Gigacover Teams up with EXOASIA Innovation Hub to Champion Health and Financial Security of Filipino Freelancers and Entrepreneurs

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Gigacover, a Singapore-based insurtech company, recently teamed up with EXOASIA Innovation Hub, a global management consultancy, to provide 360 digital insurance protection for Filipino freelancers, start-ups, and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). 

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that micro, small, and medium enterprises account for 99.5% of businesses in the country. In the recent years, the gig economy and startup industry have also taken off in the Philippines. Latest figures from the Department of Trade and Industry revealed that at least 1.5 million Filipinos are employed in freelancing jobs while the local startup ecosystem is valued at USD 2 Billion in 2022. Despite their significant economic contributions, businesses and workers in these sectors often have limited access to insurance products. 

EXOASIA Innovation Hub is a global transformation ecosystem that connects professionals, organizations, and institutions to create better future for everyone. Its three verticals on certification, incubation, and ecosystems aim to inspire, validate, and scale up solution by solving local problems through alliances between entrepreneurs, organizations, and governments and leveraging on deep tech and global innovation ecosystems. Under the partnership, all of EXOASIA’s community webinars, meet-ups, hackathons, incubations, accelerations, and follow-on events for freelancers and entrepreneurs will feature a segment on health and financial protection plans to increase awareness for these products.

“The program aims to further educate, make healthcare and insurance products more accessible, and affordable to those in the Informal sector. With this partnership, EXOASIA, allows its community of founders, entrepreneurs and digital nomads to access such benefits without breaking bank” shared Chesca Figueroa, Country Manager at Gigacover. 

“The concept of insurance being digital and dedicated for freelancers and self-employed workers is still novel to many Filipinos. For the longest time, the insurance we know circles around life, non-life, and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) — and you need an agent to get one,” shared Amerson Lin, CEO and co-founder at Gigacover. “We are thrilled to partner with EXOASIA which shares our value of ensuring freelancers should have protection with innovative digital insurance products tailored to this sector.”

“COVID-19 uncovered how under-insured Filipinos are. Freelancers, start-ups, and MSMEs are challenged with exorbitant premium costs of insurance and there’s not enough education on how, where, and what to look for in insurance providers. These are the problems we hope to solve through this partnership, where we educate and make affordable health insurance accessible to everyone. “ shared Mack Comandante, Founder and CEO at EXOASIA Innovation Hub.

To learn more about Gigacover and the insurance products and services it offers, please visit its official website and Facebook page.

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About Gigacover

Gigacover was founded in 2017 in Singapore to bring fairness and stability to independent workers. These include gig workers, freelancers and self-employed persons, many of whom lack access to right-sized financial services. It launched the region's first income protection insurance to meet the needs of the gig economy and has since gone on to serve caregivers, tutors, real estate agents, and delivery riders. Gigacover's product suite has also expanded to include earnings advances and payroll accounts. Through technology and data, Gigacover automates distribution, administration, and insight generation for risk management in order to bring flexible, affordable, and portable benefits to its users. As of 2021, Gigacover has a presence in Singapore and the Philippines and is backed by Vectr Fintech Partners, Quest Venture Partners, Alto Partners, M Venture Partners, and Farsight Capital.

For more information, please visit: https://gigacover.com

About EXOASIA Innovation Hub

EXOASIA Innovation Hub inspires, validates, and scales solution by solving local problems through alliances between entrepreneurs, organizations, and governments leveraging on deep tech and global innovation ecosystems

Our Massive Transformative Purpose is Increasing Collective Uptake towards a sustainable future

Through partnerships with Openexo, Exobuilder, Fitter For Purpose, Wadhwani Foundation, DigestPh, Common Ground, Technology Business Incubators, Academe, etc  - we connect professionals, organizations, and institutions interested in creating a better future for everyone.

Through participation, certification, and alliance, EXOASIA believes in enhancing communal Uptake towards a sustainable future.

Participation creates massive adoption of exponential principles

Certification creates ambassadors for a sustainable future

The alliance brings individuals, companies, and organizations toward the mission of creating a sustainable future for everyone

Prestone PH’s Anak ng Mekaniko Scholarship program bags Silver Anvil Award

Prestone Philippines, a leading innovator of cutting-edge coolants, brake fluids, and motor oils, bagged a silver award for its Anak ng Mekaniko Scholarship Program during at the 54th Anvil Awards.

Presented annually by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP), the Anvil Awards is recognized as the premier award-giving body in the communications industry that symbolizes excellence in public relations.

Prestone’s Anak ng Mekaniko Scholarship program emerged as one of the recipients of the coveted award under the PR Programs Targeted at Specific Stakeholders category.

In line with its 90th Anniversary, Prestone initiated the nationwide search aimed at choosing nine students, who deserve a chance at receiving a tertiary education through the Anak ng Mekaniko Scholarship program.

“Prestone designed this program to help local auto mechanics not just by providing them with top-of-the-line products to use for their livelihood, but more importantly, could ease the financial burden of sending their children to school,” said Paolo Lao sales and marketing director of Clorox Southeast Asia.

The program also shines a light on the fundamental human right to a good education regardless of one’s age, gender or status. It puts into focus the lengths to which parents would go to give their children a better life.

The scholarship program did not require the nine selected scholars to enroll in automotive technology or a similar vocational course. Instead, it was set up to provide a free college education for any degree that they want to have.


Receiving the award during the Anvil Awards’ Gabi ng Parangal were Prestone executives, together with Kieth Bryan Perez, one of the recipients of the scholarship grant, and his parents, as well as representatives from Prestone’s communication and activation partners Themeactive, Inc. and PRC, Inc.

Advocating Education for the Filipino Youth, One Diploma at a Time

For Filipinos, education is considered as a symbol of wealth that parents can bequeath to their children. As such, every family, as well as the government and civic organizations, are actively doing their best to make this precious wealth accessible to everyone, regardless of their status in life.

Through the Free Tertiary Education Bill, government programs, and our State Universities and Colleges, the government strives to make attaining a college degree possible.  However, there is still so much to be done. A recent survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) revealed that one in every 10 Filipinos, aged 6 to 24 years old, is out of school due to the high costs that go with the pursuit of an academic career. The survey also showed that more than 50 percent of out of school youths belong to families whose income falls at the bottom 30 percent of the entire population, based on their per capita income.

To help in advocating education, Prestone, a known brand for trusted and quality auto care (Motor Oil, Brake Fluid, and Coolants) products, launched its Anak ng Mekaniko Scholarship Program as part of its 90th Anniversary celebration.  It is a grant that aims to pay tribute to the country’s auto mechanics in the automotive sector by giving their children a chance to earn a tertiary level education.

Monique Gonzales, Brand Manager of Prestone, said that they owe a lot of their success to the auto mechanics, who continuously trust and patronize their products in ensuring vehicles are in good condition all the time.

“It is our time now to give back through this initiative and provide a ground for a brighter future for their children through education,” added Gonzales.

After receiving applications from across the country, Prestone is set to announce the nine deserving ANAK NG MEKANIKO Scholars, who will be granted a full scholarship to a four-year course of their choice in any STI Colleges campus nationwide. These recipients will be flying in Metro Manila early this May to personally receive their awards.

“Prestone is driving this project to help ease the burden that comes with having to pay for education, especially for low-income families. We want to make a positive impact in the lives of these students by helping them succeed through good and proper education”, said Gonzales. “In such a competitive world, getting a good job becomes increasingly hard and education can help pave the way for these nine deserving scholars to achieve their goals for their family.”

To learn more about PRESTONE® and its other products, visit their website at www.prestone.com.ph or follow them on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/prestonephilippines.

 *This is Press Release