 500+ schools increase their income and navigate success in a fast-changing world. If you would like to partner with the organization or start a fund for education, please contact capital@invested.ph
The couple shares what higher education means to them, and how shared financial and personal goals can make relationships stronger.
August bore many beginnings: a new academic year in the Philippines, and a new chance for Filipino youth to learn and grow toward their goals. The month also marked the start of Karina and John Scholten’s partnership with InvestEd, creating more opportunities for Filipinos to complete their degrees. Despite only having started their InvestEd journey one month ago, the couple already has so much to share about joyful beginnings made possible through higher education.
“I come from a long line of teachers. My lola, my uncle…I have an aunt who’s a professor. Cousins—all teachers,” Karina shared. For Karina and her family, advancing quality education for more people has always been the mission.
She experienced how higher education had transformed her own life: In New York, she obtained her master’s degree in early childhood education and special education, and consequently landed her dream job as a Montessori teacher.
“New York’s my dream city. And I was able to work there for seven years where I grew individually and professionally. It brought me to where I am today.”
Higher education opened doors for Karina to take her mission to a different horizon. She’s now a child education and development entrepreneur in Dubai, where she met her husband, John, in 2019.
Unlike Karina, John came from a family that had yet to understand higher education’s worth. “I was the first one in my family to go to university, so that changed my life,” John shared. “And that was something completely new to my family. My parents thought, ‘Why spend five more years going to university to spend money before you actually start working?’ But it really made an enormous impact on my life.” By completing his degree, John gained the skills and knowledge he needed to work in a global advisory firm, enabling him to explore further opportunities in different parts of the world.
Around the same time Karina moved, John steered his career from the Netherlands to the U.A.E. in 2018. “I would have not been in Dubai and met Karina if I hadn’t gone to university,” John reminisced.
“I just found him somewhere,” Karina said with a chuckle.
Two moves to Dubai, a chance encounter, and a pandemic wedding later, the couple began envisioning what they wanted to achieve together. They started searching for opportunities to grow as a family, financially and personally.
In the same stroke of serendipity that led them to each other, Karina and John chanced upon InvestEd online and found an immediate connection with its mission. The Scholtens started journeying with InvestEd anchored by shared goals and values—much like their own relationship.
“We make sure that we share our blessings. We also enjoy enabling growth through what we do. We value our joy and explorations,” shared Karina, highlighting how the couple’s partnership with InvestEd matches their values.
“InvestEd’s goal really aligns with what we find important,” John spoke of the organization’s mission to make higher education possible for more youth. “When we got in touch with Carmina, we had a very personal, honest conversation about what it is that InvestEd offers. What you can get from this, and what we get from this. But also, what are the risks? It was very clear… That clarity, combined with the reports that we got around performance, made partnering with InvestEd very open and transparent.”
For the Scholtens, partnering with an impact business like InvestEd helps them work toward their financial goals in an especially meaningful way. “While you help people, you also earn some interest. It’s a definite win-win,” John shared.
Karina also recounted, “For my family, not going to college was not an option, and I experienced firsthand where college education can take me and what I can get from it. I know that Filipinos are very hardworking, brilliant, and deserve the opportunity to maximize that potential.” The Scholtens’ partnership with InvestEd helps expand those opportunities for Filipino youth.
As higher education opened new doors for them, the Scholtens share the same hopes of growth and joy for Filipino youth and other couples working toward their goals.
“Enjoy what you’re doing together,” John advised. ”Talk to each other about the things that you deal with, and be transparent towards each other,” he shared, parallel to the honesty and communicativeness he valued in InvestEd as an impact partner.
“Set realistic goals that allow for savings, family and fun. Communication is key!” Karina added.
With the completion of their degrees, Filipino young adults open a door to greater possibilities. Karina and John Scholten are grateful that partnering with InvestEd has already made higher education achievable for more youth—and their journey with each other and with the InvestEd community has only just begun.
With the pandemic and recession making job markets more competitive, young people need credentials and upskilling more than ever for job security. This makes access to quality higher education as important as ever. The problem is that three in every five Filipino households cannot afford to send their child to college.
In line with its mission to make quality education accessible for all, globally acclaimed impact business InvestEd has partnered with the University of the Philippines Alumni Engineers Association (UPAE). The partnership will launch income share agreements (ISAs) to students enrolled in the University of the Philippines’ College of Engineering (Diliman and Los Banos Campus)
ISAs are a form of college financing where repayments are based on a percentage of a student’s future income. Unlike traditional student loans, ISAs do not accrue interest, making it much more affordable for students.
The funds are provided by alumni donors of the UP College of Engineering, through the UP Engineering Research & Development Foundation. Donors include alumni executives from top employers of engineering graduates such as DMCI Holdings, Inc., Globe Telecom, and prominent alumni families such as Bing & Elise Del Rosario.
With the program, UP Engineering students will be provided funding that can be used for tuition, allowances (e.g. dormitory, food & transportation), and other miscellaneous school expenses (e.g. projects, gadgets, etc.). Repayment will be purely based on a percentage of the students’ income post graduation. The percentage shall be customized to ensure affordability based on the students’ starting salary, family situation and career prospects.
To further push for affordability, a floor income and 1x cap shall be applied on the ISA. Repayment will only begin once a student achieves an income above the floor income set. For example, if floor income is set at 18,000 pesos and the student earns only 16,000 per month post graduation, he/she will not be required to start making payments yet. Furthermore, a 1x cap on the ISA means the student can stop paying once they have fully paid 100% of the amount borrowed.
The UP Alumni Engineers (UPAE) Association has partnered with InvestEd to design and implement the program. To-date, InvestEd is the lone company in South East Asia providing ISA outsourcing services for schools and philanthropic entities such as endowment funds, alumni groups, and foundations.
“This upgraded scheme for our Study Now, Pay Later program will benefit even more engineering students in the years to come. And our partnership with InvestEd will certainly have a long term impact on nation-building,” UPAE President Patrick Anthony Pascual said.
“For decades, philanthropic organizations and schools in the Philippines have been looking for ways to make their financing programs more affordable and accessible to students. Our launch of income share agreements will definitely push for this and will also allow the UP Alumni Engineers’ large endowment fund to increase its impact,” InvestEd CEO and UPAE Board of Trustee Member Carmina Bayombong said.
The University of the Philippines Alumni Engineers Association (UPAE) will be the primary organization that unifies the alumni of the UP College of Engineering (COE), providing linkage between the alumni and the COE, while promoting both to Industry and the broader community in general. UPAE will provide a venue for mutual cooperation and camaraderie among the membership even as it promotes the interest of the Engineering profession in general.
InvestEd’s goal is to bring financial inclusion to millions of Southeast Asian Youth by 2030. It is starting with millions of youth in the Philippines who do not have access to affordable credit for their developmental needs, such as college tuition, post graduation upskilling, and small business ventures. A globally awarded impact business, InvestEd has helped thousands of low-income Filipino youth from 400+ schools increase their income and navigate success in a fast changing world. It has also managed more than $3M of funding from investors, lenders, and donors, including leading institutions such as Credit Suisse, ING Bank, and Australian Aid.
Imagine this: You’re entering college worry-less, not having to stress over your tuition and daily school expenses. Then you pay for it without any interest only when you graduate and start earning an income.
In the Philippines, where access to quality education comes at a hefty price, this scenario looks impossible. While there are available support for those who lack the resources to pursue tertiary education–scholarships and loans from relatives & friends, to name a few–the opportunity remains elusive for many struggling students.
In line with its mission to empower UP Engineering students to succeed in their academics and future careers, the University of the Philippines Alumni Engineers Association (UPAE) is launching income share agreements (ISAs) to financially under-resourced students.
How it Works: The UPAE Income Share Agreement (ISA)
Students are only required to start paying once they are already earning an income. A floor income shall also be set based on a students’ degree. If a student earns below stated floor income, repayment will not begin. For example, if floor income is set at 18,000 pesos and the student earns only 16,000 per month post graduation, he/she will not be required to start making payments yet.
As an example, for a maximum loan of P180,000, a student only needs to pay at most P3,000 per month after graduation (approximately 12% of a 25,000 peso income). Furthermore, the student won’t be required to pay more than what they borrowed and will be given 5 years to pay.
Interested? Confirm your attendance to our digital information session this July 24, 2022, 5PM. You may also proceed to send a preliminary expression of interest by filling out the same form.
The University of the Philippines Alumni Engineers Association (UPAE) has partnered with globally acclaimed impact business InvestEd in the implementation of the Income Share Agreement for College Degrees. InvestEd partners with mission-aligned institutions to bring education access to millions of under-resourced youth. It provides ISA outsourcing services for philanthropic entities such as alumni groups, foundations, and school endowment funds.
In line with its mission to empower UP Engineering students to succeed in their academics and future careers, the University of the Philippines Alumni Engineers Association (UPAE) is launching income share agreements (ISAs) to students enrolled in the UP Diliman College of Engineering and UP Los Banos College of Engineering and Agro Industrial Technology.
ISAs are a form of college financing where repayments are based on a percentage of a student’s future income. Unlike traditional student loans, ISAs do not have interest, making it much more affordable for students.
With the program, UP Engineering students will be provided funding that can be used for tuition (if applicable), allowances (e.g. dormitory, food & transportation), and other miscellaneous school expenses (e.g. projects, gadgets, etc.). Repayment will be purely based on a percentage of the students’ income post graduation.
The percentage shall be customized to ensure affordability based on the students’ starting salary, family situation and career prospects. For a maximum loan of P180,000, a student only needs to pay at most P3,000 per month after graduation (approximately 12% of a 25,000 peso income). Furthermore, the student won’t be required to pay more than what they borrowed and will be given 5 years to pay.
To further push for affordability, a floor income will apply. This means repayment will only begin once a student achieves an income above the floor income set. For example, if floor income is set at 18,000 pesos and the student earns only 16,000 per month post graduation, he/she will not be required to start making payments yet.
“This upgraded scheme for our Study Now, Pay Later program will benefit even more engineering students in the years to come. And our partnership with InvestEd will certainly have a long term impact on nation-building.” UPAE President Patrick Anthony Pascual said.
If you are a student interested in our new affordable financing program, Confirm your attendance to our digital information session this July 24, 2022, 5PM. You may also proceed to send a preliminary expression of interest by filling out the same form
The COVID-19 pandemic has radically transformed how Filipino youth increase their income and achieve financial freedom. Apart from getting a degree or upskilling themselves to better compete in the job market, Filipino youth have increasingly ventured into small businesses. This, as the surge in use of technology and social media amid the pandemic paved the way for new enterprises that came in simple forms like online selling.
InvestEd has seen this reality on the ground. In 2016, InvestEd was born as one of the first known student loan providers in Southeast Asia. Since inception, InvestEd has provided education financing to thousands of Filipino youth, helping them increase their family’s income by 2.3 times in 2019, InvestEd started providing repeat loans to borrowers who have graduated, but still continued to request funding for developmental needs such as business ventures. InvestEd learned from these initial borrowers that the journey towards financial resiliency extends far beyond graduation. By 2021, InvestEd had solidified its identity as an institution servicing the youth’s financing needs from education to adulthood.
With the growing number of students venturing into entrepreneurship, the impact business is moving beyond its financial offerings and counseling support to help students who are running their own small businesses to find more resources. And it has found an ally in this initiative in finance company iGlobal Financial Services.
There are currently about 5,000 large enterprises in the Philippines, and iGlobal envisions this figure to increase to 10,000—acknowledging the vital role of businesses in providing opportunities for Filipinos to climb the economic ladder.For years, iGlobal has been financing medium sized businesses, but sees the gap in getting Filipino businesses from small to large. To close this gap, iGlobal is committed to financing our nation’s pipeline of entrepreneurs- no other than our young high potential dreamers.
InvestEd and iGlobal’s Youth Entrepreneurship Program will provide capital to finance the establishment or expansion of businesses of InvestEd’s borrowers. The program will also provide business counseling and create an Investee entrepreneur community.
“There is undeniable synergy between InvestEd’s vision of Education for All and iGlobal’s vision of Economic Development. At InvestEd, we understand that financing for ‘experiential’ education such as entrepreneurship is as important as financing for traditional learning,” InvestEd CEO and Co-founder Carmina Bayombong said. “We are excited to partner with iGlobal, who equals our passion in helping young people succeed. With this fund, Investees in our portfolio will have more opportunity to establish and grow their businesses.”
“Building the iGlobal.ph entrepreneur community involves four key components – educators, connectors, clients and funders. By combining our resources to provide the right financial platform and education, we accelerate the development of high potential entrepreneurs. We are grateful for this opportunity to partner with Invested in building the community for growth, allowing us to move a step closer towards our combined goals,” iGlobal President Sandeep Chandiramani said.
A globally-awarded impact business, InvestEd partners with individuals and institutions to finance the education of unbanked learners. Since its inception, the organization has raised over P150 million ($3M) in capital from funders who seek to invest in education or build on specialized lending programs together with InvestEd; partners include family funds, corporate foundations, and impact investors. To date, InvestEd has helped thousands of low-income Filipino youth from 400+ schools increase their income and navigate success in a fast-changing world. If you would like to partner with the organization or start a fund for education, please contact capital@invested.ph.
iGlobal seeks to unlock opportunities for entrepreneurs so they can achieve their full potential. It connects a community of partners and funders to deliver a trusted stack of financial solutions. This allows the company to provide bank and non-bank funding at an affordable, predictable price.