Resilience: Braving the future together
THIS is the banner theme of the 13th Philippine
Life Insurance Congress
(PLIC), which was recently held and attended by around 1,400 life insurance practitioners in the country. Life Underwriters Association of the Philippines (LUAP) Chairman Wilson Yu said, “This year’s Congress is historical for us with a number of firsts. This is the first time that we did the Congress in a virtual platform; first time that two major insurance organizations, Life Underwriters Association of the Philippines and the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT-Phil), have partnered to stage the PLIC and MDRT Day in one event; and the first time to have more than 30 local and international speakers sharing the virtual stage.”
“We’re also happy to inform that this congress enabled us to support the Project Wi-Fi aimed at helping those students challenged by the online classes by providing them pocket Wi-Fi and one semester load,” he added.
The congress was initially slated to be held at the SMX Convention Center. But the coronavirus happened and the organizers had to make a decision — go or no go! Despite the foreseen challenges, the answer was a resounding “go!”
“We deemed it necessary to push through with the congress, because, now more than ever, our financial advisers need our support,” said Agnes Ng, MDRT Phil.’s chairman. “We aim to help our financial advisers quickly recover and adjust to the new normal. We want them to be inspired and to continue helping the Filipinos become financially secure during these trying times.”
The congress could not have come at a better time. Faced with a challenging market, our financial advisers need to be more adept and abreast with new but proven and relevant sales techniques and client servicing.
Organizing this first ever virtual insurance congress was not easy as they had to contend with the different time zones of their international speakers. “Fortunately, all our speakers were committed and passionate to help and share their expertise that they all cooperated. Considering they are big names in their respective fields, it’s humbling to receive that kind of generosity from them,” said Tina Maciba, one of the LUAP board officers and Philamlife top adviser.
The PLIC and MDRT Day are two of the most anticipated industry events by our local insurance practitioners and professionals. It’s basically because of the opportunity to learn from the best of the best, not only from insurance but from various fields and professions. The 13th congress was no different.
“This year’s PLIC Congress welcomed over 30 speakers from here and abroad. The virtual set- up allowed the organizers to tap more than the usual number of renowned speakers and bring them together in one congress, thereby giving the Philippine insurance industry the opportunity to learn from such luminaries and make every day better for the customers we serve,” said Bing de los Reyes, senior executive of Manulife Philippines.
A number of our local industries were shaken by the pandemic. While some have started to slowly recover, many are still struggling to survive. The insurance industry is one of those that have managed to remain resilient amidst the health crisis. Thanks to the quick action of the insurance companies and with able support from the Insurance Commission, the insurance industry is very much ready to respond to the “new normal.”
“Digital platform. Innovation. Delighting the customer amidst uncertainties. The new normal compels us to change, adapt quickly and continue to grow. That’s resilience. Resilience to change is the name of the game for us to continue promoting every Filipino’s financial security and prosperity,” said FWD’s chief agency officer Jun Marasigan.
With only 4 percent of Filipinos with life insurance coverage, the insurance industry is mindful of the big task before it. And that the only way to bridge the protection gap is to remain resilient and brave the future together as one industry.