After more than three decades in finance and accounting, Joffre Enrico Dominguez had the credentials to speak at any corporate boardroom. As a CFO, he was fluent in the language of balance sheets, forecasts, and P&Ls.
But when he decided to pivot toward financial literacy advocacy, he hit a surprising roadblock—not with the concepts, but with the communication.
“I needed to speak the language of the common man,” Dominguez told Financial Adviser PH. “The financial world speaks in acronyms and jargon. But most Filipinos don’t live in that world.”
And so began his journey—not just to teach finance, but to translate it for the 90% of Filipinos who are too often left out of the conversation.
From boardrooms to barangays
Dominguez realized that while he could easily connect with other professionals, he was struggling to reach the everyday workers he wanted to help.
“I could talk to CFOs and bank managers all day. We’d swap numbers and strategies,” he said. “But try explaining compound interest to someone who lives paycheck to paycheck—it doesn’t land the same way.”
That disconnect led him to the Registered Financial Planner (RFP) program, where he learned how to reframe complex ideas into simple, actionable lessons.
“RFP helped me cut across audiences. It taught me how to take my experience and deliver it in a way that makes sense to someone who’s never seen a spreadsheet.”
Why democratizing finance requires humility
Dominguez told Financial Adviser PH that one of the biggest shifts wasn’t technical—it was emotional.
“You have to drop the ego,” he said. “If you walk into a room thinking you’re the expert, people tune you out. But if you listen, relate, and speak plainly—they listen.”
That humility has opened doors for him to teach across sectors: from CD classes to private companies to the Philippine Navy, where even a captain—an RFP graduate himself—invited him to speak.
And in every talk, no matter the audience, Dominguez focuses on one thing: making financial education feel accessible, not intimidating.
“The real challenge isn’t teaching finance. It’s making people feel like it’s for them.”
One of Dominguez’s biggest takeaways? People don’t think financial literacy applies to them—until someone shows them it does.
He uses real-life stories, not formulas. Visual props, not Excel sheets. And above all, language that respects where people are.
In his sessions, he often shares behavioral finance insights using familiar metaphors—like the “sari-sari store mindset” of thinking small purchases don’t add up, even though they always do.
What he wants every Filipino to understand
Dominguez believes that every Filipino—regardless of background—deserves the tools to manage money with confidence.
“Financial education isn’t just for the rich. It’s not for finance majors. It’s for everyone,” he said. “Because when more people understand how to save, budget, and grow money, the entire country benefits.”
A mission bigger than numbers
Today, Dominguez isn’t just a finance expert—he’s a storyteller, translator, and community educator. And the impact goes far beyond charts and calculators.
“The more knowledge we share, the stronger the nation becomes,” he told Financial Adviser PH. “Financial literacy isn’t about sounding smart. It’s about helping people live better lives.”
