Insider Spotlight
During Fire Prevention Month, the company highlighted ProtekTODO Fire 99, a microinsurance product designed to provide accessible financial protection while encouraging safer home practices.
The initiative combines fire safety education with financial preparedness to help families recover from unexpected disasters.
Why it matters
Fire can wipe out years of sacrifice in a matter of minutes, especially for families whose homes or small businesses represent their primary assets.
Lisa Castro-Sabado, chief business development officer of the Palawan Group, said many Filipinos remain unprotected due to the complexity and perceived cost of insurance.
“Despite being a country that deeply values family, safety and resilience, our insurance penetration remains very low at just 1.79 percent as of mid-year last year according to the Insurance Commission,” Castro-Sabado said during the media briefing on March 5, 2026.
“For many Filipinos, insurance still feels intimidating, too complicated, too complex. And because of this, millions of our kababayans remain financially vulnerable when faced with illness and with natural and man-made disasters. This is exactly the gap that we want to address,” she added.
Through ProtekTODO Fire 99, families can receive up to P30,000 in fire cash assistance and P10,000 in accidental death coverage for only P99, providing a low-cost safety net for vulnerable communities.
By the numbers
In Metro Manila alone, authorities recorded 2,699 fire incidents from Jan. 1 to Feb. 28, 2026, with common causes including faulty electrical connections, smoking, and open-flame cooking—everyday household activities that can quickly escalate into disasters.
According to Gladwin Abram So, fire marshal of the Association of Volunteer Fire Chiefs and Firefighters of the Philippines Inc., increasing public awareness is crucial to reducing fire risks.
He explained that many common causes of fires, such as faulty electrical connections and unattended appliances, are largely preventable when people are properly informed and consistently practice basic safety measures.
The big picture
The Palawan Group said accessible insurance is a crucial layer of protection alongside prevention.
Since 2022, Palawan ProtekTODO fire cash assistance has provided financial support to over 7,000 Filipino families recovering from fire disasters.
“At Palawan Group of Companies, we believe that protection should not be a luxury and should not be scary. Instead, it should be simple, affordable, accessible and to our term, walang kuskos-balungos to every Filipino,” Castro-Sabado added.
The product is designed particularly for ordinary households and small business owners seeking dependable protection without complicated requirements or high premiums, reinforcing the company’s push to make insurance more inclusive across the country.
ProtekTODO Fire 99 can be purchased at any Palawan Pawnshop branch, through the PalawanPay app, or via Lazada and Shopee. —Vanessa Hidalgo | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
