PIRA hits road for insurance campus tour

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Insurers and Reinsurers Association (PIRA) is launching its 2013 PIRA Campus Tour with the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) as among the host this August.

The campus tour opens the students to new career opportunities in the non-life insurance industry.

PIRA PR Committee chairman Michael Rellosa said distinguished insurance executives would give lectures on Insurance 101 and outline career opportunities  to select universities and colleges in Metro Manila. 

“There has been some misconceptions about the insurance industry and we want to give these students the advantage of knowing the real deal. There are a lot of opportunities in insurance and this is the perfect time to be a part of it as the country grows economically,” Rellosa added.

PIRA is the umbrella organization of all non-life insurance companies in the Philippines and one of its goals is to help strengthen the awareness of the general public when it comes to insurance.

Aside from showing the prospects, the PIRA Campus Tour is also designed to improve one’s financial literacy. With the different insurance sectors – pre-need, life, and non-life – distinguishing one from the other is usually not a common knowledge for most students.

This was reflected through the questions asked by the students during the open forum held in five universities where the Campus Tour was launched last year.  

“We were very happy with the active participation of the students during the seminars. Questions were thrown one after the other, and with this interest that they’ve shown, they are already a part of the industry’s growth,” says Rellosa.

Global warming and other business developments have made the non-life insurance industry more dynamic than ever. The Insurance Commission has reported an upward trajectory in the industry as more and more Filipinos insure their homes, cars, businesses, and other assets to protect them from risks.

“PIRA encourages colleges and universities to continue offering risk management and insurance subjects to their students because these are very relevant to the current business environment and are vital to the insurance industry. Starting young is always an advantage,” the PIRA committee head added.

PIRA also acknowledges the cooperation of the universities’ faculties for opening their doors to the PIRA Campus Tour, giving them an opportunity to widen the awareness about non-life insurance among its students.

Playing host to the PIRA Campus Tour last year were Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, University of Santo Tomas, Polytechnic University of the Philippines and New Era University. 

“We have a youthful excitement towards the next leg of this activity. We are now ready for the 2013 PIRA Campus Tour and other activities for students geared towards further strengthening their knowledge on insurance,” Rellosa added.