The Philippines and the United Arab Emirates are working toward establishing a formal health insurance arrangement that would extend coverage to Filipino workers in the Gulf state, according to the Department of Health.
The Philippine Insurance Industry reported a stable performance in the first quarter of 2026, according to data from Manila's Insurance Commission (IC), supported by continued growth in premiums, invested assets, and benefit payments.
The Philippine insurance industry's penetration rate increased to 2.03% in the first quarter of 2026, up from 1.89% a year earlier, driven by sustained growth in assets, premium collections and benefit payments, according to regulator data.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr called on ASEAN bloc members to ensure regional energy security and resilience, as he opened the 48th ASEAN Summit Retreat in Cebu on 8 May.
A total of PHP60bn ($1.07bn) has been returned to Manila's state health insurer, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), from the nation's treasury.
The maternity benefits provided by the Philippines' state insurer, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), have been expanded, as announced by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday.
The petroleum supply shock from the Iran-US War looks likely to cost global GDP growth about 0.5% - 0.6% with potential losses rising the longer the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, said Eastspring Investments in its quarterly outlook report.
Insured deposits maintained in the Philippine banking system grew 40.9% in 2025, according to state deposit insurer Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC).
Swiss Re has appointed Ms Anna Ziswiler as Head P&C Reinsurance for Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, India, Korea and Taiwan, effective 1 May 2026. She will become a member of the P&C Re Management Team.
Full-stack InsurTech company, Igloo, has set out its 2026 Philippines strategy under newly appointed Country Head Mr Ramjit Lahiri.