Pru Life UK, Plan International sign pact for school-based disaster preparedness projects in Tanay

May 7, 2013 9:30am

Article from http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/307152/cbb/pru-life-uk-plan-international-sign-pact-for-school-based-disaster-preparedness-projects-in-tanay

Pru Life UK’s AVP for Advertising and Communications Reena J. Villamor and Senior Manager for Brand Activation and Community Relations Anna Gizelle V. Camua (fourth and fifth from left), together with partners from implementing organization Plan International, pose for a group photo with high school students from Tanay, Rizal who will be attending the summer camp workshops on disaster preparedness this May.

Pru Life UK, representing the Prudence Foundation, and Plan International recently signed a covenant of commitment with partner government agencies and organizations to implement a three-year disaster risk reduction program in vulnerable barangays in Tanay, Rizal.

At the launch program held in Tanay, officers of the local government unit led by the Municipal Mayor’s office, local crimewatch volunteers, as well as school administrators from the Department of Education, including teachers and students from six beneficiary public secondary and elementary schools, gathered together to pledge their commitment to the Climate Smart Disaster Risk Reduction project that will be implemented by Plan International.  

Plan International will integrate the school-based disaster preparedness projects in public high schools of Marciana Catolos, Tanay and Tanay West, as well as public elementary schools of Marciana Catolos, Patricio Jarin and Wawa.  

Tanay, Rizal was one of the worst-hit towns during the typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy) in 2009, and thousands of residents from its low-lying coastal barangays remain vulnerable due to its proximity to Laguna de Bay. 

Teachers and students from the six public schools will be trained starting May on disaster risk reduction, first aid, water safety and other preparedness training including camp management.

“We aim to equip children, families and communities with survival skills in times of extreme natural disasters,” Pru Life UK’s SVP and Chief Marketing Officer Belle Tiongco explained. 

“With Plan International’s school-based disaster preparedness program, we will help ensure the safety of schools and the children’s continued access to education by minimizing disruption of classes in times of disaster.”

“The focus of our project is child-centered disaster preparedness,” Emil Paz, Technical Officer for Research and Program Development of Plan International said, while briefing participants about the project.  Plan International has been actively involved in disaster relief and rehabilitation for many years, “But we all know this is not enough especially since typhoons are becoming stronger, even more frequent, and more communities are getting affected.”

“Consciousness for disaster preparedness should be an everyday practice,” Dr. Gabriel C. Piguing, Municipal Administrator, said in his remarks during the program. “We are happy that this project now involves our students and children in schools, that way, even they are equipped to respond to emergency and disaster.  It will really benefit our community if more residents are ready and prepared in times of emergency.”

The Prudence Foundation and Pru Life UK have recently announced Php100-M financial support for new disaster preparedness and pre-school child care programmes that will directly benefit more than 100,000 Filipinos in more than 100 barangays in Metro Manila, and in Bulacan, Rizal, and south central Mindanao provinces.

Established in 1996, Pru Life UK is a subsidiary of British financial services giant Prudential plc. Pru Life UK is the pioneer and current market leader of unit-linked or investment-linked life insurance products, and is one of the first life insurance companies approved to market US dollar-denominated unit-linked policies in the country. Pru Life UK is a life insurance company and is not engaged in the business of selling pre-need plans.

Prudential plc is a United Kingdom-registered company. Its regional headquarters, Prudential Corporation Asia, is based in Hong Kong.

Pru Life UK and Prudential plc are not affiliated with Prudential Financial, Inc. (a US-registered company), Philippine Prudential Life Insurance Company, Prudentialife Plans, Inc. or Prudential Guarantee and Assurance, Inc. (all Philippine-registered companies).

May 7, 2013 9:30am

Article from http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/307152/cbb/pru-life-uk-plan-international-sign-pact-for-school-based-disaster-preparedness-projects-in-tanay

Maybank launches new investment-linked product

Published: Tuesday April 9, 2013 MYT 4:40:00 PM
From http://biz.thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: To tap into potential of the luxury goods market, Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) has launched Luxury Edition, a single premium closed-ended investment-linked insurance plan in Malaysia.

Maybank Luxury Edition offers a combination of insurance protection and investment for potentially higher returns, all within one single plan. It is the first such investment-linked plan in Malaysia which is tied to the luxury market.

The largest financial group in the country targets to achieve its cap of RM275 million in sales by the time the fund closes on 7 May 2013.

Luxury Edition is a 3-year single premium closed-ended investment-linked insurance plan that invests part of the collected premium in an option linked to a basket of six stocks within the luxury theme listed at various stock exchanges. The plan is tailored with potentially higher returns riding on the constant rise of the luxury goods market.

Maybank deputy president & head of community financial services, Datuk Lim Hong Tat said this new plan was designed to meet the increasing demand for attractive investment products that will fit the varying risk profiles of customer segments.

“Luxury Edition is capital guaranteed and has a number of other attractive features that will interest customers who believe in the growth potential of the luxury market,” he said in statement today.

Datuk Lim added that based on research, the luxury market has outgrown global GDP by more than two-fold over the last 10 years and this trend is expected to continue.

“In fact, growth statistics from emerging markets has clearly shown the increasing prominence of luxury spending in these markets,” he explained. “This positive growth has given us the opportunity to tap into the affluent market providing our customers with an insurance plan which offers exclusive advantages,” he said.

Datuk Lim also said that emerging markets are expected to make up over 70% of the global luxury goods market size by the year 2020, with growth expected to be driven by countries such as Macau, China and Russia.

“All these factors highlight Luxury Edition's unique features which we believe will drive demand for this new investment plan. It is risk-free as customers could enjoy potentially higher investment gains apart from the capital guarantee, while being protected at the same time,” he said.

The Luxury Edition plan, underwritten by Etiqa, requires a minimum investment of RM15,000, with additional investments in multiples of RM1,000.

With a short tenure of three years, the plan offers a potential gross cash payout of 8% at the end of the second and third policy year. Apart from the cash payout, the plan offers 100% capital back, 10% of the Single Premium at the end of the first policy year and the remaining 90% at maturity while giving customers life coverage of up to 130% of the capital during investment period.

Published: Tuesday April 9, 2013 MYT 4:40:00 PM
From http://biz.thestar.com.my

What you need know before buying an Investment-Linked Insurance Plan

by AIA Singapore
http://www.sias.org.sg/

Many people generally view Investment-Linked Insurance Plans (ILPs) as simply ‘investment’. However few are aware that ILPs also provides insurance protection. In other words, ILPs can help meet your protection and savings or investment needs.

There are broadly two types of ILPs:

Single premium ILPs - Generally provide a lower level of insurance coverage as compared to regular premium ILPs and tend to be more investment focused.

Regular premium ILPs – Allows you to vary the level of insurance coverage to meet your protection needs. You can choose to enhance your protection by adding on additional benefits for disability or critical illness coverage.

If you have just started a family and insurance protection is your priority, you may opt for a regular premium ILP to enjoy a higher protection cover while a smaller portion of your premium is channeled to fund your investments in the initial years.

If you are retiring and have no dependents relying on you for financial support, you may then adjust your policy to provide for a lower protection cover and thus allowing your retirement funds to accumulate faster.

However, do note that investment returns are not guaranteed. It depends on the performance of the investment-linked funds which is not guaranteed and the price of the units can rise or fall.

Here are three quick tips on what you need to know before buying an ILP:

Think long term

Ensure that you have sufficient liquidity before purchasing an ILP because ILPs need a long term investment horizon to potentially grow and accumulate the funds. It is not suitable for you if you are just investing for short term needs.

Use dollar cost averaging

This is a strategy where regular investment is made over specified periods regardless of market conditions. This can help to eliminate a common investment mistake that most investors make of trying to time the market. In the long term, dollar cost averaging can help mitigate the impact of market volatility to your investment.

Know your risk appetite

Performance of the investment in an ILP is not guaranteed and hence the entire risk of the investment value is borne by you. You should know your own risk tolerance level before purchasing an ILP.

Ultimately, ILPs can be a tool for personal protection and wealth creation. Before purchasing one, you should review your financial goals, protection needs and risk profile, among other things. A qualified insurance advisor will be able to advise and recommend you a suitable plan.

by AIA Singapore
http://www.sias.org.sg/