NEWS
Lhuillier named one of year’s Master Innovator by Mansmith Innovation Awards
June 1, 2022 4:25 p.m.
Jean Henri Lhuillier, the President & CEO of micro financial services giant Cebuana Lhuillier, was recently named as a “Master Innovator for 2022” by the Mansmith Innovation Awards, an award-giving body organized by Mansmith & Fielders, the country’s leading training and consultancy company.
Lhuillier was cited for revolutionizing the face of micro insurance in the Philippines—thanks to his ground-breaking work in making micro insurance more relevant in the lives of Filipinos.
Based on the latest statistics, only 53.7M out of 111M Filipinos are covered by insurance. To date, 31% of the insured Filipinos was contributed by Cebuana Lhuillier Micro Insurance, the biggest attributor to date as cited by the Insurance Commission.
Cebuana Lhuillier captured the interest of the market especially from low-income communities by offering affordable micro insurance products that can be easily purchased in any of Cebuana Lhuillier’s over 3,000 branches nationwide, while also putting systems in place for easier claims payout through the same branches.
This was made possible by Lhuillier’s keen support and commitment in the application of tech innovations as a means to augment Cebuana Lhuillier’s wide network of branches and partners nationwide.
“The true mark of being a financially-included Filipino is having access to the most basic financial services that are essential in our everyday lives. This includes protection against illnesses, emergencies, and uncertain situations brought by disasters or natural calamities. For 40 million Filipinos, this is made possible by Cebuana Lhuillier micro insurance,” shares Jean Henri Lhuillier, President & CEO, Cebuana Lhuillier.
Lhuillier adds, “For the past two years, Cebuana Lhuillier focused on its transition as a TechBrick company in order to ensure accessibility and convenience for our clients whenever they avail or use any of our products. We do this by expanding our network reach through physical branches while also taking advantage of proprietary technology through the development of new apps and digital channels that will bring our products and services closer to many Filipinos. In the case of our micro insurance product, we started by making sure it’s affordable and can be easily purchased by any of our kababayans regardless of their stature in life. We then made sure it’s available for purchase nationwide, in any Cebuana Lhuillier branch in the Philippines.”
From these two basic foundations, Lhuillier further expanded by pushing for more tech innovation that further elevated his micro insurance offerings.
This included the unveiling of ProtectNow in 2019, a web-based platform which aggregates the best possible insurance options for their home, auto, travel, and family insurance needs coming from some of the credible insurance companies in the Philippines; the introduction of Claims PayOut Anywhere, which allowed clients to process their claims in any Cebuana Lhuillier branch nationwide; and finally, working together with online market places like Lazada and Shopee which made buying micro insurance as easy as getting as buying something from an online store.
However, it should be noted that micro insurance is just one aspect of Lhuillier’s mission in building a nation of financially-included Filipinos.
Under Cebuana Lhuillier, the country’s number one micro financial services provider, Lhuillier has been the forefront of implementing the “TECHBRICK” strategy, taking advantage of their network of more than 3,000 branches nationwide with 25,000 domestic partner doors, and 3 million partner locations globally and marrying it with technological innovations as a means to further bring the micro financial services industry to the next level.
Utilizing the concept of “TechBrick”, a term Lhuillier coined himself, his vision allowed Cebuana Lhuillier and its products and services such as pawning, money transfer, micro insurance, jewelry selling, along with micro savings, a product of it banking arm Cebuana Lhuillier Bank, to maintain its relevance by ensuring availability and access regardless of channels: whether in brick-and-mortar stores, through the development of super apps, and web platforms.
The synergy between the tech and brick capability allowed Cebuana Lhuillier to empower its clients to move seamlessly and to maximize use of its products and services from offline to online.
For Lhuillier, his push for unremitting innovation remains at the core of the organization as it sets its sights into becoming a more future-ready organization. He adds, “The world and along with it, the needs of our Ka-Cebuanas, are constantly changing and evolving. However, what remains consistent is to ensure that Filipinos remain on track towards financial-inclusion and financial mobility. To that, Cebuana Lhuillier will continue to hold on to its promise of being a partner for every one of our kababayans—constantly evolving, innovating, and maintaining our relevance for the years to come.”
NEWS
Atayde bats for moratorium on student loan payments during emergencies, calamities
March 17, 2023 9:00 p.m.
STUDENTS won’t have to worry paying their loans during times of calamities and emergencies, as Quezon City first district Congressman Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde has introduced a moratorium on the payment of student loans administered by higher educational institutions (HEIs).
The House Bill 7279, which Atayde filed last Feb. 21, headed into its first reading six days later in the Committee on Higher and Technical Education, chaired by Baguio City Rep. Mark O. Go.
He said the bill — once it turns to a law — will halt the payment of all the fees, charges, and costs relating to student loans and technical-vocational training institutions (TVIs) or by the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UNIFAST) during emergencies.
It will cover all students residing in areas declared to be under a state of calamity or emergency — those who are enrolled in state universities and colleges (SUCs), local universities and colleges (LUCs), private HEIs, and public and private TVIs.
“We have to find a way to help our students and their families, when natural or even these man-made calamities hit them hard. We just have to make everything easy for them including a moratorium on the payment of student loans,” Atayde said. “It is a burden on a student and their family especially in difficult times like aftermath of typhoon, fire and earthquakes, among other disasters.”
“In the order of spending, student loans will be their least priority since spending will go mostly to basic necessities for survival,” Atayde added.
The moratorium shall be effective for the duration of the state of calamity or emergency and for 30 days after its lifting. No penalties shall be collected on the deferred payments.
“To provide adequate relief and protection to our students in times of calamities and emergencies, this measure shall allow the deferral of student loan collections for a reasonable period during and after the onset of disasters.”
The Quezon City lawmaker cited also the availability of the moratorium, which shall not adversely affect the status of the students concerned with regard to their eligibility for re-enrollment on the succeeding semesters or terms, or their eligibility for graduation.
“The proposed legislation doesn’t prevent public and private HEIs from implementing more favorable forms of payment relief or assistance to students affected by disasters, prohibiting students from voluntarily waiving the moratorium on student loan payments, or availing subsidies and assistance from the government,” Atayde concluded.
NEWS
ShopeePay now available as a payment method for App Store, other Apple services in PH
March 16, 2023 1:59 p.m.
Beginning today, ShopeePay, Shopee’s integrated mobile wallet, is now available as a payment method for Apple services in the Philippines. Customers can use their ShopeePay account to pay for App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV app, and iTunes Store purchases, iCloud storage and more.
The addition of ShopeePay as an Apple ID payment method offers a new way to pay for Apple services without needing a credit card and still allows for easy, secure one-tap purchasing from Apple products including iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Customers can manage their Apple ID payment information in Settings on iPhone and iPad, or on their Mac or PC.
Agatha Soh, Director at ShopeePay commented, “ShopeePay is committed to meeting the needs of users who are increasingly expecting seamless payments across all platforms. We are excited to offer ShopeePay as a convenient payment option for our customers, and expand access to digital payments, benefitting more users.”
For more information on how to add ShopeePay as a payment method, please visit https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201266 or https://shopee.ph/m/ShopeePay-Apple-ID-PH.
NEWS
Be bolder, braver, more confident at SM Supermalls’ Women’s Month celebration!
March 8, 2023, 8:30 p.m.
Ladies, take center stage as SM celebrates Women Power throughout the month of March. Lots of activities both online and on-ground are in store to empower women and girls all over the country.
Join the Future of Women Global Summit
SM Supermalls will be joining UN Women in kicking off the IWD 2023 celebration through a women’s summit on March 8, at the SM Aura Premier Samsung Hall. Focusing on the future of women in ICT, the two-part event will gather young women, country leaders, policy makers, and advocates together to share perspectives and affirm their commitment to supporting digital equality for women and girls.
Photo courtesy of SM City Lucena
Photo courtesy of SM City San Jose del Monte
Support your local Womenpreneurs
Great finds for ladies are on sale at the SM Womenpreneur Market! This pop-up of small and medium businesses owned by women for women will give you everything you need from food and beauty to wellness and fashion!
Wednesdays are for women!
Shopping on Wednesdays has become even more tempting because the Women’s Wednesday Sale is back! Achieve the glow-up you deserve with special discounts, deals, and promos on fashion, beauty, and fitness exclusively for women every Wednesday of March. So don’t hold back on your shopping; you deserve all these and more!
A beautiful treat of wellness all for you
Forda glow-up and pampering sesh tayo this month because lots of self-care deals are available at the Women’s Wellness Sale. Avail of great deals from wellness salons on facials, hair and body treatments, nail care, and massage from March 1 to March 31.
And more deals online!
Special deals are up for women via the SM Malls Online app. Get the best brand offerings every Wednesday from shoes and beauty and wellness to home and hobbies. Use the code WOMEN and get an extra 10% off, capped at 250. What’s great is that there’s no minimum purchase required!
Also, a collection of brand vouchers will be sent to all women SM Malls Online shoppers valid all month. Wait for your Beauty Pass and give yourself the retail therapy you deserve with tons of discounts, GWP deals, samplers, in-store pick up bonuses, and mystery boxes!
Plus, the SM Malls Online app will be hosting self-care sessions online. Follow SM Supermalls on social media to get a dose of starter packages, Get-Ready-With-Me routines, and beauty products that your favorite beauty experts swear by.
Photo courtesy of SM City East Ortigas
Photo courtesy of SM City Manila
Celebrate Women Power on IG!
Capture the beauty and power of women at the beautiful spots and installations all over SM. Be free to express your own uniqueness and creativity in the specially-designed selfie spaces in partnership with Selfie Studio. Don’t forget to tag us on IG!
We don’t know about you but exciting days await every SM woman. So be bolder, braver, and more confident! With these activities, you can confidently step forward in fashion, beauty, wellness, and express yourselves to make a positive impact.
Stay updated on all things women this IWD 2023 by visiting www.smsupermalls.com and following @smsupermalls on social media.
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