For nearly a decade now, the Philippines has had one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia. With the country’s GDP averaging around 6% and the Philippine Stock Exchange Index growing by more than 150% since 2010.
So why doesn’t this economic progress seem to be reflecting on your bank account? The sad reality is that only around 8% of Filipinos invest and less than 1% invest in the stock market. That means there’s a very small number of people—many of whom are foreign investors—benefitting from the Philippines’ growth.
This doesn’t really seem fair, right? That’s why Investagrams, a local fin-tech start-up is aiming to make financial literacy more accessible and change the way that Filipinos think about money.
“We’re taught from a young age that we have to go to school, get a good job, work hard until we’re 60, and wait for retirement before we can finally relax and enjoy life. But it doesn’t have to be that way,” said JC Bisnar, CEO and Co-Founder of Investagrams.
He added, “We know that there are a lot of ways to invest and make money, but the great thing about the stock market is that you don’t need a lot of capital to start building real wealth. I started at 20 years old with only P25,000 that I earned from selling t-shirts. With a lot of focus, commitment, and perseverance, I was able to achieve my first million at just 21 years old.”
JC co-founded Investagrams with Airwyn Tin and JM Lapina who also began stock trading before they turned 20. When asked about why they decided to establish Investagrams, they said, “Ironically, building Investagrams isn’t about money for us. That might sound like a cliché, but we believe that helping people address basic needs like financial security will open the door to a lot of great things for Filipinos and the Philippines.”
JM added, “Investagrams is already well-known among stock traders, but we still have a long way to go. We want to build a one-stop-shop where regular Filipinos can find everything they need to reach their first million. That’s a big dream, but we’re going to achieve it.”
“One of the things we are doing to reach and help more Filipinos is through our live events, which are a little less intimidating than trying to learn everything on your own. We’re actually hosting an event called INSPIRE PH this April 28 at SMX Pasay. There, we’ll have some of the country’s best stock traders, entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators share their knowledge and wisdom. We’ll also some of the country’s leading SMEs and startups in our exhibitor’s area in case people want to know more about any specific company,” he said.
In case you’re interested in attending, you can check out the full event details at www.inspire.ph and buy through this Inquirer-exclusive discount link to get P1,100 OFF the regular ticket price—no strings attached.
Clearly, Investagrams is addressing a very important need in the country. Their registered users have doubled in less than a year, with many leaving glowing reviews on Facebook, the Google Play Store, and the App Store.
In a relatively short span of time, they’ve already helped thousands on their journey towards financial freedom and it’s both exciting and heartwarming to see them charging full speed ahead.
To sign up for Investagrams and access their free tools and features, just visit www.investagrams.com.
As a final piece of advice, the Investagrams team shared this little nugget of wisdom with us: No matter where you are in life at this exact moment, whatever your financial status, personal, professional, or spiritual struggles, the first step is always to invest in yourself. Take the time to nurse your spirit, your soul, and your mind. You have to take that first step. You have to start putting one foot in front of the other and just start making your way towards achieving your goals and dreams, whatever they may be.