Investing in our shared future

Most, if not all of us, have made investments at some point in our lives. In simple terms, investing means putting your money in an asset with the intention of allowing this money to grow. This can also mean putting your savings into assets or objects that produce income over time and increase in value.

The wealth created can be used for a variety of objectives, such as meeting shortages in income, saving up for retirement or fulfilling certain specific obligations that include repayment of loans, payment of tuition fees or purchase of other assets. Knowing your investment objectives will guide you in choosing what and where to invest.

Once you have identified and understood your objectives, the first step is to analyze your financial needs, your risk tolerance, and other personal considerations, such as your life goals. You need to do this to decide where to invest. It may be wise to seek help from a financial professional to help you clarify any doubts and advise you on other suitable options.

In building your investment portfolio, you may consider creating a balance between risk and return by investing in different types of assets like real estate or financial instruments, such as stocks, bonds or mutual funds. It can be difficult to choose the right instruments to fulfill your financial goals, but knowing your particular financial situation will enable you to make the right choices.

Another consideration is your investment horizon (short or long-term) or knowing when you would need to convert your investments to cash. Finally, because of the influence of market forces, it is imperative that you monitor your investments periodically and be prepared to readjust if your portfolio is not generating your expected returns.

Investing in good governance

The behavior patterns of actively engaged investors in the capital market may also be applied by citizens in the exercise of their civic duty as voters. They actively participate by keeping themselves informed and take part in the decision-making process as stakeholders to protect their investment for the future and ensure its growth. They evaluate the leadership qualities and platforms of different candidates, and choose and elect the kind of leaders who will not only generate dividends for the public in the form of  goods and services, but also create value for all stakeholders to achieve inclusive growth and national development.

Even after elections, responsible voters monitor the performance of the elected officials and hold them accountable for the programs they have previously committed to implement during their campaigns. And at each and every election, they ensure that the officials who will be elected meet the desirable qualities of candidates who should lead the country.

Similar to the decision-making process for making an investment, good election governance requires voters’ access to clear and correct information on the candidates and their platforms. Voters need to understand the value of their vote, and have the ability to exercise their right to vote freely with no intimidation, coercion, and similar circumstances. However, there remains a widening gap between voters and the information they need to exercise their political right for many reasons, including the limited reach of radio and television outside of urban areas.

‘Boto Mo, Kinabukasan Natin’

In this light, SharePHIL is hosting “Boto Mo, Kinabukasan Natin” on March 8, Tuesday at 2 pm as part of the SharePHIL Online Summit Series on the theme: Investing in Your Future Through Good Governance and Choosing the Right Leaders where we aim to:

1.   Encourage voters to perform their civic duty and communicate the importance of their participation in the electoral process.

2.   Equip voters with a rational framework in selecting which candidates to vote for.

3.   Engage citizens to actively participate in the democratic process even beyond elections.

The keynote speaker is Prof. Dindo Manhit, policy and  strategy advisor, with Salve Duplito, TV anchor, writer, and financial literacy advocate as moderator of a panel composed of influential personalities in various fields:

• Gang Badoy Capati, mental health clinician, founder of RockEd Philippines.

• Fr. Anton C.T. Pascual, executive director of Caritas Manila and president of Radio Veritas.

• Kiefer Ravena, member of the Philippine National Team and professional basketball player.

• Bo Sanchez, author, entrepreneur, Catholic lay minister.

The speakers, given their varied perspectives and experiences, will emphasize the value and power of the individual’s vote and that the collective result of their one vote is a shared future – not only voting for self, but for their loved ones and country. It is the summit’s goal to send a strong message that in order to make rational decisions, voters should seek credible, factual information, and expand their sources of information. Further, it is SharePHIL’s hope that the summit will aid voters to choose candidates with greater care and vision, and vote for leaders that fight for and embody values that are aligned with their own.

To quote Thomas Jefferson, “Wherever the people are well-informed they can be trusted with their own government; that whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to rights.”

As investors, shareholders, and stakeholders in every sector, we must keep in mind that the impact of good governance in business and society matters. It is not mutually exclusive. We must be able to choose sound investments just as well as we choose the best candidates to vote. In the same vein, as we choose the best investments for our benefit, we must choose the best leaders who can bring forth positive change for the benefit of our country.

The author, Ma. Aurora “Boots” D. Geotina-Garcia is vice chairperson of SharePHIL, She is also vice chairperson of the Institute of Corporate Directors, and founding chairperson and president of the Philippine Women’s Economic Network. Boots is president of Mageo Consulting Inc., a company providing corporate finance advisory services.

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