Gold gains traction as Filipinos diversify wealth strategies

Insider Spotlight

• Filipino investors are increasingly turning to gold as a portfolio diversification tool amid rising wealth-building awareness
• Cebuana Lhuillier is expanding its investment gold offerings with larger 50-gram and 100-gram bars
• Strong historical price appreciation and liquidity options are helping drive broader interest in physical gold investments

As more Filipinos look beyond traditional savings products to preserve and grow wealth, gold is emerging as a more mainstream investment choice. 

Growing financial literacy, wider access to investment products, and a rising middle class are encouraging investors to explore alternative assets that can provide stability alongside long-term returns.

Cebuana Lhuillier is responding to that shift by introducing 50-gram and 100-gram cast gold bars, expanding a portfolio that previously focused on smaller-denomination investment products. The move reflects growing demand from investors seeking larger allocations to physical gold.

Why it matters

Gold has long been viewed as a hedge against economic uncertainty, and recent price performance has strengthened its appeal among investors looking to diversify portfolios.

“Gold has consistently proven its resilience through different market environments,” Cebuana Lhuillier strategy partnerships and retail business group head Robby Afzelius said. “It is scarce, difficult to produce, and has practical applications beyond investment, including jewelry and electronics. These characteristics have helped make it one of the most reliable stores of value throughout history.”

Robby Afzelius

Cebuana Lhuillier's retail business head pointed out that the value of gold has risen by over 400% since 2010.

By the numbers

Afzelius pointed to gold’s strong long-term performance as a key driver of investor interest.

“If you look at the value of gold from 2010 until today, it has increased by more than 400 percent. Over the last five years alone, gold has posted growth of more than 200 percent. That kind of performance has caught the attention of many Filipinos and sparked greater interest in gold as an investment,” he said.  

What changed

The company said purchasing behavior helped shape the decision to offer larger bars.

“We initially focused on entry-level products because we wanted to understand how the market would respond,” Afzelius said. “What we observed was that while many customers started with smaller bars, there were also investors who repeatedly purchased multiple 10-gram and 20-gram pieces. That showed us there was demand for larger formats.”

The new bars are priced at about P650,000 for the 50-gram variant and P1.28 million for the 100-gram option. 

Cebuana Lhuillier said its buyback program, which repurchases gold bars at up to 90 percent of current value, is intended to address liquidity concerns among investors. —Daxim L. Lucas |Ed: Corrie S. Narisma