The Campaign

For Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Solutions, micro-insurance should be a disaster rehabilitation package, a “self-help tool” that the Philippines’ marginalized sector can use to recover from the ravages of a calamity. In a country where typhoons, floods and earthquakes are almost certain, the program encourages Filipinos to invest in a financial tool that can mitigate a disaster’s impact on their lives and livelihood. To support this, Cebuana Lhuillier introduced an innovative, affordable and easily accessible micro-insurance product with micro-life provision for low-income sectors. It offered a measure of immunity from calamity by advocating the empowering idea that one may lose goods and property but it was possible to preserve one’s ability and means to rebuild and regain one’s footing. To demonstrate its commitment to advocating disaster resilience and instil disaster preparedness among Filipinos, Cebuana Lhuillier provided FREE micro-insurance coverage to 1 million Filipinos nationwide through its National Protected Filipino Day.

Execution

CLIS partnered with the Insurance Commission to organize the 2016 Ready: Disaster Resilience Forum among disaster preparedness stakeholders to highlight the role of micro-insurance in building disaster-resilient communities. Sessions discussed developing disaster-resilient communities, collaboration among public and private organizations, and utilizing innovations to deal with disasters. Mounted nationwide road shows where CLIS introduced Alagang Cebuana Plus Gold micro-insurance, providing Php40,000 (USD800) worth of coverage (3-month micro-life; accidental death, dismemberment and disablement; fire-cash assistance, rider benefit for unprovoked murder and assault) for a Php40 (USD0.80) one-time premium. On June 1, 2016, CLIS launched the National Protected Filipino Day, culminating on July 21 2016 with the distribution of free and immediate micro-insurance coverage to 1 million Filipinos nationwide. The culminating activity was fully attended by target recipients; farmers and fishermen, public school teachers and students, public transport drivers, blue collar and construction workers, residents of flood-prone and typhoon-stricken areas, the elderly and disabled as well

The Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Solutions Disaster Resilience Program successfully achieved its objectives: 1. Through the disaster resilience forum, road shows, celebration of National Protected Filipino Day, and various broadcast, print and online efforts that achieved media exposure worth Php21.4 million (USD428,000), the program was able to promote micro-insurance as a disaster preparedness tool among people in 1,500 vulnerable communities. 2. The National Protected Filipino Day program successfully reached its goal and provided micro-insurance coverage to 1 million Filipinos in low-income communities nationwide. 3. From July to December, 2016, overall customer transactions in Cebuana Lhuillier branches increased by 78% at 123,7 million from 69.4 million during the same period in 2015. 4. CLIS has earned the support of the country’s top disaster relief agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development and Philippine Red Cross, and socio-civic groups such as the Girl Scouts of the Philippines, and Boy Scouts of the Philippines. 5. Within five months, Cebuana Lhuillier was able to grow the revenue of Alagang Cebuana Plus Gold micro-insurance by 246%, from about Php3 million (USD60,000) as of May, to Php7.3 million by September (USD146,000).

The Situation

More than introducing an innovative micro-insurance product with micro-life component in the Philippines, the Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Solutions Disaster Resilience Program succeeded in creating a mindset change among the marginalized sector. It changed the perception of insurance from a barely-understood and often-ignored, protective investment against exigencies into a reliable asset for rebuilding self-sufficiency in the wake of calamities. Within seven months, the disaster resilience program was able to advocate calamity preparedness among millions of people in more than 1,500 vulnerable areas and provide free micro insurance coverage to 1 million Filipinos nationwide.

The Strategy

The Cebuana Lhuillier Disaster Resilience Program focused its advocacy on the vulnerable communities largely unreached by conventional insurance products and services. Key to the program’s success was forging partnerships with the country’s top disaster preparedness and relief organizations as well as government agencies and non-government organizations which were already actively promoting disaster preparedness and disaster resilience. The message not only gained inclusion in official policy and well-established platforms for dissemination and amplification but lent the partner agencies an innovative and more empowering approach beyond the usual aid and intervention efforts. Such partnerships gave the program the scale and relevance that captured media attention for significant and sustained coverage. Urgency was infused into the message by tapping into a concern already prevalent in much public conversation. This was the standing official alert on highly probable major movement of Metro Manila’s West Valley Fault, threatening a seismic calamity with a 7.2 magnitude rating, dubbed