Wearing a floral printed Alice + Olivia cocktail dress with exposed lace hem and a pair of white Chanel sandals, actress Marian Rivera cut a striking figure at an event last week. The Kapuso actress had just come home from a revitalizing trip with husband, fellow actor and TV host Dingdong Dantes, and their school-aged children Zia and Sixto.
“It was a chance for us to bond as a family,” said Rivera, guest of honor of the Palawan Group of Companies, which is marking its 41st year of operations this year.
As the company’s celebrity endorser, she is expected to verbalize her support but during the Q&A with the press, she explained why she found it easy to sign with them two years ago.
“We both value the same things: family, being industrious and earning people’s trust,” Rivera said. “When I was younger and still single, I had a different set priorities. I only considered my needs but then when I got married and became a mom, those priorities changed.”
Now, she places her family’s needs before her, and thinks about ways to increase and improve her children’s futures.
“I’m more intentional now about how and where to invest my savings. Palawan is the same way because it continues to come up with ways to improve the lives of fellow Filipinos,” Rivera said.
The company last week launched the campaign for “Palawan for All,” its latest offering that brings together its expanding range of financial solutions under one commitment: to serve Filipinos in the ways that matter most to them.
“Today, millions of Filipinos entrust us with their hard-earned money because we have remained true to our promise of providing affordable, reliable and accessible services,” Bobby Castro, Chair and Founder of the Palawan Group of Companies said in a statement.
“More than our growth, what makes me proud is knowing that generations of Filipinos continue to see Palawan as a partner they can trust.”
He also narrated how they first started out as a single pawnshop in Palawan before growing and gradually opening now over 3,800 branches spread throughout the country.
It’s a story Rivera can relate to as she recalled how she grew up under the care of her grandmother. When she began earning her own money after college, she would spend some and save some. Now that she’s doing very well for herself, she wants her children to grow up recognizing the value of money.
Right now, she and Dantes don’t let their children handle their own money but said she’s considering maybe giving Zia an allowance when she turns 13. “What we do is we make them earn points for doing simple chores like clean their room and wash up. With points earned, they can request us for certain things they might want.
“I’m very vocal with them. When I buy them something, they know where it comes from — that I worked and saved up for it. That’s what I want them to learn as well. You want something? Work for it so you’ll value it,” Rivera added.
As Palawan enters its next chapter with the actress as its endorser, Palawan for All brings its growing range of services together around a simple idea: financial solutions should be accessible and relevant to the people they are meant to serve.
“Palawan for All brings these different services together under one promise: to be a financial partner for Filipinos through the different chapters of their lives,” Bernard Kaibigan, Palawan’s Chief Marketing Officer said. “It is a campaign about people, not products. Every Filipino has a different financial journey, but everyone deserves a partner they can rely on, whether they are starting their first job, supporting their family, growing a business, or planning for the future.”
RAOUL CHEE KEE
