MANILA, Philippines (Jun 2026) — Before you ever took out a loan, Filipino movies may have already told you how to feel about it.
That’s the central argument of the second episode of Moneygurado, Metrobank’s docuseries on Filipino money culture. Titled “Utang sa Pelikula: Self-Worth and Borrowing in the Filipino Context,” the episode features acclaimed filmmaker Direk Joey Reyes, who examines how decades of local cinema and television have quietly shaped the way Pinoys approach debt, sacrifice, and financial self-worth.
Reyes, known for films like Pahiram ng Isang Umaga, Batang PX, and Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo, argues that Filipino storytelling has long framed utang as suffering, shame, or survival. The breadwinner struggling under debt. The OFW sacrificing everything for the family back home. The rags-to-riches arc that equates wealth with worth. These stories, he says, are real — but they’ve also left a cultural imprint that makes it harder for Pinoys to see borrowing as anything other than a last resort.
“Films are not just new stories. They are reflective of specific moments in the political, cultural, and spiritual history of the country,” Reyes said in the episode.
Debt as a tool, not a trap
One of the episode’s sharpest observations is that Filipino films rarely portray debt as something that can be managed or used strategically. Stories about entrepreneurs using loans to grow a business, or individuals borrowing to improve long-term stability, are largely absent from the local cultural playbook.
“The problem is the lack of education in seeing loans as tools. We are often afraid of them instead of understanding how they can help build financial capability. Can we possibly change the whole concept of utang as a trap into utang as a tool? Yes, we can. But it requires education,” Reyes said.
He also pointed out that while predatory lending is a real and serious concern, responsible borrowing, approached with intention and understanding, can serve legitimate purposes for entrepreneurs and those building their financial footing.
Reyes also called on institutions to step up. “I wish the banking system could create more materials that help people understand the value, flexibility, and proper use of loans,” he said — a gap that Metrobank’s Moneygurado initiative and its Earnest platform aim to address through free financial education resources.
Reframing the whole process
Beyond the mechanics of borrowing, Reyes pointed to a deeper cultural shift he believes is still waiting to happen. In the episode, he said: “Hindi yung halaga ng inutang ang importante. Mas mahalaga kung ano yung dahilan kung bakit ka umutang at higit sa lahat, kung paano mo binayaran ang iyong utang. Doon mo nabibigyan ng kahalagahan yung proseso ng pag-uutang.”
Metrobank Chief Marketing Officer Digs Dimagiba framed the series around that same idea. “Financial behavior is deeply personal and cultural. Through Moneygurado, we want to create conversations that help Filipinos better understand not just how they handle money, but why they make certain financial decisions in the first place,” Dimagiba said.
The first episode, “Kapit Lang: The Filipino Way of Surviving,” followed OnlyPans Taqueria founder Audrey Cruz through pandemic hardship and a devastating fire. Future episodes will continue exploring Filipino money mindsets through conversations with cultural figures, educators, and experts.
Episode 2 of Moneygurado is now streaming on Metrobank’s Earnest platform at earnest.metrobank.com.ph/moneygurado.
