Guidance starts at home, and for Marian Rivera, that includes teaching children life skills that will eventually help them manage their finances responsibly.
The Kapuso Primetime Queen admits, however, that she and husband Dingdong Dantes have yet to sit down with their children, Zia and Sixto, for a serious conversation about money.
She tells PEP.ph (Philipppine Entertainment Portal) during an interview at the launch of the Palawan Group of Companies’ #PalawanForAll campaign on August 20, 2026, at Makati Shangri-La Hotel: "Alam mo, good question iyan. Parang never namin napag-usapan ng asawa ko iyan. Pero kasi sa age ni Zia ni Sixto ngayon, hindi pa namin sila pinapahawak ng pera."
Instead of simply giving their children money, Marian teaches them about responsibility and the value of rewards through a points system at home.
According to the actress, Zia and Sixto earn points by completing household chores, which they can later exchange for things they want.
"So, ang ginagawa namin is, ine-earn nila. Pag may gusto sila, may kailangan silang gawing something na inuutos namin na, 'clean your room, wash ganito.'
"Tapos may points sila bago namin bilhin yung mga gusto nila."
For Marian, discipline is the foundation of learning how to handle money.
"So dun siguro nagsisimula yun kasi pag may disiplina ka, kasunod yun, kaakibat yun at sunod-sunod na yun."
MARIAN RIVERA: Teaching kids the value of money
Marian is thinking of having more meaningful conversations about finances once they reach their teenage years.
Zia is 10, while Sixto is 7.
She believes adolescence is the stage when children can begin to understand saving, spending, and the value of what they earn, even if they are not yet directly handling money themselves.
"Siguro pag si Zia, ano na siya ngayon, e, mag-e-eleven. Siguro by, I don't know, thirteen siguro. Pero hindi ibig sabihin na bibigyan mo ng pera.
"Pero siguro maganda rin na sa ganung age na naiintindihan niya kung anong yung value.
"Kasi ako kasi, lumaki kasi ako na, alam mo yun, nasa lola ako, na ang bawat kinikita ko after college ko ay mahalaga sa akin, pinapahalagahan ko.
"So yun yung gusto ko ma-implement sa anak ko, na ang kinikita mo ay kailangan, alam mo yun, inaalagaan mo.
"Kasi katulad namin dito sa Palawan, yung pera niyo or kung anong may gusto niyo invest, gusto namin iyan maibalik sa inyo nang buo dahil may tiwala kayo.
"So ganun yung gusto kong mangyari sa mga anak ko na i-trust muna.
"Kailangan malaman nila kung paano unti-unting gastusin, tipunin, ano bang mahalaga."
Drawing from her own experience growing up, Marian wants her children to understand that money does not come easily and should be treated with care and purpose.
The actress adds that her perspective on money has also evolved over the years, especially now that she is a wife and mother.
"Kasi ako ngayon sa punto sa buhay ko na ngayon, parang iniisip ko ang... dati parang bibili ako kung anong gusto ko. Pero ngayon nag-iba na.
"Ang iniisip ko ngayon, intentional na kung paano namin mapapalago, paano namin masusuportahan yung future ng mga anak namin. Yun kasi ang mahalaga."
MARIAN RIVERA ON MONEY TALKS WITH KIDS
Marian acknowledges that teaching children about finances is not something that happens overnight and should be introduced gradually as they grow older.
Still, she admits that the question made her realize it is a topic worth discussing with Dingdong sooner rather than later.
"So siguro gradual siya. Pero magandang question iyan. Io-open up ko sa asawa ko iyan, di ba?"
The actress says financial literacy is an important lesson that parents can start introducing at an early age, alongside values such as discipline, hard work, and gratitude.
"Maganda siguro, ano din, at the early age din siguro maganda iyan na, na-bring up mo sa akin na magandang matuturuan natin yung mga anak natin kung paano pahalagahan.
"Kasi ako, very vocal ako sa mga anak ko, e. Pag may binibili ako sa kanila, alam nila kung saan ang galing nun.
"Pinagtrabahuan ko, pinag-igihan ko kaya ko nakuha yun. So gusto ko ganun din sila paglaki nila... 'May gusto ka?' 'Pagtrabahuan mo para pag nasa iyo, pahalagahan mo.'"
For Marian, teaching children about money is ultimately less about the amount they have and more about helping them understand the value of hard work, responsibility, and making thoughtful decisions for the future.
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