AIA Philippines is urging Filipinos to rethink how they prepare for their health, as risks evolve over time and can occur more than once across different stages of life.
In today’s landscape, nearly 1 in 5 Filipinos is at risk of being diagnosed with cancer before the age of 75, according to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates. About 1 in 5 new cancers occur in people who’ve had cancer before. Heart disease and cancer share risk factors – having one makes you more prone to the other.*
At a recent immersive media event titled “All In for the Long Game of Health,” AIA Philippines brought the realities of health risk into sharp focus, showing how serious illness doesn’t always announce itself, and rarely happens just once. Drawing from its Rethink Healthy study, AIA highlighted a critical gap: while Filipinos are more health-conscious than ever, many still take action only after a crisis. Participants were challenged to confront common blind spots—such as equating “feeling healthy” with being protected—and how this false sense of security delays preparation for risks that can evolve and compound over time.
“While many Filipinos value good health, a common misconception persists: that feeling well now means critical illness is unlikely, leading many to delay preparation until a health crisis hits,” said Melissa Henson, Chief Marketing Officer of AIA Philippines. “Because we feel healthy today, it is easy to assume serious illness won’t happen to us, or won’t happen again. But the reality is risks evolve, and preparation needs to happen before a crisis—not after.”
“That misconception has real consequences,” added Gary Ogilvie, Chief Financial Officer, AIA Philippines. “When critical illness strikes, it doesn’t just affect your health—it disrupts income, drains savings, and puts families under severe financial pressure. Treatment and recovery can cost a lot. For instance, according to our research, serious illnesses like heart disease, stroke, cancer, pneumonia, and diabetes cost hundreds of thousands to over PHP 2 million to treat. Government subsidy and HMOs cover only a portion. In most cases, the biggest expense is out of pocket, often PHP 700,000 to over PHP 1 million. This is why preparation matters: having financial protection in place early gives people the ability to focus on recovery, not on how to pay the bills.”
The event also underscored a growing reality: as people live longer and survive serious illnesses, the likelihood of facing multiple health challenges increases. For instance, up to 17% of cancer survivors may develop a new, different cancer later, highlighting how health risks can reappear in different forms over time.
These risks also come with significant financial impact, with treatment costs for major conditions such as heart attack or cancer reaching up to ₱1 million or more.
This evolving risk landscape is what AIA Critical Protect Plus was built for. As health risks evolve over time, the plan offers multi‑claim coverage, allowing customers to claim up to three times across different major illness groups, including early‑stage conditions, with protection up to age 100.
Rather than preparing for a single diagnosis, AIA Critical Protect Plus supports individuals through multiple health events across different life stages, helping maintain financial resilience even as risks evolve.
The immersive experience reinforced a broader message from AIA Philippines: health preparation isn’t a one‑time choice made after a scare, but a long‑term commitment that needs to keep pace with life, longevity, and changing health risks.
“Being prepared today means recognizing that risks evolve over the long game of health,” Henson added. “It’s not just about support at the moment of diagnosis, but having protection that stays with you through different stages of illness, recovery, and what may come next.”
*Sources: International Agency for Research on Cancer, Global Cancer Observatory, World Health Organization and Philippine Institute For Development Studies
