Health has become the defining concern for Filipino families, according to new insights presented by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in its latest study on household priorities and decision-making.
The findings, drawn from a nationally representative survey of 1,500 Filipinos, illustrate how health pressures and medical costs are shaping daily family dynamics — and reshaping the way consumers approach spending, savings, and future planning.
At the media briefing of BCG on “The Filipino Family”, Anthony Oundjian, Managing Director and Partner at BCG, emphasized the urgency of understanding the Filipino Families consumer at a deeper level. “We really, really need to understand the consumers,” he said.
He explained that last year’s The Filipino Dream study revealed how aspirations extend beyond personal goals. “A lot of people don’t just dream about themselves. They dream about what’s good for their families, what’s good for their friends.”
This year’s shift toward examining families as units that plan, spend, and cope together — uncovered a striking hierarchy of priorities. While savings and nutrition remain essential, it is health that has risen to the top, becoming the central worry for households across income levels and family structures.
Study finds health security leading Filipino families’ financial choices
Julian Cua, Managing Director at BCG and head of the Center for Customer Insights in the Philippines, underscored this. “Health was the most common,” he said, when asked which priority Filipino families ranked first.
Chia added that nearly 70% also cited building a large emergency fund and improving daily nutrition as critical needs. But health stands out because of its universal and persistent impact, particularly as households continue to recover from pandemic-era shocks.
Study Co-Author Julian Cua, Managing Director and Partner at Boston Consulting Group discusses Filipino family needs, priorities, and progress on their aspirations.
Cua explained why health has become so dominant in Filipino households: “Health, regardless of how old individuals are, and sometimes even as the parents get older, it becomes an even more important priority for a household.” He said this makes health expenses “inescapable” for families and central to how they plan their budgets.
The study found that even modest medical costs create financial strain. “A shocking stat that we saw was that one out of five Filipinos felt that even up to a thousand pesos, it was already heavy,” Cua shared. At a ₱10,000 hospital bill, he noted, “two-thirds, or 64% of Filipinos already felt that this was significant enough that they might need to borrow or rely on other people.”
BCG attributes this heightened sensitivity to the collective memory of the pandemic, during which nearly every family had to contribute to medical expenses — sometimes suddenly and at overwhelming cost. “Everyone gets reminded that, yeah, I can’t chase after my other dreams if I need to save up and pool money to pay for that bill of someone,” Cua added.
These highlight what BCG calls “systemic shocks” — unexpected events such as illness, job loss, inflation, or natural disasters that derail a family’s financial stability. Health-related shocks ranked as the most worrying among respondents, with 58% saying they fear a family member falling seriously ill.
Filipino families want smarter platforms for savings, emergencies, security
BCG’s findings also show that Filipino families increasingly act as collective decision-makers, especially on matters involving health, finances, and essential purchases. Cua noted that “multiple people make decisions in multiple things, yet we always design products, services as if it’s always just for one person.” He said current systems from loyalty cards to financial apps fail to reflect the collaborative reality of Filipino Families’ households, especially when decisions involve medical or emergency spending.
As families continue to navigate rising healthcare costs and ongoing socioeconomic pressures, BCG believes companies and policymakers must rethink how they support Filipino households.
Understanding that health is now the central priority and a shared responsibility will be critical in shaping programs, financial products, and services that truly meet the needs of families today.
