Pioneer Insurance, with its joint venture CARD Pioneer Microinsurance, Inc., once again placed the Philippines in the global spotlight for inclusive insurance as it welcomed a new group of international microinsurance leaders for the Microinsurance Master, a global learning initiative that brings industry executives to the country to learn from the Philippine experience in expanding financial protection for underserved communities.
Speaking in front of the delegates, Pioneer Insurance Group Head Lorenzo Chan called on delegates to turn insights into meaningful action that creates lasting change.
“This is not a corporate social responsibility effort. This is not a do-good mission where you feel good afterwards. This is a viable business proposition that empowers people and enables them to take control of their lives,” Mr. Chan said.
Bert Opdebeeck, founder of Microinsurance Master, said the initiative aims to inspire leaders from around the world by demonstrating that inclusive insurance models can be both impactful and sustainable.
“What Pioneer is demonstrating clearly is that you can do well by doing good, that you can scale microinsurance in a sustainable, profitable way while providing tremendous value to the people you serve,” he said.
In one of the Microinsurance Master learning sessions, Wilma Conde, Officer-In-Charge of the Microinsurance Division of the Insurance Commission of the Philippines, highlighted how microinsurance has become a key instrument protecting underserved communities, particularly those earning below the minimum wage who are often the most vulnerable to disasters, illness, and economic shocks.
Ms. Conde explained that the Philippines has developed a strong regulatory framework that ensures microinsurance products remain affordable, simple, and accessible while still providing meaningful protection for life, property, and livelihood risks.
Among the delegates, Mary Takavarasha, Manager for Insurance Prudential Supervision at IPEC in Zimbabwe, said the experience challenged conventional thinking in the insurance industry, “When you are dealing with microinsurance, you have to learn to unlearn. It’s not conventional insurance.”
Meanwhile, Leona Abban, General Manager for Partnerships at Impact Life Insurance in Ghana, noted that the Philippine model underscored the importance of building solutions around the realities of low-income communities.
“Start from the customer, understand where they are, how they operate, what they use, and then deliver the solutions,” Ms. Abban said.
Andrew Kulayige, CEO of Britam in Rwanda also emphasized the importance of adopting a different mindset when working in the sector.
“We cannot play in the microinsurance sector with a corporate mindset. We must play in that sector with a microinsurance mindset,” he said, adding that the lessons from the Philippines highlight how partnerships and community engagement can help expand financial inclusion in emerging markets.
The Philippines has become a regular venue for the international initiative. With Pioneer widely recognized as a global standard for microinsurance, the country has hosted Microinsurance Master in 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2024 before welcoming another cohort this year.
Over the years, Pioneer’s leadership in the field has already inspired 168 decision makers from 107 organizations in 49 countries, many of whom have returned to their markets with new approaches to expanding financial protection for low-income communities.
By continuing to open its doors to global practitioners, Pioneer reinforces the Philippines’ role as a learning hub for microinsurance and demonstrates how inclusive insurance models developed locally can help strengthen financial resilience in communities around the world.
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