Pioneer Insurance kicked off its 70th anniversary celebration, reinforcing its commitment to light the path forward for Filipinos, one innovation at a time.
Moving towards the future, the company’s passion to serve and innovate shines on as it continues to develop products relevant to Filipinos from all walks of life, set a global standard in inclusive insurance, mold future leaders through its Management Trainee program, create resilient communities through property coverages, and build Earth-friendly spaces through its LEED and WELL pre-certified buildings.
As part of its Platinum Year activities, Pioneer launched its Milestones and Achievements Exhibit at the Pioneer House Makati. Group Head Lorenzo Chan Jr. opened the exhibit with a Lighting Ceremony, alongside Steering Committee members Betty Medialdea and Earl Ferrer, and Senior Advisors Ernesto Chan and Molly Uyecio.
Chan addressed employees, “The reason why we’ve done this exhibit is because we would not be here today if it weren’t for those who came before us. As you ponder where we came from, you will also ask yourselves what you will do for those who will come after you.”
Pioneer was founded in 1954 at the Quisumbing Building in Binondo, Manila, with a staff of five. Its first set of officers were Johnny Cheng as Chair, Lorenzo Chan Toh as President, and Yang Pao Wang as General Manager.
Over the years, the company wrote landmark coverages, such as the historic Thrilla in Manila featuring the heavyweight bout between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in 1975. This was the precursor of Pioneer’s future involvement in sports and live events, wherein for three decades and counting, it serves as the exclusive insurer of national athletes, coaches, and trainers in the Olympics, SEA Games, Asian Games and other sporting events here and abroad.
In 2007, Pioneer was also named by PULP Magazine as the country’s live events insurer. Among the many concerts covered by the company are One Direction “On the Road Again” Tour in 2015, Madonna “Rebel Heart” Tour in 2016, Coldplay “A Head Full of Dreams” Tour in 2017, Celine Dion Live in 2018, Blackpink “In Your Area World” Tour in 2019, and more.
Its market leadership and excellence has been recognized by the Euromoney Annual Global Insurance Survey which named Pioneer as Best Insurer in the Philippines for two consecutive years in 2009 and again in 2010. In 2012, Pioneer was recognized by the Insurance Commission for its contributions to the field of microinsurance, which now counts nearly 24 million in enrollments. At present, CARD Pioneer Microinsurance Inc. is often cited as a global benchmark for inclusive insurance.
Amidst rainy days, the insurance group stayed true to its promise as it paid claims worth P1.2B during Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, and P4.5B during Typhoon Odette in 2021. Even at the height of the pandemic, Pioneer was never far away when it paid P1.13 billion worth of COVID-19-related claims from 2020-2022.
Based on the latest annual report from the Insurance Commission, Pioneer ranks No. 1 in Aviation, Marine Hull, Microinsurance, Special Risks; No. 2 in Casualty and Fire; and No. 3 in Crime Insurance and Marine Cargo.
All these milestones and achievements are featured in the exhibit, which is one of several activities lined up for the year-long commemoration of Pioneer’s platinum anniversary. Pioneer Kwentong Malasakit was also launched on social media, a series of videos that pay tribute to its various stakeholders.
“Pioneer is at a unique time in history. We ask ourselves what more can we do to add to the roster of pioneering efforts that came before us. We want to make every moment count for the people we serve,” Chan added.
