WINNING | Palawan Group turns ‘tingi’ into financial access

Insider Spotlight

• PalawanPay is using humor and relatable storytelling to make digital finance resonate with its more than 23 million users
• ProtekTODO is applying the Filipino “tingi” buying habit to insurance, with protection available from as low as P20
• The strategy earned Palawan Group six honors at the MarkeTech APAC Advertising Awards Asia Pacific 2026 in Singapore
  
  
  

Palawan Group of Companies is turning distinctly Filipino consumer behaviors—from humor to tingi-tingi purchases—into a strategy for bringing digital financial services and insurance closer to everyday customers.

‘Tindahang Butas’ 

That approach earned the financial services group six honors at the MarkeTech APAC: What's NEXT in Marketing Advertising Awards Asia Pacific 2026, held July 29 at One Farrer Hotel in Singapore.

Through PalawanPay, the group won Gold and Silver for Best Use of Humour in Advertising for “Tindahang Butas,” featuring ArmanSalon, and “2nd Wallet,” respectively. Both campaigns were developed with Katok by GIGIL Manila. PalawanPay also secured Bronze for Best Brand Storytelling.

Simplifying financial services 

Palawan Group is using marketing not just to promote products, but to make financial services easier to understand and more culturally familiar.

Its ProtekTODO insurance business takes that approach further. “Project Sachet” draws from the Filipino practice of buying household goods in small quantities and applies it to financial protection, offering insurance plans starting at P20.

The campaign won Silver for Best YouTube Campaign and Bronze for Best Meta (Facebook/Instagram) Campaign. It was created with Katok by GIGIL and Havas Media Ortega, Inc.

'Genuinely helpful to Filipinos'

“These awards affirm our belief that the best campaigns are those that resonate with real people and help solve real problems. We are so proud of where excellence in creatives and media strategy continues to take us. Whether through PalawanPay’s relatable humor or ProtekTODO’s mission to make insurance more accessible, our goal has always been to create communication that is relevant, understandable, and genuinely helpful to Filipinos,” chief marketing officer of the Palawan Group of Companies Bernard Kaibigan said in a press statement.

The big picture

Palawan Group is pairing its physical network with digital channels through what it calls a “bricktech” approach. PalawanPay covers services including transfers, bills payment, savings and microinsurance, while ProtekTODO targets affordable financial protection.

That combination gives the group a broader play: turning familiar Filipino experiences into entry points for financial inclusion—and using creative marketing to make those services feel within reach. —Vanessa Hidalgo| Ed: Corrie S. Narisma