24/09/2026
NEWS | UST-Legazpi JFINEX holds hands-on financial tools workshop for BSBA-FM students
The Junior Finance and Investment Executives (JFINEX) of the University of Santo Tomas-Legazpi conducted its financial tools workshop, titled Finance Tool Know-How, for third- to fourth-year Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in Financial Management (BSBA-FM) students at Erquiaga Hall, Peรฑaranda Campus, on September 22, 2026.
Carrying the theme โClick, Calculate, Analyze: A Hands-On Journey into Finance Tools,โ the three-hour workshop aimed to bridge the gap between financial concepts learned in the classroom and their practical application through commonly used tools such as Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets.
JFINEX President Raymund Christopher Imperial explained that the activity focused on giving the students an opportunity to develop skills that can complement their academic learning and prepare them for future work in the field of finance.
โYung concept [ng] Financial Tool Know-How, para yung mga learnings natin sa school or sa mga subjects na naituturo ng mga financial practitioners sa UST-Legazpi, para ma-apply nila yung skills sa tools, such as yung Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel,โ Imperial said.
He added that familiarity with these tools could help students become more prepared for tasks they may encounter once they enter the workplace.
BSBA-FM graduate and UST-Legazpi College of Business, Management, and Accountancy (CBMA) instructor Jason Carmona shared his experience and knowledge in using financial tools, specifically spreadsheets, for financial tasks.
Carmona said that the workshop focused on the basics of spreadsheet tools because of the limited time and the participants' having different familiarity with them.
โI actually asked Raymund kung ano yung kailangan nila, so run into basics na lang kasi limited time lang, [meron lang kaming] three hours, if we try to dig deeper, kasi hindi pa nila masyado alam yung basics, nahihirapan na ituro yung iba pang mga kailangan about financial modeling,โ he explained.
He chose to focus on Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets because of their accessibility and familiarity among students.
โSo pinili ko yung spreadsheet, or yung Excel [or] Google Sheet kasi lahat naman tayo gumagamit noon, and it's very available for everyone, so we are somehow familiar, we just need to know how to maximize the use of those tools,โ Carmona said.
Carmona also emphasized the relevance of knowing how to use spreadsheets to students pursuing a career in the field of finance, citing his own experience when applying for work.
โYes, it is important for all the students in the field of financial management and those who would like to pursue a career in finance, because based on my experience when I was applying for work, this is one of the skills that they are looking for, how you are able to use Excel and the like to further help you in forecasting and in financial modeling as well,โ he shared.
For fourth-year BSBA-FM student Yvonne Margaret Blanco, the workshop helped her recognize that there were still basic spreadsheet functions she needed to learn despite having prior experience with the tool.
"Basically, [in] this seminar, I learned that, like [wala pa akong alam masyado] sa Excel, and this really helps me because of those basic things na I thought alam ko na, pero hindi pa pala,โ Blanco admitted.
She also noted that the workshop provided lessons that classroom discussions and written activities could not fully offer, particularly in practical application.
โActually, kung sa classroom lang naman, ituturo lang naman nila yung kung ano sila, pero hindi nila natuturo yung application,โ Blanco pointed out. โKasi mahirap siya i-learn through books or activities, pero in terms of reality and application, mahirap na siya.โ
Blanco added that learning how to use financial tools could be useful for students to prepare for activities involving large amounts of numerical data.
โYes, napakahirap ng paggamit ng Excel and [other] financial tools, so tinuro ni Sir Jason. As I've said nga, magagamit na rin namin ito for future purposes. We are going to be involved in numbers, and mahirap talaga magmano-mano,โ said Blanco.
She further highlighted the usefulness of the formulas introduced during the workshop for future academic and professional tasks.
โSo those formulas na tinuro ni Sir Jason, helpful talaga siya sa amin na fourth year and other students na magiging involved din sa feasibility studies and other activities na involved yung numbers na malalaki,โ she said.
Through the workshop, JFINEX provided students with hands-on exposure to financial tools that can supplement their classroom learning and help them build practical skills for their future studies and careers.
| via Akari Magtaca
Photos by Grizzlyn Arce
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