Pioneer Insurance, with its joint venture CARD Pioneer Microinsurance, Inc., brought global microinsurance leaders to an immersion in a farming community in Sta. Ana, Pampanga, giving them a firsthand look at how inclusive insurance works in communities and how it reaches farmers and underserved families.
鈥淔or us, customer centricity means stepping into our clients鈥 realities and seeing life from their perspective,鈥 said Melinda Grace Labao, President and CEO of CARD Pioneer Microinsurance, Inc. 鈥淲hen we immerse ourselves in their day-to-day experiences, we鈥檙e better able to build solutions that truly make a difference.鈥
The visit formed part of听Microinsurance听Master, a global accelerator program focused on advancing financial inclusion. Cited as the global standard for听microinsurance, Pioneer has been chosen to host the program for the 5th time.
Bert听Opdebeeck, founder of听Microinsurance听Master, shared one of his key learnings from Pioneer, 鈥淟et the customer be your guide. To learn their needs, you must go where they are, listen to them, and听observe听their daily lives.鈥
During the immersion, the international delegates engaged directly with smallholder farmers, including Jesus Aguas who shared that pests, flooding, and typhoons remain among the biggest threats to their livelihood.
鈥淪ometimes, when you are close to harvest, a typhoon comes and the crops fall,鈥 Mr. Aguas said. 鈥淵our investment is wasted.鈥
For many, however, the risks extend beyond their crops. Bienvenido Timbol, Jr., another farmer who shared his experience with delegates, pointed out that while government programs provide insurance coverage for crops, farmers themselves often remain unprotected.
鈥淭he crops are insured, but what about the person working on them?鈥 Mr. Timbol said. 鈥淚f we get sick, we have nowhere to get money. We end up borrowing and paying debts again.鈥
For many families, microinsurance provides an additional layer of protection against these uncertainties. Edna Pamintuan, a member of Center for Agriculture and Rural Development Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI) who maintains multiple microinsurance policies for her household, said she decided to get coverage after being encouraged by their local microinsurance coordinator.
鈥淵ou can never really say what might happen in life,鈥 Ms. Pamintuan said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why it鈥檚 important to have insurance.鈥
Delegates听observed听that the Philippine听microinsurance听ecosystem thrives because of听strong partnerships among insurers, microfinance institutions, cooperatives, and community networks that help bring financial protection closer to underserved sectors.
Arijana听Antunovic听of Global听Parametrics听in the United Kingdom shared, 鈥淭he Philippines has many cooperatives and organizations through which farmers can organize themselves,鈥澨鼳ntunovic听said. 鈥淚t makes it much easier to bring insurance solutions to communities.鈥听
Getachew听Mekonnin听of Ethiopia鈥檚 Ministry of Agriculture also saw how awareness and education play a critical role in making insurance work for vulnerable communities.
鈥淔armers here are highly aware of the importance of microinsurance,鈥 Mr. Mekonnin said. 鈥淭here has clearly been a lot of investment in educating communities, and people really rely on insurance to become more resilient during difficult times.鈥
Pioneer continues to protect underserved Filipinos, including farmers, through crop insurance and other microinsurance products, counting close to 37 million enrollments as of 2025.
By sharing the Philippine microinsurance experience to the world, Pioneer demonstrates how customer-centric solutions can be scaled and replicated to help close the protection gap across the world.
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