Study: 70% of Filipino families prioritise health emergency funds above all else

Filipino households are reshaping their spending behaviour around a single, urgent imperative: financial protection against illness. According to new research from Boston Consulting Group (BCG), seven in ten families now place health emergency preparedness at the very top of their priorities - outranking savings, education, and even long-term aspirations.

The findings point to a market where everyday decisions are defined less by ambition and more by the need to shield the family from financial shock, challenging brands and policymakers to rethink how they design for the Philippine consumer.

Anthony Oundjian, managing director and senior partner at BCG Manila and co-author of the report, stressed the importance of shifting how businesses understand household behaviour. “To truly understand the needs of Filipino people, businesses and policymakers must look beyond individual consumers and see the Filipino family as a decision-making unit. This report provides an unprecedented, data-driven lens into what drives behaviour, priorities, and choices across households nationwide,” he said.

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Released this week, The Filipino Family maps how 1,515 households across the country make decisions, manage resources, and prioritise their aspirations - and highlights the growing gap between how families actually live and how brands are still designing products and campaigns.

At the heart of the study is a clear hierarchy of needs: financial security for health emergencies (70%), building a sizeable savings fund (68%), and improving daily nutrition and food quality (64%). For marketers, these findings confirm that risk mitigation, stability, and everyday value now carry far greater emotional weight than aspirational tropes of status or luxury.

The fear of the financial impact of a medical emergency is heightened by the fact that 64% of Filipino families could not cover a 10,000 pesos (US$170.6) hospital bill without borrowing or using health insurance. “Families told us repeatedly that getting sick isn’t just a health crisis - it’s a potential financial catastrophe that could undo years of progress. One emergency surgery, one extended hospital stay, and suddenly you’re in debt for years. This fear shapes everything from how families save to what they’re willing to sacrifice,” Oundjian said.

The report classifies Filipino households into six structures: single-earner nuclear families (20%), dual-earner nuclear families (23%), solo parents (14%), dual income-no kids (4%), sandwich families (11%), and extended families (21%). Each shows markedly different financial rhythms, pressures, and decision-making cultures.

“These aren’t just demographic categories - they’re fundamentally different economic units with different needs, different vulnerabilities, and different ways of making decisions,” said Julian Cua, managing director and partner at BCG Manila and co-author of the study. “A product that works perfectly for DINKs falls flat for a sandwich family juggling three generations. Yet most businesses treat all ‘consumers’ the same way.”

One of the most striking findings is that even routine choices - groceries, education, appliances, and financial products - tend to involve multiple family members. Women often manage savings and day-to-day spending, while men typically handle investments, yet both roles are negotiated in conversation rather than dictated by tradition.

“Filipino households are complex, collaborative ecosystems. Understanding them requires moving beyond the individual lens. Whether it’s a purchase, a savings goal, or a family dream, the Filipino approach is always ‘ours’, never just ‘mine’,” Cua added.

Migration continues to shape Filipino household dynamics. More than half of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) remain active decision-makers back home, despite geographic distance, and contribute up to three-fourths of household income. Yet their roles remain largely invisible in the way brands design financial products, remittance flows, or even mobile-first experiences.

The study urges marketers and policymakers to view the household as the true unit of consumption and aspiration. It outlines five calls to action: design for household coalitions rather than individuals; rethink health protection as a family product; prioritise everyday quality over premium positioning; segment by family structure; and integrate OFWs as active participants in decision-making.

“This study is an invitation to close the gap between what we know and what we do,” said Lance Katigbak, principal at BCG and co-author. “We all know families make decisions together. We’ve seen it in our own homes. The question is: why don’t our businesses, our products, our policies operate that way?”

The report was launched in Manila with a panel discussion featuring BCG leaders and industry figures including Margot B. Torres of McDonald’s Philippines, Paulo Campos of Kaya Founders, and Lynn Pinugu of She Talks Asia - each discussing how the findings could reshape product design, communication strategies, and brand engagement.

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