Cebuana Lhuillier: Pushing for Financial Inclusion for Every Filipino Throughout the Years

From  a single pawnshop in Cebu named Agencia Cebuana in 1954, to adopting Cebuana Lhuillier as its trade name in 1987, to being one of the Philippines' leading and largest financial services companies today, Cebuana Lhuillier has introduced numerous products and services and has matched this with an expansive footprint as they continue to push for financial inclusion for every Filipino- wherever in the world they may be.

Breakthrough Products and Services:

It was in 1990 that Cebuana Lhuillier began to expand bullishly nationwide and by 1994, it had more than 200 pawnshops across the country. While expanding its footprint, Cebuana Lhuillier established Cebuana Lhuillier Services Corporation, the company's money remittance and auxiliary financial services arm in 1996, thereby signaling the evolution of Cebuana Lhuillier into more than just a pawn shop. Cebuana Lhuillier realized that by continuing to expand not only its reach but also develop its roster of services, it was in a uniquely opportune position to help more Filipinos and support their financial empowerment. In 1998, Cebuana Lhuillier established its banking arm, Cebuana Lhuillier Rural Bank, and in 1999 it established its insurance arm, Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Solutions, which is now known as Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Brokers Inc.

Invaluable Partnerships

Cebuana Lhuillier's wide range of products and services is made more significant by the partnership it has made with hundreds of companies, both local and global, and the relationship it has continuously cultivated with hundreds of thousands of customers and clients.

To date, Cebuana boasts of:

• 3,500 Branches
• 22,000 Domestic partners
• 3M International partner doors
• 32M Client database
• 21M Loyalty card holders
• 7M Micro-savings account holders

Life-Changing Technology and  Innovations

Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier attributes the company's extraordinarily successful evolutionary journey to what he identifies as Cebuana Lhuillier's unmatched "TECHBRICK" set-up. Mr. Lhuillier describes "TECHBRICK" as the rapid integration of technological innovation through Cebuana Lhuillier's proprietary technology platform to improve services and increase range of products – TECH, combined with a robust brick and mortar footprint expansion — BRICK.

Cebuana Lhuillier's impact was felt intensively and extensively in 2009, the year when they began to incorporate the latest technology into its operations and for its entire network of branches in order to generate faster, smoother, and better services.

• The first in the pawning industry to take advantage of computer systems and applications. E-load service was made available in all Cebuana Lhuillier branches through a system developed internally through partnerships with telecommunications companies.
• The first in the pawning industry to use SMS to improve its services and became the first pawnshop to send an expiry notice through SMS in 2009 and in the following year, the first to send a remittance receipt notice through SMS. This proved very helpful for Filipinos who need to keep track and protect their precious assets.
• The first in the pawning industry to introduce a loyalty rewards program- the Cebuana Lhuillier's 24k Rewards Program.

CONTINUOUSLY INNOVATING TO BETTER SERVE THE MARKET

The last 5 years have been huge for Cebuana Lhuillier, continuously evolving and innovating trailblazing products and services that address the needs of Filipinos.

• Cebuana Lhuillier Micro Savings- a product  that addresses the needs of the previously unbanked and underbanked market providing Filipinos with a more convenient and affordable means to save their hard-earned money and.
• KaNegosyo Center – a one-stop business ship, whose mission is to help Filipinos fulfil their dreams of owning a business and achieve success by providing solutions and services such as assistance to documentations like business registration and permits, coaching videos on relevant topics like business 101, sales and marketing, finance, legal among others and offering products needed to start a business like loans, microsavings and insurance.
• Protect Now – is an easily accessible online insurance marketplace that promises to alleviate the process of procuring people's insurance needs.
• Cebuana Lhuillier ProtectMax –  Cebuana Lhuillier's leading insurance product, offers coverage ranging from 5K to 15K for accidents, sickness and fire/lightning incidents at a very affordable amount of P50 per policy, good for 4 months.
• Cebuana Lhuillier Health Max –  a new revolutionary product of Cebuana Lhuillier, it ensures healthcare services for Filipinos with a PHP 150,000 annual maximum benefit for emergency care and bacterial illnesses, accidents and COVID-19.
• Cebuana Lhuillier Jewelry – this has enabled millions of Filipinos the opportunity to make investing in gold affordable and accessible.  Cebuana Lhuillier Jewelry are available in pawnhop branches, retail stores in malls, website and marketplace.
• Quikz- Cebuana Lhuillier, in partnership with fintech company Pangea, introduced Quikz, a digital platform that enables Filipinos in the USA to send money quickly and conveniently to their chosen beneficiaries in the Philippines via the Quikz mobile App or through the Quikz website.
• Cebuana Lhuillier Advance- a platform that empowers employers to provide on-demand financial assistance to their employees.
• Cebuana Lhuillier Global Financing, a loan service specifically intended to support and benefit Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

Making Filipinos' Lives Matter with Cebuana Lhuillier's Advocacies

Apart from financial inclusion, Cebuana Lhuillier's President and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier continues to advocate for many programs that he personally believes and stands by.

Lhuillier continues to spearhead innovations in Cebuana Lhuillier, always making sure their clients are given the best possible products and services.  On top of offering pawning, money transfer and insurance products,  Cebuana Lhuillier has now made savings and investment accessible  to the unbanked and underbanked market through JHL's brainchild products:  micro-savings, jewelry selling and micro-investment.

Thru the micro-savings product, Cebuana Lhuillier has enticed the masses to open a savings account by offering low start-up amount, no maintaining balance and lesser document requirements. Add to that is the accessibility to 3500 Cebuana Lhuillier branches and the extensive efforts of the company to teach people the value of savings through various activations, leading up to what is now known as the Iponaryo Movement with more than 7M accounts holders to date.

Jean Henri Lhuillier states:  "I believe that people should graduate from being reliant on bridge financing to being able to save for their future and  ultimately be able to invest. That's why in Cebuana Lhuillier, we make sure we help our clients in their financial wellness journey."

A Champion of PH Sports

Cebuana Lhuillier also continues to make a difference – this time in the world of sports, as they back several teams and personalities in the field of softball and tennis.  With the staunch support of Jean Henri Lhuillier, the RP Blu Girls and RP Blu Boys have shown excellent prowess that has led them to qualify for four world cups this 2023. In tennis, Cebuana Lhuillier has been supporting the individual international campaigns of  current top tennis players Ruben Gonzales and Francis Casey Alcantara, helping both of them reach their highest world rankings in both singles and doubles.

A Proponent of Continuous Learning

Jean Henri Lhuillier has also been  Chief Proponent of the Education Advocacy. As the head of the Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation Inc. (CLFI) he has helped make education more accessible to those who need it through donation of classrooms, learning centers, conference rooms, and buildings to be utilized by the less fortunate for furthering learning. Following the personal philosophy of its President and CEO, Jean Henri Lhuillier which is to "Always Love Schooling", part of CLFI's major thrust in education is the implementation of the Alternative Learning System or ALS along with three other initiatives: Nationwide Scholarship Program, Spiritual and Social Enhancement Program, and Special Projects on Education.

Even with these achievements, there is no pause in sight for Cebuana Lhuillier. Jean Henri Lhuillier states that for as long as Cebuana Lhuillier is around, they will continue to empower Filipinos to be financially capable through their array of services and inspire them to be the best they can be through their many advocacies.