Let Love Sparkle with Cebuana Lhuillier Jewelry’s Special Valentine Sale

Celebrate your love with Cebuana Lhuillier and its high-end jewelry line as it offers a nationwide jewelry sale

Valentine’s Day is considered to be one of the most romantic days of the year. It is an extra special time to express your love and affection to your special someone.

For many of us, giving gifts during Valentine’s season is one of many ways to show how special someone is in our lives. The season of hearts can be nerve-racking for someone who really spends time thinking about a perfect gift for the perfect someone. Others might want to give a more unique present or would opt to do away with the usual heart-shaped chocolates and flowers.

This Valentine’s Day up to February 19, Cebuana Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier Premium, and Just Jewels are holding a six-day Valentine’s Gold Rush Sale nationwide. Shop in over 2,500 Cebuana Lhuillier branches nationwide and avail discounts on all items. You can also shop online through Cebuana Lhuillier, Just Jewels, or Cebuana Lhuillier Jewelry Premium Facebook pages.

Get 10% off on all items and up to 50% off on selected jewelry items nationwide. Visit Cebuana Lhuillier, Just Jewels, or Cebuana Lhuillier Jewelry Premium branches nationwide or shop online via Cebuana FB Live Selling or cebuanalhuillierjewelry.com

If you are looking for ways how to express your feelings for someone dear or you want to gift it for yourself as a way of loving and spoiling yourself, choose jewelry. It is something one can use and wear every day and treasure for many years. They are considered to be powerful allies to win hearts, celebrate important events, or reward achievements.

"Jewelry is one of the most unique and special presents one can buy, regardless of age and gender. You can gift it to your special someone, to your friend or even to your parents. It’s that kind of a gift that captures the essence of making someone feel important, precious, and valued" - Jean Henri Lhuillier, CEO, and President

Aside from these jewelry pieces being the perfect gifts for the season of love, this can also be a good investment throughout the years and would come in handy during times of emergency. Compared with the other presents you can give this February 14, jewelry can be meaningful and also practical.

To know more about Cebuana Lhuillier’s Valentine’s Day Gold Rush Sale, go to the nearest Cebuana Lhuillier near you or just log on to Cebuana Lhuillier’s official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/cebuanalhuillierpawnshop or cebuanalhuillierjewelry.com

Surviving the Pandemic with Cebuana Lhuillier Micro Savings

Two mothers speak on how micro-savings have become their dependable ally during these trying times.

The uncertainties that came with the global health pandemic led to the financial stress that altered the lifestyle of many Filipinos. For close to two years since the global COVID-19 pandemic started, many lost their jobs and had to make do with what little savings they have stashed away.

A study titled, "State of Banking and Financial Wellness" commissioned by US-based research firm Forrester, indicated that more than half of Filipinos identified building their savings as one of their top concerns when it comes to personal finance.

The desire to have the money safely stashed when rainy days come is one that is shared by every Filipino—regardless of stature in life or the money they earn. When COVID-19 hit, the majority of Filipinos were left without a stable means of livelihood as the strict lockdown badly affected the economy, leading to a significant number of business closures and an uncertain future for those engaged in the gig economy.

Stemming from its desire to push for financial inclusion for every Filipino, Cebuana Lhuillier Bank partnered with Cebuana Lhuillier, one of the country’s leading micro financial service providers, to introduce Cebuana Lhuillier Micro Savings in 2019. Cebuana Lhuillier Micro Savings provided Filipinos with an accessible and convenient means to save their hard-earned money by addressing the common barriers in saving, including lack of accessibility, the need for numerous documentary requirements, and the high cost of starting and maintaining a balance.

"Our main priority is to be a one-stop-shop for the micro-financial needs of our kababayans. With our commitment to financial inclusion and mobility for everyone, Cebuana Lhuillier Micro Savings account is one of the great products we have created to empower many of our kababayans to save, regardless of their status in life," - Jean Henri Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO

The promise of having money saved in times of need was what inspired Cebuana Lhuillier Micro Savings account holders Pillilia Pardo and Maria Luisa Luna to open a savings account and work hard to build a comfortable fund that they can rely on when needed.

Pillilia Pardo, 79-year-old, sari-sari store owner from Las Pinas and a loyal micro-savings account holder, dreams of imparting the value of savings to her children. 

Pillilia, a 79-year-old sari-sari store owner in Las Pinas, makes sure to deposit a fraction of her daily earnings into her micro-savings account. With her store located right beside the Cebuana Lhuillier Casimiro branch, she has become a daily fixture for the branch personnel who assists her on her everyday transactions.

"Napakahalaga ng savings, kasi pag dumating ang pagkakataon na ikaw ay magigipit, kailangan mo ng pera. Kung mayroon kang ipon, anytime puwede ka makapag-withdraw," - Pillilia Pardo

When the pandemic hit, Pillilia used her micro-savings account to augment her day-to-day expenses, which included medicines, food, utilities, and rent. When the lockdowns affected her store’s earnings, she was comforted by the fact that she did not have to resort to borrowing money in order to get by. "Hindi ka magsisisi kung nakapag-ipon ka…anytime nangailangan, nandiyan ang ipon ko. Mayroon akong magagamit," she adds.

Maria Luisa Luna, a 64-year-old, garbage collector from Manila relied on her micro-savings account when the pandemic badly hit her family.

For Maria Luisa, it was her savings that literally saved her family in the midst of the strict Manila lockdowns. She earns her keep by collecting recyclables which she then sells in a junkyard. For over two years, even before the lockdown began, she would make sure that a portion of her earnings goes to her Cebuana Lhuillier micro-savings account, which she intends to use during emergencies.

"Hindi na kami makapangalakal nung naghigpit sa lockdown. Yung kinakain namin, halos galing na lang sa ayuda ng gobyerno pero hindi naman sapat yun. Nagkasakit pa ang anak ko. Hindi ko naman matiis na hindi maipagamot. Doon ko na naisip na gamitin yung ipon ko sa Cebuana Lhuillier Micro Savings." - Maria Luisa Luna

Tuwing may kailangan sa bahay, gaya nang pangkain at pang-renta, withdraw ako. Tapos pagpapagamot sa anak, withdraw ulit," Maria Luisa shares. She admits that the protracted quarantine period had drained her savings, but now that everything is slowly going back to normal, she has also resumed building her emergency nest egg, visiting the Cebuana Lhuillier branch nearest her after a day of collecting recyclables and items to sell.

Since its launch, Cebuana Lhuillier Micro Savings has enabled more than 5.5M account holders to have a semblance of peace of mind in times of great need and emergencies. As a cash agent, Cebuana Lhuillier provided account holders with a reliable and highly accessible venue to deposit and withdraw their money in any of its 2,500 branches nationwide, anytime and anywhere.

In 2020, Cebuana Lhuillier Micro Savings was made even more accessible and convenient with the introduction of its new digital features.

"We’ve always believed that Cebuana Lhuillier Micro Savings should be able to evolve according to the changing needs of its users. By going digital, Cebuana Lhuillier Micro Savings is providing greater IPON POWER to its account holders, by providing them convenience and mobility in maximizing the use of their savings through digital channels," Cebuana Lhuillier bank President, Dennis Valdes added.

Cebuana Lhuillier Micro Savings boasts of greater IPON POWER through the following features: withdraw cash in over 21,000+ BancNet ATMs nationwide anytime and anywhere; purchase online thru UnionPay merchants worldwide; 24/7 unlimited banking access with eCebuana app; and do cashless payments in over 350,000 UnionPay and BancNet accredited stores nationwide.

With more and more Filipinos slowly realizing the value of saving, Cebuana Lhuillier Micro Savings is gearing towards further improving its features to better provide its account holders with a dependable ally they can continuously rely on.

Cebuana Lhuillier Alternative Learning System : ALS like no other

Since the renaming of PJ Lhuillier Foundation into the Cebuana Lhuillier foundation, it has since made education accessible to those who need it through donation of classrooms, learning centers, conference rooms, and buildings to be utilized for furthering learning for those who need and want it. 

Jean Henri Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier’s President and CEO stands in the hallway of the newly constructed Northern Tacloban City National High School Sports building in 2016.

For many years now, Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation Inc. (CLFI) has consistently administered poverty-alleviation measures to the underserved and disadvantaged individuals and sectors nationwide. Following the personal philosophy of its President and CEO, Jean Henri Lhuillier which is to “Always Love Schooling”, part of CLFI’s major thrust in education is the  implementation of the Alternative Learning System or ALS along with three other initiatives that emphasize further the value of education; Nationwide Scholarship Program, Spiritual and Social Enhancement Program, and Special Projects on Education. 
“The foundation has always espoused the company’s and my personal advocacy of continuing the pursuit of learning, I am more than elated to see this advocacy into fruition through the foundation’s many extensive efforts on education.” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, President and CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier. 

The ALS program was established in 2013 in cooperation with the Department of Education, the program aims to provide out-of-school youth and adults with Academic, Livelihood, Spiritual and Social Education in the elementary and secondary levels. Cebuana Lhuillier’s ALS program differs from the usual ALS offered because it incorporates the five functional fields of knowledge or FILDS which stand for Financial Literacy, ICT Competitiveness, Livelihood, Disaster Resilience, and Sports Development and as of the last quarter of 2018, CLFI has already opened 79 ALS centers.

Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation Inc., puts prime on equipping ALS students with the financial literacy as it is a company that puts forward the advocacy of financial inclusion for all Filipinos. The ALS program also conducts livelihood trainings in the field of hospitality management for students who need training in the said field. 

More so, CLFI ensures that its ALS centers are up-to-date with the latest equipment. Through the years, CLFI has given its centers with laptops, projectors with screens, printers, USBs, and has cared for the reproduction of modules and reviewers used by the students. 

CLFI also provides buildings in support for its ALS programs among the classrooms, centers and halls donated by Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation is the Ambassador PJ Lhuillier Lecture Room at the University of the Philippines Cesar E.A. Virata School of Business which serves as a classroom for the degree program’s students. Another is the Ambassador Philippe Jones Lhuillier Conference Room at the De La Salle University in Manila where workshops, meetings, community engagement get-togethers, and symposiums are being held regularly. Also made available to students of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines is the PUP-CLFI E-learning center worth 2 million pesos which houses 21 desktop computers and contains 400 select e-book titles all free for use of the students. 

Added to the centers and classrooms sponsored by the foundation is the Northern Tacloban City National High School Sports Building which is a two-storey building with six classrooms two of which are dedicated to classes for the Alternative Learning System. Lastly, among the many donations of CLFI as support for education for all, the Edna Lhuillier Multi-Purpose Hall in Bais City, Negros Oriental serves as a library where most of the scholars of CLFI and ALS learners come to conduct research among the numerous book titles available. It is also being used for seminars and workshops involving reformed drug addicts in the city of Bais, as well as a hub for Bais’ senior citizens. 

CLFI, in partnership with DepEd aims to unveil 20 more centers so that more out of school youth have access to learning.

Because of the commitment of CLFI, ALS learners from CLFI-backed classrooms have posted multiple milestones through the years. These include beating the national average of the Accreditation and Equivalency test for two straight years and producing a learner which scored 100% on the 2014 Accreditation and Equivalency test. By end of 2019, the CLFI-backed ALS program has produced close to 10,000 learners nationwide. While in the 2017 Accreditation and Equivalency test, despite the changes in the passing score for ALS A&E test takers, which saw a low turnout of 15.6%, the A&E test takers from Cebuana Lhuillier ALS centers were able to have a turnout of 49% - higher than the national average of 15.6%.

With the rising demands of today, the Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation Inc., with its bold mission of empowering the disadvantaged through giving access to education via its ALS program will surely combat the challenges of a nation gripped by poverty.