Insurance push urges single parents to secure their children’s future

The launch comes amid efforts to raise the country’s insurance penetration rate—which remains under 2%.

Insurance often fails to cover the most vulnerable individuals.

An October 2025 study by Boston Consulting Group found that vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly are frequently left out of health insurance coverage, even though many families consider healthcare for dependents a priority.

Few plans cover an entire household; most focus only on the breadwinner. For single parents, who shoulder everything on their own, more inclusive coverage can make a significant difference.

Allianz and Philippine National Bank (PNB), through their joint venture Allianz PNB Life, recently launched MaPanatag, an insurance package crafted for single parents and their children. The offering bundles life and health insurance with other benefits and promises affordability to make sure families are looked after.

Support for single parents and their children

MaPanatag offers three main benefits: health and life coverage for single parents and their children, an annual package of cash benefits and perks from partner companies; and livelihood support. The plan is renewable every five years.

Although the program is oriented toward single mothers, it is open to any self-declared single parent, defined in the application as an unmarried parent with a deceased or separated spouse. According to the Department of Health, there were about 15 million single parents in the Philippines in 2023, 95% of whom are women.

MaPanatag is priced in line with Allianz PNB Life’s most affordable plans. It includes coverage under eAZy Health, which provides protection for critical illness, accidental death, dismemberment, and disability—up to P500,000. It also includes life insurance coverage.

A feature called HerBox adds health and wellness benefits: ₱2,000 for the first year and ₱1,000 for each of the next four years. As part of HerBox, policyholders get discounts or benefits from more than 70 partner businesses in health, fitness, and nutrition.

Single parents also have the option to join Allianz’s distribution force under the plan, giving them a potential secondary income stream.

Three single mothers, who are also part of the Allianz PNB Life team, conceptualized and executed MaPanatag. The company has also shared plans to funnel profit from MaPanatag into social programs assisting impoverished single mothers.

“The components of MaPanatag were based on what we went through, determining what the anxieties and the worries of single moms are. So from our own sentiments in the core team and from our consultations, we all shared the worry of what will happen to our kids if something should happen to us,” said Aileen Dionisio, team lead for the MaPanatag program.

Filling insurance gaps in the PH

MaPanatag arrives at a time when the insurance industry in the Philippines is beginning to show signs of growth but remains under-penetrated. As of end-September 2025, total insurance premiums reached P372.08 billion, up 13.3 % from the same period last year. Life insurance products accounted for most of the increase. 

The Insurance Commission (IC) put insurance penetration—the ratio of premiums to GDP—at just 1.85%, an uptick from 1.74% a year earlier, yet still well below the level seen in many developed markets.

Gino Riola, marketing chief of Allianz PNB Life, said the long run of low penetration and the broader challenge of getting Filipinos to consider insurance early is tied partly to financial constraints, but also to distribution and awareness issues. He observed that younger professionals react more effectively when they can relate to the message.

Among newer generations, relatability is also an emerging factor in whether young professionals take the step towards insurance or not.

Celebrity endorsers and younger profiles who express similar experiences and sentiments help Gen Z better grasp the value of major financial decisions.

“[They] buy from the same profile. So, you buy from someone who looks like you, who thinks like you,” said Riola.

Programs like MaPanatag educate more vulnerable populations about the importance of healthcare and provide tangible assistance for their loved ones. As the country’s population makes strides towards securing financial stability, catering towards the specific needs of unique demographics is a reminder that a variety of options exist for all people.

 

 

A new insurance package has been launched to meet the needs of single parents, aiming to ensure their children are protected in case of life’s unexpected turns.

 

 

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