It has only been a few years since PJ Lhuillier Group of Companies introduced Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Brokers, Inc. (CLIB) in 2019. But today, this full-fledged brokerage firm has become at the top of the minds of Filipinos when it comes to microinsurance, as they focus their efforts on helping the country’s low-income sector, understanding and empathizing with their needs, and developing the right solutions and products that specifically meet their requirements.

CLIB’s Meaningful Partnerships as an Instrument Towards Continued Growth

Much of CLIB’s success in helping the marginalized sector get the insurance they need is due in large part to the alliances they have made with multiple partners to develop products that are affordable, accessible, and relevant to the masses. CLIB’s huge portfolio is a result of their long-standing partnerships with various companies that share their vision, including big-name insurers Pioneer, Malayan, FWD, PruLife, and FPG.

To make these products reachable, CLIB has also fostered key partnerships with major companies to streamline product distribution. This strategic initiative underscores CLIB and Cebuana Lhuillier’s commitment to digitalizing back-end processes to ensure optimal service delivery for clients.

CLIB Utilizes Unique Tech Brick Set-Up to Expand its Footprint

CLIB helps their target market by acting as a negotiator, dedicated to carefully evaluating and meeting each customer’s unique requirements. Through this approach, CLIB ensures that pricing and product coverage are tailored to the customer’s needs.

To make the customer journey easy, CLIB has made these products convenient to purchase in over 3,000 branches and more than 6,500 of Cebuana Lhuillier’s domestic partner outlets. These branches are also ready to receive and process claims, as they have an in-house team ready to serve them at any time. To make sure all bases are covered, CLIB also has digital channels, including its one-stop e-commerce platform ProtectNow and popular e-commerce websites such as Lazada and Shopee, where one can easily browse and select the insurance that they need without having to leave their homes.

This move to make their insurance offerings accessible on both physical hubs and digital platforms is in line with CLIB’s unique “TECHBRICK” set-up, aimed at improving services and increasing its range of products. By seamlessly and rapidly integrating its proprietary technology platform (TECH) with a robust brick-and-mortar footprint (BRICK), CLIB now offers not only Cebuana Lhuillier’s proprietary portfolio of longstanding and latest personal, health, property, group, loan, business, and liability insurance creations but practically every insurance product imaginable. Moreover, CLIB has one of the most comprehensive brokerages, carrying all Property and Casualty Insurance lines that cater to both individual and corporate needs.

In all, and to date, CLIB has more than 150 products.

ProtectMax: The Groundbreaking Product That’s at the Heart of CLIB

CLIB offers a range of microinsurance products designed to reach the masses of uninsured, underinsured, and most vulnerable Filipinos. Among these is its flagship insurance product, ProtectMax. Designed for individuals aged 7 to 70 years old, ProtectMax provides Death Benefits, Accident or Sickness Emergency Cash Assistance, Accidental Dismemberment and/or Disablement Benefit, Murder and Unprovoked Assault Benefit, and Residential Fire/Lightning Reconstruction Cash Assistance to beneficiaries for as low as PHP 50.

The popularity of ProtectMax has strengthened Cebuana Lhuillier’s Corporate Social Responsibility Agenda as it led CLIB to actively partner with local government units and government organizations such as the Insurance Commission, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Philippine National Police to bring front and center its Rapido (Rapid Action in a Disaster-Stricken Area Operations) and Kumustahan programs. A practice only CLIB and no other insurance broker dared to undertake, Rapido goes on site of fire-razed areas to immediately process claims of beneficiaries of ProtectMax.

CLIB’s Breakthrough Products of 2023

Not to rest on its achievements, CLIB continues to introduce more innovative products intended to benefit as many individuals and sectors as possible.

One such product is HealthMax, an affordable and accessible new healthcare insurance that covers Filipinos between 15 and 65 years old. For only PHP 8 per day (PHP 3,000 annually), one can already receive an annual maximum benefit of PHP 150,000 for emergency care and hospitalization for inpatients and outpatients at over 282 accredited hospitals nationwide. It covers viral and bacterial illnesses such as bronchitis, gastritis, gastroenteritis, dengue fever, urinary tract infections (UTI), tuberculosis, rabies, and treatment of injuries resulting from accidents, with no medical examination needed.

CLIB also launched ProtectNow, a digital platform that provides busy and on-the-go individuals with a quick and easy way to get their hands on insurance products essential to their daily lives. These products include Cebuana Health Plus, which secures individuals in times of health emergencies; Cebuana ER Care Plus, which protects from untoward accidents; and Phone Screen Protection Insurance, which shields mobile phones from unexpected damage or breakage.

CLIB offers one of the most accessible, fastest, and most affordable CTPL (Compulsory Third Party Liability) coverages. Available at over 3,000 Cebuana Lhuillier branches nationwide, motorcycles can be covered for only PHP 300.40, while cars cost just PHP 610.40.

Another groundbreaking product that CLIB unveiled this year is Cebuana Lhuillier Miners Protect, the first and only insurance policy in the Philippines, especially designed for miners.

Another innovative product of CLIB is CL Perform, a product package integrating HR tech company entomo’s digital platform with select insurance and microloans packages from CLIB. CL Perform is a game-changing product bundle that helps improve the overall well-being of Filipino employees for the benefit of the companies they belong to.

In their relentless pursuit to come up with new offerings using their TECH BRICK platforms, CLIB general manager and Group Head Anthony Lou Bernabe says: “At CLIB, we ensure that our customers are at the center of everything we do. Our team is committed to understanding our clients’ needs and providing them with tailored insurance products and services. We will continue to strive for excellence and make a positive impact on the lives of our “kababayans.”

CLIB Successfully Insures 8 Million Filipinos

CLIB is known as one of the most active insurance brokers in the Philippines and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Association of Insurance Brokers.

Moreover, the Asia Insurance Review, the premiere and comprehensive professional regional magazine for decision-makers and insurance practitioners in Asia, has taken notice of CLIB’s achievements in the realm of microinsurance, noting that a significant amount of microinsurance products in the country have been sold through the vast pawnshop network of Cebuana Lhuillier.

Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier is proud of the breadth of services offered by CLIB and its many accomplishments: “By facilitating convenient and easy access to an unparalleled selection of insurance products that fit the needs and financial capabilities of all Filipinos, especially the masses, CLIB makes insurance accessible to a much greater number of people. The vision has always been to serve and find ways to better the lives of every Filipino. And we are delighted to say that we are doing exactly that with the product range, availability, and access to insurance services offered by CLIB.”

At the core of CLIB’s success in insuring 8 million Filipinos lies the dedicated team of in-house underwriters, actuaries, and experienced project managers. This group works closely with corporate clients to identify their unique insurance needs and skillfully negotiates with insurance companies on the clients’ behalf to ensure tailored coverage that meets specific requirements.

Additionally, CLIB invests heavily in insurance training and development for its employees, highlighting its goal of providing the highest level of service to both corporate and individual clients. This commitment to professionalism and excellence is further exemplified by its ISO Certification No. 9001:2015. As the sole ISO-certified insurance brokerage, CLIB diligently upholds service quality, preserving client trust at every stage of its operations.

CLIB’s commitment to providing accessible and affordable microinsurance products did not go unnoticed. It achieved the outstanding feat of winning the “Domestic Broker of the Year” award at the Insurance Asia Awards 2022 and 2023. This recognition, together with its dedication to financial inclusion, its team of experts, and its prestigious ISO certification, solidifies the foundation of CLIB’s journey to empower Filipinos with accessible insurance solutions.