ALLIANZ PNB Life Insurance, Inc. is aiming to grow its assets under management (AUM) to P135 billion this year as it plans to make its investment funds available across all channels.

“We’re at P120 billion. We may reach around P135 billion this year,” Allianz PNB Life Head of Investments Henry B. Yang said at a media briefing on Wednesday.

“We already have funds that are existing in one channel but we will make it available to other channels. So, that will be at least four existing funds in one channel that we will be releasing to other channels. And then, we have one other fund that we are looking to launch. Of course, this will take time because of the approvals — the internal approvals as well as regulatory approvals,” he added.

Mr. Yang said Allianz PNB Life’s AUMs will likely grow by 12.5% this year, slower than its average 20% annual growth due to a larger base.

“When you’re bigger, it takes a lot more to grow at the same percentage,” he said.

Mr. Yang said Allianz PNB Life plans to launch global investment funds as it wants to encourage Filipinos to diversify their exposures.

“We advocate more towards diversification… For the typical Filipino who already works here, our actual exposure to the Philippine economy is already high. We don’t want to overburden that exposure by having your savings and investments also in the local market because you’re overexposed to what happens to the Philippine economy,” he said.

One fund the company is launching will be assisted by artificial intelligence (AI) and will be made available across three channels: Allianz PNB Life, its agency channel, and its regional partnership with The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. Ltd.

“We are looking at launching one Allianz Global Investor Fund that is focused on captivating and creating opportunities around the world. This one will be something that is with the use of AI. The fund managers are guided by AI in terms of their decision making,” Mr. Yang said.

“Our target is to offer funds that are in the top four, if not number one, but in the top 25% in terms of longer-term performance compared to our unique funds,” Allianz Head of Singapore and Global Allianz Business Development Jason Fong added.

Allianz PNB Life booked a premium income of P32.13 billion last year, the fourth highest in the industry, data from the Insurance Commission showed. Its net income was at P981.58 million. — Aaron Michael C. Sy

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