The last barrier to financial inclusion (Part 2 + e-book drop)
If you haven’t read Part 1, I suggest you do—it lays out the core idea we’re building on here. This part focuses on how psychological barriers show up in our day-to-day financial lives. Often, they don’t appear in isolation. They gang up on you, just like toxic friends who never pay their debts back (whoops).
Let’s review the three usual suspects:
Shame and secrecy (Hiya)
Fear of being judged as money-obsessed (Mukhang pera)
Avoiding conflict to preserve social harmony (Toxic pakikisama)
Now, here’s how those dynamics play out in real life:
Procrastinating on money learning
You have access to financial apps, free explainer content on every possible channel, and even friends who know their stuff. But you still put it off, not because you're lazy, but because you're ashamed to be seen as irresponsible or behind. These are some of the internal and external scripts you may have heard or said:
“I don’t really get it, so maybe it’s not for me.” (“Hindi ko kasi gets, so wag na lang.”)
“I’ll deal with it when I’m already rich.” (“Saka na, pag mayaman na ako.”
“It’s embarrassing, I should already know this at my age.” (“Nakakahiya, ang tanda ko na, wala pa rin akong alam.”)
This isn’t about access. It’s more about permitting yourself to be a beginner.
Downplaying your financial goals
You want to save 6-digits. You’re budgeting, investing, or seeking smarter ways to grow money, but you hesitate to talk about it because you don’t want to seem overly ambitious, aggressive, or too focused on money. It becomes counterproductive when you’re surrounded by people with low agency who say things like:
“Money isn’t everything.” (“Hindi naman lahat tungkol sa pera.”)
Instead of being supported, your goals shrink in response to other people’s discomfort or lack of ambition.
Balato
Balato is supposed to be a joyful gesture and a way to share blessings, usually after a windfall like a bonus or lottery win. But it becomes toxic when people feel entitled to your money, as if it’s a social obligation. What starts as generosity turns into pressure. At its worst, it becomes emotional extortion, an unfounded entitlement to your money.
No charging back
You cover the bill for food, rides, groceries, and Jung Kook tickets because you have the card or the app. But when it’s time to ask for payment back, you hesitate because you don’t want to seem gipit or overly concerned about money.
Eventually, people start to expect it, and you become the default payer in your group, not by choice, but because asking to split costs immediately feels too awkward.
What now
The above list isn’t exhaustive. But seriously, my dudes, it’s 2025.
If we really want to take full advantage of the financial tools available to us, like digital wallets, investing platforms, real-time bank transfers, and new ways to evaluate credit, we also need to shift the way we think and talk about money.
That means being clear about our goals, our boundaries, and our wealth-building strategy. And it means staying open to learning, no matter how late we feel we’re starting. Not to impress anyone, but to build better habits and more sustainable financial relationships.
So here’s the thing: I wrote this e-book back in 2023, then updated it in 2024 (yeah, it’s kinda old now, considering how much the economy has changed). I wrote it because I was bored. I used to sell it—and I’m sorry to the folks who paid for it—but I still think it’s useful.
If you think a friend needs it, feel free to share.