“Mapanatag” is a Filipino word that means “to be at peace,” or “to be assured”—a state that parents always want to be in, especially when it comes to matters concerning their children’s future. But for single mothers, it is doubly difficult to feel that assurance, knowing that they are the sole caretaker of their children. The question constantly nags: What if something happens to me?
It was exactly that query, brought up in casual conversation between the president and CEO of Allianz PNB Life Insurance Joe Gross and one of his employees, a single mom, that led to the creation of MaPanatag, a new insurance initiative designed specifically with single parents’ needs in mind. Gross and his employee were discussing the latter’s health scare, a misdiagnosis of a critical illness marker that had brought her to tears. What struck him wasn’t just her fear but also her specific worry about what would happen to her children if she had gotten sick.
“I recall thinking, if an educated person who earns good money is desperate because of lack of protection for herself and her children, how many more must be out there?” Gross said.
The answer, it turns out, is a staggering 15 million single parents in the Philippines, 14 million of whom are mothers, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.
With the idea of MaPanatag planted, Gross entrusted it to single mothers in the company—Aileen Dionisio and Grace Lyn Dar Santos, Allianz PNB Life head of sustainability and head of corporate communications, respectively—who worked with the project development team to make it a reality.
“Normally in an insurance company, it takes one year, sometimes longer, to design and develop a product,” Gross explained. “This time, we said, let’s do it totally different. I’m Joe, I’m a man, I’m from Germany. What do I know about single mothers in the Philippines? Not much.”
The result: a proposition designed from scratch in three months by people who understand the reality firsthand.
“MaPanatag was made by single moms, for single moms,” Gross said.
The name itself—MaPanatag—represents the assurance that Allianz aims to bring single parents as they balance their responsibilities and nurture their families.
It has three core components that provide single parents comprehensive and affordable support benefits: eAZy Health forms the foundation, a renewable five-year life and health protection plan that covers critical illness, accidental death, disability, dismemberment, and total and permanent disability. It’s a simplified product requiring only three questions to qualify, giving single parents peace of mind in case of unforeseen circumstances.
The price point reflects a deliberate choice to strip away everything unessential. At approximately ₱970 per month, the product prioritizes accessibility over profit margins.
HerBox builds on this foundation through a curated set of wellness benefits exclusive to single parents: ₱2,000 in the first year, and ₱1,000 annually from years 2 through 5, credited directly to accounts. These funds can be used for necessities like medical checkups and milk. In addition, single parents receive discounts and perks from partner clinics, pharmacies, wellness services, and mom-and-baby essentials.
The Opportunity to Earn feature adds financial empowerment to MaPanatag’s list of benefits, as single parents can access opportunities to join the Allianz distribution team, allowing them to gain additional income to support their families while helping other single parents discover the same protection that they’ve found valuable.
To keep costs low and ensure the affordability of MaPanatag’s offerings, “mumbassadors” were enlisted to help spread the word about the new initiative: employees of Allianz PNB Life and PNB whose stories served as inspiration as they shaped the program. According to one such mumbassador, April Isidro, Allianz PNB Life internal audit manager, having MaPanatag represents something deeper than financial planning—it’s an investment in herself and her son’s future.
“The biggest asset that you have is yourself,” Isidro said. “People always say, invest in real estate, invest in this or that. But I think one of the ways of investing in yourself is insurance. It’s an investment, not just on the financial side, but on your health and for the future.”
Through MaPanatag’s mumbassadors, social media groups, and partner networks, Allianz PNB Life aims to share the initiative through personal recommendations rather than expensive advertising campaigns, allowing single parents to connect and expand their communities as well.
“Single parents often carry the weight of the world on their shoulders,” Gross said. “Through MaPanatag, we want them to know they don’t have to face their fears alone. With Allianz by their side, they can be assured that their children will always be cared for.”
