In today’s modern, digital world, there are still many of us who turn to the simple, traditional method of saving money, which is the piggy bank or an “alkansya.”
For these people, despite having digital wallets, it’s still a different feeling knowing that you physically have money on you. When you have a visible, tactile representation of your savings in the form of an alkansya, there is a sense of security and reassurance that you’re prepared for any emergency that may come your way.
Understanding this culture of keeping savings in an alkansya is essential to understanding Filipinos’ relationship with money, which is the main focus of the fourth and final episode of Metrobank’s Moneygurado docuseries. Grounded in real-life stories, cultural realities, and everyday experiences, the series explores money through the Filipino lens, unpacking how culture shapes financial behavior across debt, spending, saving, and resilience.
In the episode, Filipina book author Michelline Espiritu Suarez explains how saving money remains deeply meaningful for Filipinos even as the way we save continues to evolve. For many households, dropping coins into an alkansya and watching it fill up or grow heavier day by day becomes a shared, “ceremonial” ritual, as Suarez puts it. As family members contribute what they can, the alkansya transforms from a simple container into a symbol of their collective dreams and hopes.
“I think what’s unique about the way Filipinos put money aside is that it’s very communal. It’s very related to how we feel connected to each other,” said Suarez.
She also argues that having a visual reminder of your cash inspires better values such as mindful spending and personal accountability. It also instills in us the value of human emotional connection, which gives even more significance to the money we’ve saved.
“The physical act of taking money out of your wallet and feeling it getting empty triggers a more intentional use of your funds,” she explains. “In the same way that putting funds physically in a space or an object designated for it, and feeling the funds grow physically, it reinforces the feeling of putting something away for the future. It reinforces the feeling of everyone contributing to a common cause.”
Of course, saving money today no longer has to mean keeping coins at home.
Digital banking has made it easier to set money aside, monitor finances, and manage money wherever you are. But while the tools have evolved, the financial principle behind the alkansya remains surprisingly relevant, and it’s vital to understand that the deep-rooted culture of the alkansya teaches us why we save up in the first place.
It is a simple lesson, but one that reflects what Metrobank hopes to encourage through Moneygurado: becoming more mindful about money begins with understanding our own financial behaviors.
Rather than simply telling Filipinos what they should or should not do with their money, the docuseries examines the cultural beliefs, family experiences, and everyday realities that influence financial decisions. By understanding where these habits come from, people can better recognize which ones continue to serve them, and which ones may need to evolve as their financial needs change.
And perhaps that is the enduring lesson of the alkansya. We don’t necessarily have to preserve the container. What is worth carrying forward is the habit it represents: setting something aside today so we are better prepared for tomorrow.
Suarez expresses hope that, even as the world continues to shift toward digital banking, we pass on these values to our children so they may learn the importance of money, growing one’s savings, and investing toward their future.
Watch Episode 4 of “Moneygurado” featuring Michelline Espiritu Suarez:
Watch out for the next episodes of the Moneygurado docuseries and access learning materials for students, families, and communities through its Earnest website: https://earnest.metrobank.com.ph/moneygurado.
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