BPI BanKO Awards Prizes to Ka-BanKO Panalo!
Raffle Promo Winners

March 2013

BPI BanKO recently awarded its prizes for the winners of the first raffle draw of the “Ka-BanKO Panalo!” raffle promo.

Elizabeth Gatmaitan of Quezon City won the grand prize of P100,000, while Sammy Ibus of Manila became the owner of a brand new Yamaha Vega.  Conrad Cruz of Antipolo and Jan Nico de Dios won P50,000 each.  The winners of P20,000 and P10,000 cash, and Globe prepaid phone kits, have received their prizes as well.

L-R: Sacha Camus, BPI BanKO Marketing Services Manager; Teresita Tan, BPI BanKO  President; Elizabeth Gatmaitan; Rita Duenas, BPI BanKO Chief Marketing Officer

Grand prize winner Elizabeth Gatmaitan applied for a BanKO account at Tambunting pawnshop last Febuary to be able to save for the education of her 4 children.  “I asked my friend, who’s already a BanKO accountholder, to accompany me to open an account,” she recalls.

It was the housewife’s first time to have a bank account. “I manage the household budget which comes from my husband’s income as abarangay tanod,” she says. “I used to keep the cash I saved in a drawer at home and I usually end up spending it, so I decided to open a BanKO account because I am able to cash in small amounts.  Before you know it, your savings have already grown.”

Winning the promo never entered Elizabeth’s mind.  She says, “I was told to keep my SIM card when I opened my account because I might win the raffle, but my desire to save money was the primary reason that I went to the BanKO partner outlet.”

Part of Elizabeth’s winnings will be used to re-open her sari-sari store. She closed it down twice when the contents of her store were washed away during Ondoy in 2009 and the habagat flood in 2012. “We can start over because I now have the means to open my store again. We are very grateful because of this blessing that we have received, especially now that times are so hard.  I hope that there will be more people who will save in BanKO,” she says.

L-R: Billy del Rosario, Yamaha Y-Zone Store  Manager; Sammy Ibus; Rita Duenas, BanKO Chief Marketing Officer

Sammy Ibus, the winner of the Yamaha Vega motorcycle, just graduated from his maritime course last March.  At the age of 15, he started working as a houseboy, and took on various odd jobs as a factory worker, fastfood chain crew and family driver to support himself through school.  “I was a working student. I worked hard because I wanted to finish college,” says Sammy.  He is the first college graduate in his family.

Sammy opened an account when he chanced upon the BanKO caravan in their barangay sometime last year. “I only kept my earnings inside a bag in my boarding house, so I did not have second thoughts in opening a BanKO account to secure my money,” he says. “Every time I have extra money, I cash-in at a nearby Tambunting pawnshop. I only cash out when I need to pay for my tuition.”

He also earns from BanKO’s BuyLoad feature by selling load to his classmates and roommates at his boarding house.  The 10% rebate becomes additional savings for him.  He also sends money to the province using BanKO’s SendMoney.  “Using BanKO is so easy.  It’s fast and convenient because I don’t need to go to the store or the remittance center,” he relates.  He has even encouraged his friends to open BanKO accounts.

He is planning to sell his motorcycle so that he may pay for his seaman training. “I want to start working on a ship so I can help out my family in Ilocos.  And I’d also like to see Europe,” he adds.

With the help of BanKO, Sammy is able to move closer towards fulfilling his dreams.  He advises other BanKO accountholders to “keep on saving so that you will have something to fall back on in times of need.” 

L-R: Sacha Camus, BPI BanKO Marketing Services Manager; Teresita Tan, BPI BanKO  President; Elizabeth Gatmaitan; Rita Duenas, BPI BanKO Chief Marketing Officer

 “Ecstatic!” That was how Conrad Cruz felt upon finding out that he won P50,00 from the Ka-BanKO Panalo! promo.

At a young age, Conrad’s grandfather already taught him the value of saving.  He is now an incoming senior at a college in Antipolo.  “I always pass by the BanKO partner outlet (CVM Pawnshop) on my way home from school and I also saw on Eat Bulaga that you only need P100 to apply, so I opened an account last year,” Conrad says.  “I’m thankful to BanKO for giving us an opportunity to save-and with interest at that.”

Conrad won in Ka-BanKO Panalo! for using the BuyLoad feature.  “I cash in weekly so I can buy load, and then I sell the load because I earn from the 10% rebate.  With this, I am able to increase my savings.”

He will use his winnings to pay for his tuition for the next school year.  Conrad’s father Loreto says, “I am happy because he already knows how to save and I hope that he will continue doing this so he will have a better future.”

L-R: Rita Duenas, BPI BanKO Chief Marketing Officer, Jan Nico de Dios, Sacha Camus, BPI BanKO Marketing Services Manager

Working student Jan Nico de Dios from Laguna is the second recipient of the P50,000 cash prize.  He works as a production operator for a semiconductor company and as a sales agent for an internet provider to finance his Consumer Electronics course.

He was just convinced by his co-worker to open a BanKO account at Tambunting Pawnshop in Cabuyao last January.  “I opened an account so I can save up for the things that I want to buy,” he says. He usually uses his BanKO account to buy load, because “it’s cheaper and more convenient than going to the sari-sari store.”

Jan will be using part of his winnings to help his mother put up a small canteen at a nearby school.  “My father lost his job when the company that he was working for closed down last December, and we were really planning to put up a canteen for additional income,” he says.  With his family working together for their business, he hopes to have a more comfortable life.

You still have the chance to win in Ka-BanKO Panalo, like Elizabeth, Sammy, Jan and Conrad!  Those who will open accounts and conduct transactions such as Paybills, BuyLoad, SendMoney and BuyInsurance will receive one raffle entry for every successful transaction. (April 2013).