It’s Time to MOVE: Manulife Philippines Launches Series of Activities Promoting Lasting Health Habits

MANILA, Philippines—Manulife Philippines, the local arm of leading international financial services provider Manulife, continues to champion sustainable health habits as it launched its Time to MOVE campaign, a series of initiatives encouraging Filipinos to make the first step toward better well-being. The first in the series was “Run and Recover” in partnership with Just Show Up, a community-driven run collective that promotes health and connection, in Makati City.

The Time to MOVE campaign supports Manulife’s strategic priority of empowering customers' health, wealth, and longevity and aligns to the recently launched Manulife Longevity Institute, a global platform to drive action that helps people live longer, healthier, and more financially secure lives.

The campaign builds on ManulifeMOVE, Manulife Philippines’ holistic health program bringing together the right proposition, products, platforms, and partners to improve customer’s well-being at every stage, which the company launched in 2025.

It also helps address key findings from Manulife’s Asia Care Survey and #FYP: Future-proofing Young Pinoys study that show Filipinos’ evolving view on longevity, and the gaps between awareness, monitoring, and practice of habits that support better quality of life.

“Our studies show that there’s a strong desire for Filipinos to live healthier, more meaningful lives. Filipinos value holistic health and purpose, but stress, busy schedules, and everyday pressures often get in the way of turning intention into action,” said Sonali Verma, Chief Marketing Officer, Manulife Philippines. “Our Time to MOVE campaign is a reminder that movement doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, it starts with a simple decision—to show up and take that first step toward achieving our health goals.” 

The Run and Recover series will continue with two additional activities in the coming months: a recovery-focused session in May that pairs a community run with contrast therapy, and a reset experience in June that integrates breathwork, sound healing, and nutrition. These events reflect a shared belief between Manulife and Just Show Up: that long-term wellbeing is built gradually, through habits that stick. 

To learn more about succeeding Time to MOVE events, visit Manulife Philippines’ official social media pages. 

GCash Highlights Role of Affordable, Embedded Digital Insurance in Reaching Underserved Communities

New ways for providing insurance are needed to expand financial protection for vulnerable and underserved Filipinos, who face the most risk but are traditionally excluded from financial services.

 

This was highlighted by GCash, the Philippine’s leading finance app, during a recent banking and insurance summit. According to GCash VP and Head of its digital insurance platform GInsure, Willy De Ocampo, digital platforms can play a key role in addressing the country’s protection gap. The Philippines recorded an insurance penetration rate of 1.79 percent at the end of 2025, improving from 1.67 a year earlier, but still below the country’s 2 percent target and behind peers across Southeast Asia.

 

By integrating vital protection into routine financial transactions, GCash helps to dismantle traditional barriers to insurance. “Many Filipinos see insurance as necessary, but they often feel the process is complicated or expensive,” De Ocampo said. “We want to make insurance easy for our customers and show them that protection is something they already have access to.”

 

GInsure has enabled over 20 million Filipinos to access insurance as of Q4 2025, up over 40% since the first quarter. In addition, 75% of GInsure customers are located outside Metro Manila and 76% belong to socioeconomic classes D and E, highlighting the pressing need to extend protection across all levels of society.

 

More inclusive protection

 

To help solve the protection gap, GCash through its insurance platform GInsure is pioneering new ways to expand protection through its embedded and free insurance solutions within the app. “Our goal is to create innovative and relevant protection embedded in everyday transactions,” De Ocampo said. “By integrating insurance directly into financial services people already use, we reduce barriers and help more Filipinos prepare for emergencies.”

 

Filipinos can stay protected from unauthorized transactions, from hacking, phishing, smishing, malware scamming or other similar scams, including unauthorized access to their GCash account for up to ₱15,000 for as low as P30 for 30 days with embedded protection from GInsure: Express Send Scam Insurance, powered by Chubb. The policy also covers unauthorized transactions on supported online merchants and app-based payment channels, such as Lazada, Shopee, and the Play Store.

 

The e-wallet also offers Filipinos free protection bundled with digital transactions like applying for a loan or buying mobile load within GCash. Fuse Financing Inc. (Fuse), the lending arm of GCash, offers free health insurance underwritten by Oona Insurance, covering hospitalization allowance through GInsure, to borrowers of its GLoan feature for loans worth ₱500.00 and up.

 

Meanwhile, Filipinos can also access free health and accident insurance through GInsure whenever they buy mobile load. Underwritten by FPG Insurance, the free insurance covers up to ₱30,000 (including up to ₱2,500 hospital assistance) for as long as 30 days every load purchase.

 

GInsure joined financial institutions, insurers, regulators, and technology providers at the recently-held 2026 Asian Banking & Finance and Insurance Asia Summit to discuss developments shaping the region’s financial services sector with a focus on digitalization, inclusion, and risk management.

 

GCash continues to work with partners across the industry to expand financial protection and strengthen financial resilience among underserved communities across the country.

 

For more information, visit https://www.gcash.com.

Cotabato City’s Ongoing Push for Cashless Payments via GCash Simplifies Tax, Fee Payments

Paying government fees in Cotabato City has become faster, safer, and more convenient as the local government unit (LGU) officially rolled out cashless payment options with GCash, the Philippines’ leading finance superapp and largest cashless ecosystem.

 

Since the partnership launch in May 2024, the initiative has introduced Scan to Pay and Bills Pay features that allow citizens to settle local taxes and fees directly from their mobile phones using the GCash app. This effort eliminates long lines at city offices and reduces the risks that come with manual cash transactions.

 

The move addresses long-standing challenges in an LGU’s collection system: prolonged queues, cash-handling inefficiencies, limited payment channels, and the lack of digital infrastructure. These issues have affected operations, LGU employees, and constituents.

 

Through the Scan to Pay feature, users can simply scan a QR code displayed in city offices to pay instantly. The Bills Pay feature, on the other hand, allows them to settle fees remotely anytime, removing the need to line up in person. Together, these features offer flexibility and accessibility for Cotabateños, while helping the local government reduce congestion and improve transparency in its financial processes.

The cashless system also enhances safety by minimizing physical cash handling and potential errors in manual recording. This ensures more accurate reconciliation and efficient fund management.

 

“The integration of GCash in Cotabato City is a testament to the powerful impact of digital transformation on local governance. By replacing cash with a secure, efficient, and transparent payment system, we are actively supporting the city in streamlining its administrative services and fostering a better experience for every constituent,” said Cleo Santos, Vice President and Head for Public Sector at GCash.

 

The partnership between Cotabato City and GCash forms part of a broader effort to digitize government payments in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), reinforcing the region’s ongoing digital transformation. In his State of the City Address, Mayor Bruce Matabalao said, “Over 1,200 market vendors and tricycle operators are now enrolled in PalengQR Ph Plus, and daily transactions have increased by 30 percent within the first year of implementation—reflecting strong local acceptance of cashless commerce.”

 

The program holds strong relevance for BARMM as the region continues to strengthen its economic foundations and expand its digital capacity amid ongoing development efforts. In Cotabato City, one of BARMM’s primary urban hubs, the initiative plays a key role in advancing financial inclusion by enabling residents to more conveniently and securely access essential services and government assistance through digital platforms.

 

By embracing this cashless ecosystem, Cotabato City is addressing operational bottlenecks commonly faced by LGUs while taking a crucial step toward inclusive digital adoption—empowering citizens to transact securely and confidently using technology they already have in their hands.

 

This collaboration reflects the growing role of digital finance in improving local governance, with GCash continuing to support local government units nationwide in building more efficient, transparent, and citizen-friendly systems.

 

For more information, please visit www.gcash.com.