Palawan Group of Companies is shaping the future of marketing through AI, customer experience, and leadership
The Palawan Group of Companies reached a new milestone with the successful staging of its inaugural Marketing Summit, “Palawan NEXTGEN: Marketing in the Age of AI, CX, and Innovation” at Valle Verde Country Club, Pasig City. The two-day summit united an elite roster of experts in finance, marketing, advertising, consumer research, technology, and artificial intelligence. It featured leaders from global giants like Google and TikTok, industry pillars such as Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), and key government institutions including the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). The event became a high-impact exchange of ideas designed to shape the future of Palawan Group’s marketing strategies and reinforce its position at the forefront of innovation.
Karlo M. Casto, President and CEO of Palawan Group of Companies, described the summit as a catalyst for growth, collaboration, and innovation among marketing professionals: “This summit is a platform for dialogue — a space where we can exchange ideas, learn from each other, and build stronger strategies together. In today’s fast-moving environment, open collaboration is the key to staying effective and competitive.”
“In this Marketing Summit, our first ever, our focus is clear: how to better embrace technological advancements and maximize new tools and new ways of thinking to serve our customers better. We are particularly looking at the power of artificial intelligence, and how AI can help us design better marketing strategies, run smarter promotions, and create a more personalized and meaningful customer experience. Ultimately, every step we take and every innovation we drive is dedicated to one purpose: creating more value for our Sukis,” Castro shared.
On the first day, under the theme “Foundations of Growth: Finance Industry and Consumer Trends,” Palawan Group set the stage with powerhouse discussions that deepened its grasp of macroeconomic forces, financial inclusion, consumer behavior, and breakthrough opportunities for innovation across life stages. The program went beyond surface insights, examining shifts in market dynamics, the fast-changing media habits of younger generations, and the rising expectations in financial services. These insights laid a bold and future-ready foundation for Palawan Group’s next-generation strategies as it continues to advance its innovative brick-tech model, seamlessly combining the strength of over 3,500 Palawan Pawnshop–Palawan Express Pera Padala branches with the digital reach of PalawanPay, now trusted by more than 21 million users.
On the second day, under the theme “AI: The Future of Palawan Marketing,” highlighted how artificial intelligence is transforming the finance and marketing landscape. Sessions covered AI’s role in enhancing customer experience, creative campaigns, and product innovation, with discussions on emerging technologies from global platforms and solution providers. The talks showcased Palawan Group’s bold vision to harness AI as a game-changing force that will transform the way it connects with and serves millions of Sukis nationwide and even globally.
In his concluding speech, Palawan Group Chief Marketing Officer Bernard Kaibigan urged the participants to pause and reflect on the summit’s key takeaways: “Over the past two days, we did not just talk about trends, AI, and customer experience. We reimagined the future of financial services, and more importantly, the role that the Palawan Group of Companies will play in shaping that future for millions of Filipinos. With over 3,500 branches and more than 21 million users in our app, we are not just witnesses to change, we are the drivers of it.”
With finance insights and AI-driven innovation at its core, the Palawan Group of Companies Marketing Summit 2025 paved the way for bolder strategies, stronger consumer connections, and a future-ready organization. Beyond keynotes and panel discussions, the event fostered collaboration across Palawan Group’s marketing, sales, operations, customer service, and management teams—creating a dynamic space where fresh ideas could flourish. By blending industry leaders’ expertise with the company’s commitment to innovation, the event became a defining milestone that reinforced the company’s vision of growth, innovation, and customer-focused service. And at the heart of it all lies the company’s mission: maximizing technology and innovation not for their own sake, but to deliver greater financial inclusion, deeper value, and more meaningful service to its Sukis.
ABOUT PALAWAN GROUP OF COMPANIES:
The Palawan Group of Companies includes products and services such as Palawan Pawnshop, Palawan Express Pera Padala, Palawan ProtekTODO, Palawan Credit, and PalawanPay. A brand trusted by Filipinos for almost four decades, Palawan Group is one of the fastest-growing financial institutions in the country. With its strength in remittance and pawning services, the company is the market leader in the industry and has over 70,000 branches, Pera Padala outlets, and PalawanPay Money Shops nationwide.
Palawan Group offers a wide range of services, including pawning, domestic and international remittances, microinsurance, bill payment, electronic mobile phone loading, cash-in and cash-out of e-wallets, money exchange, ATM withdrawal, and cash disbursements. Additionally, the company sells jewelry and gold bars, catering to customers looking to invest in valuable assets.
Palawan Group introduced PalawanPay, an e-wallet app that allows users to send and receive remittances anytime, anywhere. PalawanPay is the company’s latest digital solution, offering faster, safer, and more convenient transactions. In addition to remittances, the app provides access to other financial services, including bill payments, mobile load top-ups, and scan-to-pay QR Ph codes. The app also features integrated functionality for pawn renewal, purchasing jewelry and gold items, ProtekTODO personal insurance, and claiming international remittances.
The Palawan Group of Companies is supervised by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
For more information, go to Palawan Pawnshop and PalawanPay Websites.
