Our Client impact in action: Norma’s story
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[Text on screen] Ahon Sa Hirap Inc. (ASHI) is a microfinance NGO committed to uplifting women, or nanays, from low-income communities through microloans, savings programs, training, and microinsurance.
[Text on screen] Mercedes Abad, Ahon Sa Hirap (ASHI) President
Mercedes:
Ahon Sa Hirap started more than 30 years ago through a grant by a UP professor. The life of the poor is full of unspeakable pain. I didn’t realize it myself until I started working with them.
[Text on screen] Nanay Norma recounts the day she lost her husband due to cardiac arrest.
[Text on screen] Norma Bias, Ahon Sa Hirap (ASHI) member
Norma:
I’m Norma Lianis Bias, living in Wawa Pililla, province of Rizal. My husband is a fisherman. We have seven children. Five boys and two girls.
My husband continued to make a living for us. Recently, he had been feeling something in his body. At the same time, there was a typhoon, so the bamboo trees fell down together with all the cages. With that, they wanted to buy new bamboo to repair the cages. Maybe at that time, he couldn’t take the pain anymore. They weren’t able to go to the sea.
Then he went into cardiac arrest.
What I miss about my husband is his diligence and his kindness. We never fought. He was kind to his children.
The benefits that I receive from Ahon Sa Hirap is the life insurance from Sun Life Grepa. I was assisted by our ASHI staff. During my husband’s wake, I was able to pay the cost for water and electricity. I also used the money to pay for our day to day expenses.
Mercedes:
The benefit that the insurance covers is not only the member, but also dependents. We’re very happy with the relationship. It’s such a big thing for them (nanays) that their benefits increased but the fee is the same.
Norma:
Life insurance was a big help for us, because it helps us pay our daily expenses. With what happened to my husband and myself, I hope that they (ASHI) continue to provide benefits like insurance from Sun Life Grepa, because it is really a big help for us.
Mercedes:
Insurance is such a big thing for me and for also our members. That’s why we provide as much benefits to them as we can. In ASHI, we really want to make their lives better. We walk with them. And we want them to realize their true value.
[Text on screen] With support from ASHI and Sun Life Grepa, Norma is regaining hope and stability. Her story reflects the impact of Sun Life’s Bridges Initiative, a leading effort to close gaps and create paths for underserved communities to access health and wealth solutions.
[Logo] Sun Life
In a close-knit fishing village situated on the western side of the Sierra Madre Mountains in the Philippines, a hardworking local fisherman suddenly passed away. Following the heartbreaking loss of her husband, the fisherman’s wife, Norma, is faced with the enormous financial and emotional responsibility of caring for their seven children.
Fortunately for Norma, she found some relief for her financial challenges as a member of Ahon Sa Hirap Inc. (ASHI), an NGO in the Philippines that has partnered with Sun Life Grepa. ASHI is dedicated to empowering women from low-income communities, known fondly as “nanays,” offering affordable insurance to support the most pressing risks faced by vulnerable families. In 2021, Sun Life Grepa created a custom life insurance product for members of ASHI. Thanks to her existing membership with ASHI, Norma was able to access a low-cost microinsurance benefit enabling her to cover her husband’s funeral costs and support her household through an exceptionally challenging time.
With support from ASHI and Sun Life Grepa, Norma is gradually rebuilding her life and creating a stable foundation for her family.
Bridging the gap
Financial security plays a critical role in helping women build stability for themselves, their families, and their communities. At Sun Life, we are working to expand access to inclusive financial protection in communities where barriers persist.
Norma’s story embodies the heart of Sun Life’s Bridges Initiative, a leading effort to close gaps and create paths for underserved communities to access health and wealth solutions and help people thrive.
Bridges Initiative
Through our Bridges Initiative in the Philippines, Sun Life is helping provide affordable insurance coverage to more than 120,000 low-income women and their families, supporting resilience and financial security where it’s needed most.
Our Client impact
Learn more about our global business and the communities we serve in our 2025 Annual Report.
Kevin D. Strain
“Our success is defined by the impact we make in the lives of our more than 85 million Clients.1 Everything we do is inspired by our deep commitment to making a meaningful difference.”
1 Clients are those who have access to our professional services including insurance policyholders, investment account holders, group plan members and their dependents, members of government-funded public health insurance programs and members of Sun Life-owned health services companies.
