Join the Search for Cebuana Lhuillier’s Happiest Pinoy 2024: Uplifting Filipino Spirit through Stories of Joy and Resilience

Celebrate the resilience and joy of being Filipino with Cebuana Lhuillier’s 'Happiest Pinoy'! From Gen Z to senior citizens, entrepreneurs, and more, this contest showcases inspiring stories of optimism and hope. Let’s spread happiness and recognize those who make a difference. 

After a five-year break, Cebuana Lhuillier has officially relaunched one of its most beloved campaigns, the "Happiest Pinoy," marking the beginning of a new chapter in the search for joy and resilience among Filipinos. This year’s revival of the campaign brings hope, inspiration, and optimism at a time when the need for such qualities has never been more apparent.

Jean Henri Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier's President and CEO, expressed his excitement for the relaunch, emphasizing the strength of the  Filipino spirit, which has toughened despite the challenges of recent years. "The last few years have been challenging for all of us, but through it all, the unique Filipino spirit—the same spirit we celebrate in this campaign—remained unbreakable. We’ve seen time and again that, despite adversity, Filipinos always find a reason to smile, to be hopeful, and to spread joy," Lhuillier said. He added that the "Happiest Pinoy" campaign shines a light on those who uplift others through their personal stories of optimism and resilience.

The "Happiest Pinoy" aims to celebrate Filipinos who rise above life's challenges and continue to spread positivity. The competition is open to Filipino citizens aged 13 and above, excluding Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). This year, the contest features several categories: Masayahing Gen Z (Youth); Happy at 60 (Senior Citizens); No Way Kapansanan (PWD); Inspiradong Champion (Manggagawa or MNGGW); Bagong Bayani, Hatid Sigla (OFW); Bibo sa Negosyo (Entrepreneur); Proud as Pride (LGBTQIA+) and Creative Pinoy (Creative Arts). This year, the competition has also introduced Special Awards: Katutubo (TRIBO) and Happiest Ka-Cebuana.

In 2019, Zaldy Bueno, a 37 year old public school teacher from Gumaca Quezon won Cebuana Lhuillier’s search for the Happiest Pinoy.  Zaldy, representing the Professional Category, bested other finalists from different categories by virtue of his advocacy to see more children’s lives change through education. 

The grand winner of the search will receive a cash prize of PHP 500,000, with category winners receiving PHP 35,000 each.Special awards’ winners will, meanwhile, receive, PHP 25,000 each.

Applicants can submit their stories via three methods:

• Video Submission: Submit a video entry by downloading the form from the "Happiest Pinoy" social media pages, filling it out, and sending the form along with the video to happiestpinoy2024@gmail.com.

• Google Form: Fill out the official form via the Happiest Pinoy’s social media pages, providing the required details and sharing experiences of optimism and joy.

• Cebuana Lhuillier Branches: Visit any Cebuana Lhuillier branch to get a physical copy of the form, fill it out, and return it to the nearest branch.

The return of the "Happiest Pinoy" competition is a significant moment for Cebuana Lhuillier and the country. As Lhuillier emphasized, this comeback is about more than just finding a winner; it is a celebration of the strength and happiness that define Filipinos. He said, "This campaign isn’t just a search for an individual—it’s a celebration of the strength and happiness that define us as a people."

With this relaunch, Cebuana Lhuillier hopes to continue sharing meaningful stories that uplift the Filipino spirit, demonstrating once again that, no matter the adversity, Filipinos will always choose to find happiness.

 

Cebuana Lhuillier announces its latest financial campaign “Cebuana Iponaryo”

Cebuana Lhuillier proudly announces its latest financial literacy campaign, “Cebuana Iponaryo.” This innovative year-long program is designed to empower every Filipino by highlighting the importance of saving, all while making the experience enjoyable and engaging.

 

With 8-million Micro Savings account holders, CebuanaLhuillier Bank foresees this campaign to further increase this number to 9-million by the end of 2024. The Cebuana Lhuillier Micro Savings account stands out as one of the most flexible and financially inclusive deposit options in the Philippines,requiring just a minimum deposit of ₱50 and a card fee of ₱100.

 

To achieve these goals, the campaign features several keyelements.

 

All Micro Savings accounts come with waived dormancy feesand offer account holders a 0.20% annual interest rate, helping to strengthen the financial stability of account holders by encouraging consistent saving. Cebuana Lhuillier Bank is committed to fostering a culture of saving among Filipinos, ensuring long-term financial security for many.

 

As part of the campaign, new Cebuana Lhuillier Micro Savingsaccount holders will receive a special welcome kit that includes a Cebuana Ipon Box. Inside, they’ll find a Fast Track Challenge card, a 24K UnionPay debit card, a welcome letter, and an Ipon Box Seal. The



campaign also introduces fun, gamified savings challenges whereparticipants can complete various tasks to accelerate their savings.

 

The Ipon Box is more than just a savings tool; it’s also yourticket to exciting rewards. Along with the box, you’ll receive anannual tracker to help you save regularly, aiming for ₱100 a day,which can grow to ₱24,000 by the end of the year-long “ipon”challenge. Milestones are marked with a “badge-like” status update that encourages continued saving and reminds participants to deposit their savings at any Cebuana Lhuillier branch.

 

This campaign isn't just for new Ka-Cebuana clients; existingCebuana Lhuillier Micro Savings account holders with a minimum deposit of Php100 can also claim their own Ipon Box in any branch

“We believe that every Filipino holds a unique story, and we want to help them start new chapters with confidence and security through simple yet powerful steps of saving. Our ‘Cebuana Iponaryo’ campaign with its objective of Bawat Ipon May Bagong Simula is a testament to our commitment tomaking financial literacy and saving accessible and enjoyable for everyone,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, President and CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier.

Dennis O. Valdes, President of Cebuana Lhuillier Bank, added, "Our goal is not just to reach 9 million Micro Savings account holders, but to instill a lifelong habit of saving among our clients. The Cebuana Iponaryo campaign is designed to makesaving a rewarding experience, ensuring that our clients not only start their savings journey but also sustain it for the long term. We are committed to helping Filipinos secure their financial future, one Ipon Box at a time."

Cebuana Lhuillier is the leading and largest microfinancialservices provider in the Philippines, offering pawning, remittance, microinsurance, microsavings, and microloans. Committed to improving the lives of Filipinos through financialempowerment, Cebuana Lhuillier continues to innovate, providing accessible financial solutions to its clients.

 

Cebuana Lhuillier Bank is the banking arm of Cebuana Lhuillier, is dedicated to offering microfinance services tailored to the needs of Filipinos, especially the unbanked and underbanked. The bank’s mission is to make financial servicesmore inclusive and accessible, ensuring that every Filipino has the opportunity to save and secure their financial future.

 

Start saving now! Visit any Cebuana Lhuillier branch to open aMicro Savings account and start your Ipon Journey today with the Cebuana Ipon Box. For more information, please visit  Cebuana Lhuillier’s website.

Cebuanegosyo: Fostering Entrepreneurial Spirit Within - Cebuana Lhuillier’s Innovative Approach

According to a recent study, about 78% of the population or four out of five Filipinos dream of having their own businesses. While most of these are part of the workforce in the country, some people find it hard to juggle the weight of starting a business while working a full-time job. However, such is not the case for Cebuana Lhuillier employees, who are widely encouraged to pursue their passions and aspirations while doing what they can for the company. 

Whereas other companies may see entrepreneurship as a hindrance to the best performance of their employees, Cebuana Lhuillier goes the opposite way. As the company treats its employees as its strongest asset, it cultivates a more engaged workforce by empowering its employees to think and act like entrepreneurs. By actively supporting and nurturing employees, aspiring business owners in the organization continuously feel supported. 

Rather than confining employees to predefined roles, Cebuana Lhuillier has launched the Cebuanegosyo program which empowers its employees. Through this, Cebuana Lhuillier employees are given a chance to explore their passions and turn their ideas into reality.

Under Cebuanegosyo, employees can apply for a Microbiz Loan without any interest. This is a special loan assistance program that helps aspiring entrepreneurs get enough funding to start their businesses. This makes it easier for them to kickstart their businesses, whether it be for getting initial supplies or processing necessary permits. 

But more than the loans that are mainly directed towards microbusinesses, the Cebuanegosyo program for Cebuana Lhuillier employees also comes with coaching sessions that will help them become better entrepreneurs. Aside from that, employees who join the program are also given exclusive use of Cebuana Lhuillier’s social media platform. 

Since the program was implemented, Cebuana Lhuillier has been able to inspire a lot of its employees into venturing into their desired industries. Over the years, the Cebuanegosyo program has helped employees open local sari-sari stores, restaurants, salons, and other businesses that align with their personal interests. 

“Implementing programs like Cebuanegosyo allows us to serve as our employees’ steppingstone towards the fulfillment of their dreams. As we remain dedicated to help Filipinos towards financial inclusion, we feel that it is our utmost duty to start from within our organization and open the best opportunities for our employees so they can feel motivated to work,” says Jo-Ann Tacorda, Chief Administrative Officer of the Corporate Services Group. 

“Here at Cebuana Lhuillier, we care about the welfare of our employees and what makes them happy. It fills us with immense pride and joy when we witness how we improve the lives of our employees by encouraging them to live their dreams rather than confining them within our offices. By doing so, we believe that our support for their businesses becomes a vital force that pushes them to strive better for their families,” says Jean Henri Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO. 

Given the success of the program and the positive impact it has left on Cebuana Lhuillier’s employees, the program becomes a continuous effort for the company to motivate their people to reach for their aspirations in life.

 

Cebuana Lhuillier continues its foray into innovation and fintech as it announces its recent integration into the Stellar blockchain network

                

Leading microfinance services provider Cebuana Lhuillier continues its foray into innovation and fintech as it announces its recent integration into the Stellar blockchain network. This partnership reinforces its venture into block-chain based payment services.

 

The partnership with the Stellar network allows customers to receive cross-border remittance payments almost instantly and more conveniently at more than 3,000 Cebuana Lhuillier branches across the Philippines. 

 

This new setup is a blockchain-powered alternative to traditional remittance flows, which typically come with long waits for users, and heavy capital requirements that limit scale and liquidity for Money Transfer Operators (MTOs). The alternative significantly alleviates the challenges faced by MTOs by allowing them to settle payments immediately instead of after days via traditional fiat rails.

 

This is encouraging news for the millions of Filipinos working overseas who rely on remittance companies like Cebuana Lhuillier to send support to their families in the Philippines. Currently, the Philippines remains one of the top five recipient countries for money remittances, with millions of Overseas Filipino Workers spread out across the globe, forming a key part of a $31 billion-dollar industry.

 

“Cebuana Lhuillier has always stood by its mission of providing financial inclusion to Filipinos, and that includes the millions of Overseas Filipino Workers, considered modern-day heroes, who toil away overseas in order to provide a better future for their families. Our integration with the Stellar network is part of Cebuana Lhuillier’s constant innovation of its tried-and-tested financial services, all for the purpose of making it easier, more convenient, and more cost-effective for recipients in the Philippines to instantly receive their remittances from abroad,” shared Jean Henri Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier president and CEO.

 

The Stellar network is a decentralized, fast, scalable, and uniquely sustainable network for financial products and services. This integration with Stellar is part of Cebuana Lhuillier’s move towards further exploration of fintech in order to increase the efficiency and convenience of its services.

 

“As Cebuana Lhuillier joins the Stellar ecosystem, a powerful route for affordable and instant

remittances emerge in the Philippines,” said Denelle Dixon, CEO and Executive Director of the Stellar Development Foundation. “Together, we are improving the global financial system by bringing more equitable access to critical markets. Stellar is the network built for payments around the world and this is a step in fulfilling our mission.”

 

“This integration with Stellar is just one of the many initiatives of Cebuana Lhuillier. We are setting our sights on ensuring a seamless transfer between the offline and online channels for the business and putting systems in place that focus on convenience, accessibility, and efficiency. Our goal is to ensure that every Ka-Cebuana will be able to seamlessly send and receive money via Cebuana Lhuillier, anytime, anywhere, everywhere—whether via physical transactions or through their mobile phones,” added Erl Sumanga, General Manager and Head for Cebuana Lhuillier’s Money Transfers Business.

 

Cebuana Lhuillier extends heartfelt thanks to loyal clients for decades of trust, loyalty

For many of Cebuana Lhuillier pawning clients, their jewelries are more than valued accessories. To many, these items were heirloom pieces, fruits of their hard work, or precious investments. During times of need, they also represent a quick solution, an opportunity for a better life, or a fresh restart.

 

For more than 35 years, Cebuana Lhuillier has known these stories from its clients as they go through its doors during theirtimes of need. More than its high appraisal rates, they comfort their clients by the assistance of well-trained branch personnel and the assurance that their precious pieces are safely and securely taken cared of. This eases the burden of parting with the jewelry for the clients, until the time that they come back to claim their pawned items. 

 

Aware that the value of the items in their care goes beyond their weight in gold, Cebuana Lhuillier thought of a way to further give meaning to the Holiday Season for some of its most loyal clients. 

 

Salamat, Ka-Cebuana 

As part of its CSR initiatives, the company has made it its annual tradition to give back to those in need during the Holidays. Usually, these gift-giving activities were held every 6thof December in celebration of the Feast of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of pawnbrokers and the inspiration behind the legend of Santa Claus. 

 

This year, Cebuana Lhuillier chose the best recipients—its valued clients, many of whom has stayed with the company for years, entrusting some of their most precious items in their times of need. The event, dubbed “Pasasalamat,” gathered more than 200 clients across eight regional locations nationwide in a simultaneous celebration of thanks and love from Cebuana Lhuillier. The gathering proved to be more than a celebration as attendees were feted to a day of fun and prizes, but the end of the program proved to be the most poignant of all when Cebuana Lhuillier, through its operations team, returned all the pawned items of its attendees as a special surprise. 

 

Jean Henri Lhuillier, president and CEO, shared, “Pasasalamat2022 is our way of giving thanks to our clients for the trust and partnership we have established in the last 35 years. We’ve known their stories—and were blessed to be with them as they chased their dreams and provided better lives for their loved ones. With “Pasasalamat,” we are returning this trust by gifting them with the items they pawned with us. We hope that through this small gesture, Cebuana Lhuillier is able to give further meaning to this season.” 

A Season of Joy, Hope, and Giving Thanks

For many of the attendees of the Pasasalamat celebration, the unexpected blessings were more than expressions of gratitude coming from a long-time ally—it brought hope and joy as precious pieces, family heirlooms, and cherished investments find its way back to them. 

For Grecilda Torres, a small business owner and client of Cebuana Lhuilier for 26 years, the unexpected return of her pawned items—all rings—brought to tears. “Nakaka-touch isipin na gumawa ng time si Cebuana Lhuillier na ipakita saamin na importante kami. I am very much grateful and thankful na—yung 26 years naming magkasama, it keeps going lang. My business and the business of Cebuana Lhuillier, magkasama pa din kami. Nagka-doctor na akong anak, pero still, nandito pa din ako with Cebuana. And for that, I am very thankful,” she shares. 

 

Meanwhile, Remigia Mejia, a 79-year-old cancer survivor and loyal client of Cebuana Lhuillier for 30 years, cannot believe that a pendant which her late husband gifted her before they were married has found its way back to her. She shares, “Hindi ko akalain na babalik yung mga alahas ko since pinag-iipunanko din na matubos sila. Karamihan sa kanila, matatagal na saakin, including yung pendant na bigay ng asawa ko and yungsingsing ng anak ko which I gave her nung nag-debut siya. As much as possible, ayaw ko silang maremata kasi they are very valuable and sentimental pieces para sa akin. Kaya nagpapasalamat ako sa Cebuana Lhuillier for this event and for the many years na hindi nya din ako pinabayaan. Nagtra-trabaho pa lang ako, kasama ko na ang Cebuana Lhuillier and even till now, kami pa din ang magkasama.” 

 

For Ana Marie Mendoza Rapido, a teacher from Cavite and a Ka-Cebuana since 2012, Cebuana Lhuillier has been a trusted ally during times of emergencies. Through their jewelries, Ana Marie and her siblings were able to sustain the hospitalization and medication of their mother who have been in-and-out of hospitals in the last ten years. “Ang Cebuana po, trusted nanamin at lagi naming taga-sagip sa oras ng kagipitan, lalo nanung panahon ng pandemic,” shared Ana Marie who was in tears when she opened the box and saw her pawned item inside.

 

Grecilda, Remigia, and Ana Marie were just three of the many loyal clients whose continued trust and loyalty to Cebuana Lhuillier proved to be instrumental in the company’s continued reign as the country’s number one pawnshop. With Pasasalamat, the decades-old financial institution was able to express and extend its thanks for the many whose continued patronage remains the reason for its longevity and its continuous desire to serve as an ally and a friend to millions of Filipinos and their journey towards a better future.