The Cebuana Lhuillier corporation, formerly known as Agencia Cebuana, has consistently offered convenience and comfort to Filipinos, particularly with regard to financial accessibility, since its founding in 1953. Over 70 years later, Cebuana Lhuillier is still well-known throughout the nation, having been the primary supplier of microfinancial services and had a significant impact on Filipino culture.
The organization has successfully changed the financial landscape and improved society access to financial products and services in various ways by running close to 3,500 branches around the country.
The organization has transcended conventional corporate limits throughout the years by deliberately positioning itself at the nexus of financial and social impact. A financial institution’s position has been altered as it adopts a multifarious mission that surpasses customary practices. Fundamentally, Cebuana Lhuillier views microfinance as a social purpose as opposed to a numbers-driven enterprise, helping Filipinos at every stage of their journey toward financial wellness.
Moreover, the company has also launched several[KJ5] corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and specialized projects that uplift Filipinos, the company has shown its deepest intentions of helping Filipinos in the many facets of life. Aside from pushing financial wellness, Cebuana Lhuillier also advocates for education and champion sports development.
“We purposely continue to develop new products and services that we know will help uplift lives of Filipinos. We believe that our market is capable of making smart financial decisions if provided access to good products. Aside from that, we also champion education and sports as we believe that these are good tools for people to improve their lives”, says Jean Henri Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier’s President and CEO.
A Proponent of Financial Wellness
According to statistics, the average C and D markets often undergo the different steps of financial wellness journey which starts from bridge financing to saving up, starting a business, getting insured, and learning how to invest. In its more than four decades of operations, Cebuana Lhuillier has evolved and introduced different products that cater to the needs of people in every step of their financial wellness journey.
The first one among these steps is bridge financing, which is something Cebuana Lhuillier has been long addressing through its pawning services. Aside from that, the company also offers loans, as well as money transfer products and services, to help Filipinos get funding that will get them through various scenarios.
The next step of financial wellness highlights the importance of saving up and a chance to safely store money. With this, the company launched the Micro Savings Account through Cebuana Lhuillier Bank, providing Filipinos an affordable and easy way to open an account and save money. Through this, Filipinos may open an account that doesn’t require a maintaining balance for as low as PHP 50 and with just one valid ID.
The next step is to open up a business, which is why Cebuana Lhuillier launched the KaNegosyo Center (KNC) which empowers MSMEs by helping them to start and grow their business. The company also offers Microbiz loans that can serve as capital for budding and existing business ventures.
For people with enough savings and for those who have their own business, there is an important need to be protected. This is where Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Brokers (CLIB) and its products come in. The exceptional insurance products, such as ProtectMax which provides death benefits, accident or sickness emergency cash assistance, accidental dismemberment and/or disablement Benefit, among others for as low as PHP 50. Another remarkable offering is HealthMax[KJ6] , which has affordable offers that allows Filipinos between 15 and 65 years old to receive an annual maximum benefit of PHP 150,000 for emergency care and hospitalization in over 282 accredited hospitals nationwide.
The company also offers the Miners Protect for miners who were once considered uninsurable due to the risks that come with their job.
Lastly, Cebuana Lhuillier has also paved the way for affordable and valuable investment products that people can go for, especially for those who wish to attain a full circle moment in their financial wellness journey. The company has made it possible through the likes of Cebuana Lhuillier Jewelry, Cebuana Lhuillier Gold, and even through the Atram partnership through the KNC which enables people to invest in stocks for as low as PHP 50.
Through such offerings, Cebuana Lhuillier has demonstrated its unwavering commitment to financial inclusion.
An Advocate of Education
More than just being an established name in the financial space, Cebuana Lhuillier also highlights the importance of education in Filipino lives. Through the Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation Inc. (CLFI) and in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), the company opened almost 150 Alternative Learning System (ALS) Centers nationwide with the goal of helping out-of-school youth and adults to complete their education, thus becoming the foundation’s biggest project.
The foundation achieves its goal by holding classes, workshops, and even symposiums. Cebuana Lhuillier’s program also extends its support to ALS programs of different schools by providing buildings, classrooms, and halls through donations. [KJ7]
What sets the Cebuana Lhuillier ALS program apart is that it secures every facility with the latest equipment. The foundation is also hands-on when it comes to the reproduction of reviewers and modules that their students will need. This makes the students under the Cebuana Lhuillier ALS program better equipped.
Aside from that, Cebuana Lhuillier’s ALS program also provides incentives to teachers, so that they can stay motivated to provide the best education for their students.
Over the years, Cebuana Lhuillier has also empowered dedicated students through its scholarship programs.
A Champion of Sports Development
Cebuana Lhuillier and its President and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier has been supporting sports for more than four decades already, as he started with basketball with successful teams in the Metropolitan Basketball Association, Philippine Basketball League, and the PBA D League. Cebuana Lhuillier and Jean Henri were also at the forefront of the gold medal winning teams from 2003 to 2007.
But it is in softball and tennis that JHL has made the most impact on, until now. They are behind the very successful Philippine softball and tennis programs in the country, focusing both on national team support and grassroots development.
In tennis, Jean Henri Lhuillier was also instrumental in bringing top tennis superstars such as Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Andy Murray, among others to the country in 2014 to 2015 as co-owner and team manager of the Manila/Philippine Mavericks. [KJ8]
Cebuana Lhuillier and Jean Henri Lhuillier have been supporting the country’s top players for several years such as Cecil Mamiit, Treat Huey, Eric Taimo, Ruben Gonzales, Katharina Lehnert, and Francis Casey Alcantara among others. They have also organized close to 2000 age group tournaments all over the country for the past two decades. Until now, they are continuing this with Jean Henri as the president of the Unified Tennis Philippines (UTP).
As the eminent president of the Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (ASAPHIL), Jean Henri and Cebuana Lhuillier have played a pivotal role in guaranteeing triumph in the global softball contests for both the RP Blu Girls and RP Blu Boys. In the last ten years, both teams have placed third on many occasions in Asian softball tournaments and won over ten gold medals in sea games. Their most successful year to date was 2023, when four teams qualified for and participated in the world cup. The Blu Girls and Blu Boys, ranked 14th overall in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) standings, were the highest-ranked Philippine sports teams in the world.
Growing to Be a Recurrent Part of Filipino Life
With its goal of improving the lives of Filipinos, Cebuana Lhuillier solidifies its place at the forefront of businesses who have made a commitment to changing the game. The organization commits to pursuing its goal of inspiring good change by offering a wide range of services, products, education programs, and sports initiatives that are matched with unshakable dedication.
baka almost four decades lang since Cebuana started in 1987 [KJ1]
mention agencia cebuana [KJ2]
financial access [KJ3]
financial wellness [KJ4]
Moreover… [KJ5]
basta emphasize na iba yung CSR initiatives kaysa sa company mission
provide descirptions for each offer [KJ6]
add miners protect for previously uninsured miners
add incentives to teachers for them to stay motivated and give their best for their students [KJ7]
mauna to [KJ8]
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