Philinsure To Push Digitalisation Efforts; Protecting Filipinos Amidst COVID-19

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Singapore-headquartered Insurtech, Igloo, today announced an official partnership with Philippines-based insurance broker Philpacific Insurance Brokers Inc. (Philinsure). This partnership kicks off with the digitization of Philinsure’s insurance products offering accessible and affordable insurance to Filipinos in the country to support their need for security and protection. As the partnership evolves, Igloo and Philinsure will be providing more insurance products to better protect the families in the Philippines.



Mr Raunak Mehta, Chief Commercial Officer of Igloo, said, “This pandemic brought about an urgent need for traditional industries to tap technology, and this is especially evident in the insurance sector in the Philippines. This partnership with Philinsure aims to support a very important sector in the Philippines, such as small business owners whose work have a very real and immediate impact on their communities. We want to be able to provide them with affordable and relevant protection to give them the confidence to focus on their business and their livelihood.”



With a digital insurance penetration of less than 1 per cent, the availability of insurance protection in the Philippines is largely offline which limits their reach, especially in these days of the pandemic. Igloo sees a lot of potential in driving this digitally to provide highly customized and relevant solutions to the consumers in the most accessible, scalable, and affordable manner. Leveraging its technological capabilities, Igloo is able to deliver operational efficiencies and lower costs for its insurance partners, and provide value-adding products to the customer base of its distribution partners.



Gordon Alan “Dondi” Joseph, CEO of Philinsure, shared, “We are excited to be working with Igloo as part of our effort to better drive our CSR advocacy to serve Filipino families, wherever they are in the Philippines or in the world. We also see that working with Igloo will help us achieve greater efficiencies in our post-pandemic digitization program. We look forward to working with Igloo to widen our CSR advocacy through its digital platform that is capable of providing a simple, effective means of protecting and therefore empowering the Filipino Family."



According to UNDP Philippines, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) comprise 99.5 per cent of the nation’s business establishment, employing approximately 63 per cent of the country’s workforce. Igloo’s partnership with Philinsure is part of Igloo’s larger mission to provide affordable insurance to the masses.



The partnership seeks to strengthen Igloo’s foothold in the Philippines market as it expands the variety of verticals it serves from on-demand customer platforms to banks, fintech, and logistics firms. Since its entry into the Philippines with its collaboration with Southeast Asia’s largest and fastest-growing hotel management and booking platform, RedDoorz in 2019, Igloo has also partnered with the UnionBank of the Philippines in August last year. The insurtech has also widened its insurance partner base to include Mercantile, Pioneer, PGA-Sompo Insurance Corporation, and United Coconut Planters Life Assurance Corporation.



Igloo looks to evolve its product offering by investing in the development of new products to cater and fit the ever-changing market needs. Apart from these existing products, Igloo aims to work with partners to launch new policies such as home, business, internet security, pet insurance, and those focused on single diseases such as dengue and COVID-19. With these plans in mind, the team looks to hire more people in their Philippines office as it expects the number of policies sold via its platform in the Philippines to grow 4x this year. The company is also looking for strategic investors for their upcoming funding round, which is expected to close by Q1 2021.



Igloo, founded by Mr Wei Zhu in June 2016 to provide affordable insurance for everyone, is a full-stack insurtech firm, employs big data, dynamic risk assessment, and expedited claims management, to provide partners with widened distribution networks and allows consumers access to customized insurance solutions. To date, Igloo has sold over 100 million policies in Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia

PHLPost launches Express Pada-Love on Valentine’s Day

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“Romance can be far, but not apart”, a message the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) will try to convey amid the pandemic as it plays Cupid on Valentine’s Day via its “Express Pada-Love program” from February 8-14.

“The celebration of Valentine’s Day might be a little different this year, but there are a lot of ways to show love and affection to our dear ones”, PHLPost said in a statement.

One way is to send flowers and letters of gratitude to someone special in our life.

Via its #ExpressPadaLove2021, not even Covid-19 can stop PHLPost from sending Love this Valentine season. PHLPost will accept orders of flowers, chocolates, stuffed toys and other gift items on February 8-11 for Express delivery on Valentine’s Day.

Following physical distancing and safety protocols, on February 08, PHLPost will accept orders through its Valentine’s Day booths selling flowers, novelty and food items at the lobby of the Manila Central and Quezon City Post Offices.

PHLPost will deliver the items via door to door through its Domestic Express Mail Service (DEMS) anywhere in Metro Manila. They can also call for orders, through telephone numbers (02) 8527-0135/ 0927-245-0835/ 0906-8976930. Payments can made via Electronic Postal Money Order (EPMO) or G-Cash at Mobile No. 0935-3674207.

On February 10, PHLPost will launch its Valentine’s Day stamps at 3:00 in the afternoon and this will be featured live on Facebook via https://www.facebook.com/PilipinasPhilately.

The cartoon style Stamp illustrates two people in facemask romantically spending time together to celebrate Valentine’s Day in a distance.

On February 14, the Postman will deliver Valentine’s Day orders of flowers, chocolates and novelty items. The program will be featured live on Facebook via https://www.facebook.com/PilipinasPhilately.

Catering to a healthier 2021

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For many of us, the new year offers a chance to reflect on the ways we would like to improve our lives. Something at the top of many people’s new year resolutions list is being healthier and eating better.

For food manufacturers, ‘new year, new me’ resolutions present a surge in people looking for healthier options. In fact, the demand for healthier products in Asia Pacific has been on a steady rise for some time and is set to continue growing post-COVID-19. New research from FMCG Gurus on behalf of BENEO shows that there is an overriding demand for healthy ingredients as consumers’ increasingly want to eat healthier, due to the pandemic.

In addition, the same research showed that people are increasingly becoming more vigilant about the threats posed by serious and common health conditions like diabetes as they appear to be more vulnerable to the virus. The past months have shown that people with diabetes or a badly controlled blood sugar level suffer more from COVID-19. With the region accounting for about 251 million diabetics, there’s a clear need for healthier alternatives that can help consumers better manage their blood glucose levels.

The good news is that scientific studies have showed that reducing blood sugar levels is relevant to health and the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases like diabetes. To enable that, carbohydrate-based foods with low or reduced glycaemic properties should be the preferred food choices.

Low glycaemic diets are characterised by low blood glucose levels and correspondingly low insulin levels, which allows for a more balanced blood glucose response. This supports health and wellbeing in the long term, and benefits people of all age groups who thrive for a healthy diet and lifestyle.

With a growing body of research pointing towards blood sugar management as a powerful tool in the war against diabetes but also obesity, and more consumers now realising its potential, the food and drink industry has a clear opportunity. By incorporating BENEO’s range of ingredients from nature, they can create products with lower glycaemic indexes – a key requisite that allows for better blood sugar management and better overall health.

Effective blood sugar management without compromising taste

It is important to look at the quality of the carbohydrates we consume – and carbohydrates that help to keep the blood glucose level under control are the way to go. There are two effective ways to minimise the glycaemic effect of food products. The first is to modify the glucose supply with fully available, yet low glycaemic carbohydrates such as Palatinose™ (isomaltulose); ensuring the carbohydrate energy enters the body in a balanced way. The second is to reduce overall glucose supply by sugar replacement, using partially (e.g. the sugar replacer ISOMALT) or non-available carbohydrates (e.g. the prebiotic fibres Orafti® Inulin and Orafti® Oligofructose).

Derived from the sugar beet, Palatinose has a mild sugar-like sweet taste. It supplies the body with the same amount of energy as other common, high glycaemic carbohydrates, but in a more balanced way. The slower yet complete digestion and absorption of Palatinose™ is characterized by a slower, longer lasting, and steadier blood glucose response, without the significant drops in blood glucose associated with conventional high glycaemic sugars. This lower and more balanced blood glucose response results in less insulin release and an improved metabolic profile, which helps consumers who want to manage their weight as part of their new year’s resolution.

Alternatively, better blood sugar management can also be achieved by replacing available carbohydrates with partially (e.g. the sugar replacer ISOMALT) or non-available carbohydrates (e.g. chicory root fibres).

ISOMALT, the only sugar replacer from beet sugar, has a very low effect on blood sugar levels and does not trigger insulin release to any significant extent. With its sugar-like taste, this bulk sweetener can replace sugar in a 1:1 ratio in various applications. Aside from being the number one sugar replacer in sugar-free hard candies worldwide, it is also popular in products like chewing gum, baked goods and cereals.

BENEO’s functional fibres inulin and oligofructose, are also additional options when looking to reduce the glucose supply of foods. They are both prebiotic fibres, naturally derived from the chicory root, and they both have a mild and pleasant taste. Partially replacing high glycaemic sugars, these chicory root fibres effectively reduce the glycaemic response of foods while still offering excellent sensorial taste and texture. At the same time, inulin and oligofructose also enrich foods with prebiotic fibre content, thus helping consumers to reach the recommended level of dietary fibre intake and boosting digestive health.

To a healthier year ahead



BENEO’s portfolio of ingredients such as Palatinose™, ISOMALT, Orafti® Inulin and Oligofructose has proven that their benefits can help manufacturers produce foods that are both healthy and tasty to consumers, helping them to keep their blood glucose levels at a lower, more balanced level. With the interest in healthier food products continuing to grow, the time is now for manufacturers to start adapting their recipes to meet this demand, making it easier for consumers fulfil their new year’s goals of a healthier lifestyle.