CashKO Expands 'Made-to-Measure' Microinsurance to Future-Proof 6M+ Filipinos from Medical Poverty, Bridging National Protection Gap

29 July 2026 Manila, Philippines — CashKO, a subsidiary of Philippine InsurTech company RuralNet, now protects over 6.1 million underserved Filipinos across 81 provinces through its affordable microinsurance network, driving a critical shift toward grassroots financial resilience.

This comes as the company deploys its "made-to-measure" insurance offering to directly address the country’s growing healthcare and protection gap. Unlike traditional one-size-fits-all insurance products that remain financially out of reach for low-income families, CashKO's coverage is structured to address final medical liabilities and funeral expenses. Because terminal illnesses frequently drain a family’s entire life savings before a loss occurs, these tailored life policies act as an immediate financial shock absorber, protecting vulnerable households from falling into deep poverty before other financial support can arrive.

This safety net coincides with a shifting landscape in public health anxieties in the country. About 67% of adult Filipinos identify staying healthy and avoiding illnesses as their most urgent personal concern, outranking immediate economic worries. Yet, a protection gap remains, with the latest national insurance penetration remaining low at 2%. For the informal sector and rural communities, the sudden economic shock of a severe illness frequently forces families into predatory debt cycles, effectively resetting their economic progress to zero.

Lolita Lugasan, a market vendor, shares how she utilized CashKO through a local lending partner after the sudden passing of her husband. With the family's savings exhausted by prior medical care, Lugasan noted that immediate financial assistance arrived within days, allowing her to cover urgent costs while preserving half of the funds to sustain her small business and protect her family's livelihood.

“Makalipas ang ilang araw matapos mamatay ang asawa ko, mabilis kong nakuha ang claim. Ramdam mo na may nag-aalaga sa iyo, may malasakit,” said Lugasan. (“Just a few days after my husband passed away, I received the insurance claim quickly. It makes you feel like someone is truly looking after you and genuinely cares.”)

“‘Yung nakuha ko sa CashKO, kinabukasan, nataon na birthday niya. Hinati ko 'yun. Yung kalahati, ipinanghanda ko. Pero yung kalahati, inilagay ko sa negosyo ko para may umiikot akong puhunan,” she continued. (“The payout I received from CashKO arrived just in time for his birthday the next day. I split the money—half went toward preparing a meal for his birthday, and the other half I invested back into my business so I would have capital to keep it running.”)

CashKO's tailored plans are co-designed alongside local institutions such as rural banks, cooperatives, and microfinance lenders to match the unique income patterns and risk exposure of specific communities.

"Financial protection should be within everyone's reach. It should not be a luxury, but a necessity. Our microinsurance service is tailored to the unique needs of Filipino households, moving away from rigid, traditional insurance and instead co-designing 'made-to-measure' plans with local institutions. By leveraging technology, we are helping more Filipino families build genuine financial resilience and long-term peace of mind, so that losing a breadwinner doesn't mean starting back at zero," said Justin Arcenas, Founder & CEO of RuralNet Inc.

A key driver of CashKO’s scalability and impact is RuralNet’s proprietary digital infrastructure. The platform has streamlined the end-to-end claims process to maintain a 97% claims approval rate while turning around payouts 75% faster than the industry average. This speed proves to be critical for low-income beneficiaries who require immediate liquidity to avoid high-interest emergency loans.

By enabling rural banks, cooperatives, and microfinance institutions to integrate insurance into their existing services, CashKO has expanded its reach through a robust network of more than 5,000 partner branches across 81 provinces. Today, CashKO serves as the foundational financial and operational core of RuralNet's tech-driven ecosystem, lowering operational overhead and eliminating the traditional distribution and trust barriers that have limited the rural insurance sector. 

With a proven track record of handling over 6.1 million covered lives, CashKO’s tailored life microinsurance solutions form a vital safety net for the country's most vulnerable sectors in the Philippines.

For more information, you may visit ruralnet.ph or micro.cashko-insurance.com.

GCash Future-Proofs MSMEs with Customer-First Payment Innovation

The Philippines is steadily becoming a digital payments nation. According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), 57.4% of retail payment transactions by volume were made digitally in 2024, up from 52.8% in 2023 and 42.1% in 2022. With the BSP targeting a digital payment share of 60% to 70% by 2028, businesses are increasingly expected to support cashless transactions. 

To help businesses keep pace with this shift, GCash continues to expand its suite of payment solutions with innovations designed to make digital payments more accessible, convenient, and secure for merchants. For MSMEs in particular, accepting digital payments can help broaden payment options, reduce cash handling, and improve operational efficiency. 

Simplifying payments at the point of sale 

GCash has built a portfolio of payment devices for every type of MSME because every business has different needs. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all solution, GCash provides payment devices designed for different business sizes and ways of operating. This helps merchants choose the right solution, making it easier to accept digital payments and run their business more efficiently.

GCash EasyPOS is an all-in-one payment terminal for medium and large enterprises that accepts QRPh, Visa, and Mastercard payments on a single device. It helps businesses connect with GCash customers, who can enjoy rewards when they pay through the GCash app. With features like digital receipts, refunds, settlements, and transaction monitoring, GCash EasyPOS simplifies operations so merchants can focus on growing their business.

GCash SoundPay Plus is designed for micro and small merchants in the retail and F&B sectors who need secure and fast payment confirmations. It combines QR payments, card acceptance, and instant voice confirmation, so merchants know immediately when a payment is successful without checking devices or screenshots. This speeds up transactions and helps them manage busy counters with confidence.

"Digital payments should work for businesses of all sizes, especially MSMEs that are the backbone of the economy," said Ren-Ren Reyes Jr., President and CEO of G-Xchange Inc. "As more Filipinos choose to pay digitally, our goal is to make it easier for merchants to accept these payments with solutions that are simple, reliable, and built around their everyday needs." 

At the heart of it all are Filipino MSMEs. Every GCash payment solution is built by listening to their everyday challenges and understanding what they need to grow. By putting merchants at the center of innovation, GCash develops tools that make payments simpler, safer, and more convenient. More than this, GCash is creating solutions that make running a business easier, so entrepreneurs can focus on serving their customers and growing their livelihood.

Supporting businesses at every stage of their journey

The launch of GCash EasyPOS and GCash SoundPay Plus builds on earlier GCash for Business solutions that support enterprises at different stages of digital adoption, including GCash PocketPay and GCash SoundPay.

GCash PocketPay is designed for MSMEs, bazaar merchants, and mobile sellers who take their business wherever their customers are. It turns an NFC-enabled Android smartphone into a contactless card terminal, making it easy and affordable to accept card payments without investing in additional hardware. On the other hand, GCash SoundPay, a portable QR payment device, provides instant voice confirmation for every transaction.

"Digital adoption looks different for every business," said Paul Albano, General Manager of GCash for Business. "Whether they're just beginning to accept digital payments or looking to upgrade their payment capabilities, we want to provide solutions that are practical, accessible, and easy to use." 

All these payment solutions are connected through the GCash for Business Portal. From one dashboard, merchants can activate devices, monitor transactions, manage wallets, and transfer funds. Designed to be accessible, businesses can get started with just a verified GCash account, which comes with a ₱5 million wallet limit. This makes it easier to manage payments, cash flow, and daily operations in one place.

One platform with built-in security

Beyond convenience, GCash places security at the core of every transaction. Its merchant solutions integrate secure payment processing, real-time transaction confirmations, stronger authentication, and fraud protection features to help safeguard both businesses and their customers. 

These built-in security measures enable merchants to accept digital payments with greater confidence while providing customers with a safe, seamless, and reliable payment experience. 

By combining ease of use with robust security, GCash helps build trust in digital transactions and supports the broader shift toward a cashless economy. 

Helping MSMEs grow in a digital economy

As digital payments become increasingly common, the opportunity lies in helping businesses maximize their benefits. Through its growing suite of payment solutions, GCash enables MSMEs to accept more payment methods, streamline operations, lower the cost of digital adoption, and serve more customers.

With digital payments continuing to gain momentum in the Philippines, GCash remains committed to developing practical payment innovations that help businesses of all sizes participate more fully in the country's growing digital economy.

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

Why the Future Belongs to Entrepreneurs who Keep Learning: ECOMEX 2026 Launches National e-Commerce Platform

That was the shared message from business leaders, digital entrepreneurs and industry experts during the July 9 Media and Ecosystem Launch of E-Commerce Expo Philippines (ECOMEX) 2026, where they encouraged Filipino entrepreneurs to see e-commerce not simply as another sales channel but as an opportunity to build stronger brands, reach more customers and create sustainable businesses.

Powered by PHILSME and organized by MediaTrix Solutions Inc., ECOMEX is the Philippines' biggest expo, conference, and networking event for entrepreneurs, online sellers, and digital innovators. Scheduled on November 20–21, 2026 at SMX Convention Center Aura, Taguig, the event aims to bring together the people, ideas and opportunities that can help entrepreneurs thrive in an increasingly digital world.

More than 40 international, regional and local media organizations participated in the virtual launch through Zoom and the ECOMEX and PHILSME social media livestreams, where speakers shared practical insights on entrepreneurship, branding, digital transformation and the value of belonging to a supportive business community.

Entrepreneur, author and financial educator Coach Chinkee Tan opened a conversation that resonated with aspiring and established entrepreneurs alike, reminding business owners that every successful digital business begins with a single step.

"Everybody starts with one follower."

Tan encouraged entrepreneurs not to be intimidated by technology or the size of established brands, emphasizing that success in the digital economy comes from consistently creating value, earning trust and continuously improving.

"People buy brands. They don't only buy products."

He said today's entrepreneurs have unprecedented opportunities to reach customers through digital platforms, but long-term success depends on investing in learning, building credibility and adapting to changing consumer behavior. He also encouraged business owners to participate in industry events where they can learn from experienced practitioners, exchange ideas and develop relationships that help businesses grow.

For Reymond "Boss RDR" Delos Santos, one of the country's leading digital entrepreneurs and content strategists, the launch represented something much bigger than another business event.

"ECOMEX is not just an expo. For me, ECOMEX is a movement where we recognize and celebrate the people building Philippine e-commerce."

Delos Santos said thousands of Filipino entrepreneurs have transformed their lives by embracing digital entrepreneurship and using online platforms to grow businesses that create jobs, strengthen communities and inspire others to pursue their own entrepreneurial journeys.

He added that ECOMEX provides aspiring entrepreneurs with opportunities to learn directly from experienced business owners, discover new technologies and become part of a growing community committed to helping one another succeed.

Launching the initiative, Trixie Esguerra-Abrenilla, Founder and Organizer of ECOMEX and CEO and Managing Director of the Philippine SME Business Expo (PHILSME), said the platform was created to help entrepreneurs navigate the increasingly complex realities of building successful businesses in the digital age.

"Philippine e-commerce success depends on execution across the entire customer journey. The challenge is no longer simply how to sell online, but how to acquire, convert, fulfill and retain customers. These are exactly the kinds of questions ECOMEX is built to address."

She said ECOMEX was designed to bring together the experts, technologies, mentors, service providers and business communities that entrepreneurs need throughout every stage of their business journey—from launching an online store to building sustainable brands and long-term customer relationships.

Supporting the initiative, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) E-Commerce Bureau Director Eryl Royce Nagtalon, in a recorded keynote message, emphasized the importance of collaboration in strengthening the country's digital economy and creating a trusted online marketplace where entrepreneurs and consumers can confidently participate.

The launch comes as more Filipinos continue to embrace digital commerce, creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs to reach customers beyond traditional markets while encouraging businesses to continuously innovate and adapt to evolving consumer expectations.

Organizers envision ECOMEX as more than an annual business event. It is designed as a long-term platform where entrepreneurs, creators, educators, technology providers, investors, government agencies and business organizations can connect, learn from one another and build meaningful partnerships that strengthen the Philippine entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Powered by PHILSME and organized by MediaTrix Solutions Inc., ECOMEX builds on years of experience bringing together entrepreneurs and business leaders through platforms that promote learning, collaboration and enterprise development.

ECOMEX is the Philippines' biggest expo, conference, and networking event for entrepreneurs, online sellers, and digital innovators.

Exhibitor, sponsorship, speaking and partnership opportunities are now open for E-Commerce Expo Philippines (ECOMEX) 2026. Entrepreneurs, brands, technology companies, creators, educators and organizations are encouraged to become part of the growing community that is helping shape the future of Philippine digital commerce.

Businesses interested in exhibiting, sponsoring or partnering with ECOMEX 2026 may visit www.ecommerceexpo.ph for more information.

PhilSME, GCash for Business Showcase New Digital Tools to Help MSMEs Scale Up at the 18th PH Business Expo

Thousands of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) gained further knowledge on how technology and digital platforms can help them grow their businesses sustainably and with ease during the 18th Philippine Business Expo, which was backed by the Philippines SME Business Network (PhilSME) and GCash for Business. 

 

The event focused on gathering innovators, entrepreneurs, startups, corporate professionals, business owners, and franchisors, providing them with business solutions and industry insights to help them navigate the increasingly digital economy.

 

"Events like this are important because MSMEs do not grow alone—they grow stronger through collaboration, innovation, and access to the right support systems. Through PHILSME, we hope more entrepreneurs realize that there is a whole community ready to help them succeed in today’s evolving business landscape," PhilSME CEO & Managing Director Trixie Esguerra-Abrenilla said.

 

GCash has been designing tools that will simplify the daily operations of MSMEs so they can scale up their business in the long term, recognizing that many small businesses avoid going digital because of high costs or lack of knowledge. 

 

"At GCash for Business, we help Filipino MSMEs grow by making digital financial tools simple, accessible, and easy to use. Our goal is to remove the barriers to digitalization," GCash for Business General Manager, Paul Albano stressed.

 

Introducing new digital tools

GCash for Business provides merchants with devices that facilitate easier digital payments. GCash SoundPay Plus is an upgraded version of GCash SoundPay that enables merchants to accept both QR and card payments while providing secure, real-time audio confirmation for every successful transaction. GCash EasyPOS, meanwhile, is an affordable in-store payment terminal for QR and card payments. All devices are managed via the GCash for Business Portal.

 

These new solutions were introduced after launching GCash SoundPay, a device that provides instant audio confirmation whenever a customer successfully pays, and GCash PocketPay, which turns an NFC-enabled Android smartphone into a POS machine, last year.

 

“As more consumers shift to cashless transactions, MSMEs need simple and accessible digital tools that can help them serve customers faster, manage operations more efficiently, and unlock more growth opportunities,” Albano said.

 

Increasing operational efficiency

Albano said these devices were operated through the GCash for Business Portal. It provides merchants with an all-in-one platform to track sales, transfer funds, monitor transactions in real time, and manage their wallets with ease.

 

By simplifying onboarding requirements through the GCash for Business Portal, MSMEs can more easily adopt digital financial tools without the burden of lengthy application processes and extensive documentation. A Starter Plan gives them access to an upgraded wallet limit of PHP 5 million. In addition, the GCash for Business Portal offers financing and insurance solutions, helping MSMEs access capital and financial protection as they grow. 

 

These initiatives are vital in empowering MSMEs to embrace digital transformation and better serve their customers while driving inclusive economic growth.

 

To get started, merchants can sign up via the GCash for Business Portal at business.gcash.com to gain access to affordable payment solutions and an easy-to-use, all-in-one dashboard.