The rainy season can bring unexpected changes—not just to our routines, but also to our finances. From transportation and household needs to urgent repairs and other unforeseen expenses, costs can quickly add up when severe weather hits.

While not every situation can be anticipated, being financially prepared can help make unexpected expenses more manageable. Here are a few ways to build more flexibility into your finances for the rainy season and beyond.

Keep your emergency money within reach

Whether it's an urgent home repair, a car problem after a particularly rough commute, or an unexpected bill that lands at the wrong time, having money set aside can make these situations easier to manage without disrupting the rest of your finances.

With Maya Personal Goals, users can create up to five personalized savings goals, making it easier to keep an emergency fund separate from other priorities. Each goal can earn up to 8% interest p.a., which means your emergency savings can have its own dedicated place instead of being mixed in with money you're saving for a trip, a major purchase, or your everyday expenses.

Prepare for the expenses ahead

Some rainy-season expenses are easier to anticipate than others. You may not know exactly when your car will need maintenance, when your home might need repairs, or when you'll need to replace something damaged by the weather. But knowing that these expenses could come up gives you an opportunity to prepare for them ahead of time.

For money that can be set aside for a fixed period, Maya Time Deposit Plus offers 3-, 6-, and 12-month terms with rates of up to 6% p.a. Users can also top up their funds along the way.

It can be another way to build a financial cushion for expenses that aren't urgent today but could become important in the months ahead.

Have a plan when savings aren't enough

Even the best preparation can't account for everything. An unexpected expense may be bigger than what you've set aside, or several bills may happen to arrive at once.

For eligible users, Maya Easy Credit provides access to up to ₱50,000, repayable within 30 days, which can come in handy for short-term needs such as an unexpected bill, urgent repair, or other expense that needs to be covered quickly.

For bigger expenses that require more time to pay, whether it's replacing a major appliance, covering a larger home repair, or managing another significant expense, Maya Personal Loan offers up to ₱400,000 with flexible repayment terms of up to 48 months.

Having these options doesn't mean expecting something to go wrong. It simply means knowing what resources are available if an expense turns out to be bigger than expected.

And then there are the little expenses

Not every rainy-season expense is an emergency. Sometimes, it's simply the extra cost of adapting to the weather: more rides because of heavy traffic, extra fuel, food delivery after a long commute, or replacing the umbrella that didn't make it through the season.

These costs may seem small, but they can add up quickly. Leaving some room in your budget for them can make rainy days a little easier to manage.

So, prepare for what it might bring: Keep an emergency fund. Set aside money for expenses you know are coming. And know what options are available when an unexpected cost is bigger than expected.

Because rainy-day money isn't about expecting the worst. It's about making sure one unexpected expense doesn't derail everything else.

To know more, visit maya.ph or mayabank.ph, and follow @makeyourmoneymaya on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok to stay updated. Maya Philippines, Inc. and Maya Bank, Inc. are regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. www.bsp.gov.ph. For 24/7 assistance, visit the Help Center in the Maya app or call us from 8 AM to 7 PM daily at +632 8845-7788.

MANILA, Philippines — Animal welfare advocates and the wider pet-loving community can now donate food, medical supplies, and other essentials directly to PETA Asia’s Ampon Alaga Program and Biyaya Animal Sanctuary through GrabMart, with zero delivery fees from August 28 to September 3.

From dog and cat food to treats, toys, beds, vitamins and supplements, cat litter, pee pads, cleaning supplies, grooming tools, and other pet-care essentials, donors can choose from items that participating animal welfare organizations have pre-identified as most needed.

To donate, users can select their chosen organization as the GrabMart delivery location, purchase the items they wish to give from participating pet merchants, and complete their order using cashless payment methods. Participating pet merchants include Pet Express, Pet Lovers Centre, and Dogs and the City, with more merchants available within an 8-kilometer radius of each designated drop-off location.
Once the order is placed, the participating merchant will prepare the donation, and a Grab driver-partner will deliver it directly to the chosen organization. There’s no minimum spend, and delivery is free throughout the campaign period.

Users can select participating animal welfare organizations as delivery locations and enjoy free delivery on pet essentials.

Ashley Fruno, Director of the Animal Assistance Program at PETA Asia, said donations of everyday essentials can help animal welfare organizations continue caring for rescued animals.

“For animal rescues caring for hundreds of cats and dogs, even a small donation can make a meaningful difference. We’re grateful that Grab is making it easier for people to support rescues wherever they are. Every bag of food, pack of supplies, or other essential item helps us provide rescued animals with the care they need while they wait for loving homes,” said Fruno.

Rina Ortiz, President of Biyaya Animal Care Foundation, Inc., sees that operational need every day. The organization provides rescue, rehabilitation, veterinary care, and other support for animals in need.

Volunteers from Grab join Biyaya Animal Sanctuary’s Sunday Walk with rescued dogs.

“Caring for rescued animals teaches us that compassion is not only found in extraordinary acts. Very often, it is built through ordinary things done consistently—a meal, medicine, a clean place to sleep, a bag of supplies arriving when it is needed. What we love about this initiative with GrabMart is that it gives anyone a simple way to turn compassion into something tangible. When many people each do something small, together it becomes an extraordinary act of care,” said Ortiz.

Grab Philippines also provided GrabGift vouchers to support participating animal welfare organizations and the rescued animals in their care.

For the designated drop-off locations, users can pin “Biyaya Animal Care - Mandala” on the Grab app as the collection point for donations to Biyaya Animal Sanctuary, and “Ampon Alaga” for PETA Asia’s Ampon Alaga Program.

Those interested in adopting, fostering, or volunteering can visit the official social media pages of PETA Asia’s Ampon Alaga Program and Biyaya Animal Sanctuary.