Sun Life Philippines made the coffee session a little bit exciting for overseas Filipino workers and their dependents by combining fun with financial literacy. On Saturday, November 30, Sun Life hosted the Play for Life: Game of Choices board game as part of their OFW Homecoming Event at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL) in Ayala Malls Capitol Central, Bacolod City.
Play for Life: Game of Choices is a financial literacy board game developed by Sun Life Philippines. It is designed to teach participants about managing finances, making wise financial decisions, and understanding long-term goals in a fun and interactive way.
Players navigate real-life scenarios involving budgeting, investments, and saving, promoting financial awareness and planning skills. It has been used in various Sun Life campaigns and events to engage communities and foster financial education.
“We designed this program to offer an experiential way of teaching financial literacy,” said Cary Casipit, Client Segments Marketing Head of Sun Life Philippines.
“We’ve been getting a lot of requests, especially from our younger clients, for a more engaging and enjoyable ‘version’ to learning about managing finances,” he added.
‘Play For Life’ Mechanics
At the start of the Play for Life board game, Sun Life advisors who act as game moderators set a life goal (such as a vacation fund) and players randomly select a character (profession with corresponding salary and expenses), which serves as the foundation for their financial journey. Each player also receives an initial fund of P100,000 in play money, which they may use to purchase tokens, such as an Emergency Token to help them in unfortunate draws.
In the Bacolod event, Sun Life tailored the board game for OFWs, incorporating scenarios reflecting the unique experiences of OFWs, including their work, salary, etc., offering a relatable and engaging way to promote financial literacy.
As they roll the dice to move across the board, they encounter different tiles that represent key life moments: Life Wins for additional income opportunities, Life Happens for unexpected challenges, and Life Choices which require players to make critical financial decisions.
Each move encourages strategic thinking, pushing players to manage their resources wisely in order to achieve their goals while navigating the ups and downs of life.
Jomelry, a 31-year old seafarer and a father of two, found the game both enjoyable and eye-opening.
“The game enlightened us about the realities of life and the importance of being financially prepared,” he shared. “We need to be wise in managing life because so many things can happen where money can disappear quickly. Even if we have savings, unexpected challenges in life can drain them. That’s why it’s crucial to be smart with finances, especially with daily expenses.”
Jomelry got a SUN Smarter Life Elite policy from Sun Life.
“Having a policy is really important because in the future, after completing the payments, you receive returns. No matter what happens, we have peace of mind knowing our expenses are covered, and my family is well taken care of,” he explained.
“It’s really very exciting to make financial planning and management more fun and engaging, especially this holiday season,” said Len Arboleda, Head of PR and Communications at Sun Life Philippines.
“Through this advocacy, we aim to help more Filipinos achieve lifetime financial security,” she added.
