KEY POINTS
- The Palawan Group says more Gen Z and millennial Filipinos are investing in gold as economic uncertainty drives demand for tangible assets.
- Local 24-karat gold trades near 9,221.64 pesos per gram, up about 0.93 percent on the day, after prices nearly doubled in roughly 18 months.
- Palawan plans to launch tokenized gold through PalawanPay, letting users invest with as little as 500 pesos.
More Gen Z and millennial Filipinos are investing in gold, the Palawan Group of Companies said, as global economic uncertainty pushes younger buyers toward tangible, stable assets.
“Millennials are actively investing in gold; that was a big surprise. Now, slowly, we can see some of the Gen Zs also,” Palawan Group President and Chief Executive Officer Karlo M. Castro told reporters during a campaign launch. Moreover, he said uncertainty tends to steer people, including the young, toward something more solid.
Rising prices pull in young buyers
According to Castro, younger customers may be buying mini gold bars because the metal’s value has climbed sharply over the years. Furthermore, he pointed to a steep run in local prices, noting that a gram cost about 5,000 pesos roughly a year and a half ago and now trades near 10,000 pesos.
Market data reflect that surge. The independent platform Gold Price Z showed 24-karat gold at roughly 9,221.64 pesos per gram, up 0.93 percent, or 85.51 pesos, from the previous day. Additionally, prices rose about 1,183.44 pesos over the past month. Meanwhile, 22-karat and 18-karat gold traded at approximately 8,453.17 pesos and 6,916.23 pesos, respectively.
“Maybe it’s because of the value. People can see the value in investing in gold,” Castro said. Consequently, the company reads the trend as durable rather than a passing fad.
Tokenized gold enters the pipeline
Therefore, the Palawan Group plans to meet the demand with tokenized gold, a digital asset that represents ownership of a set amount of physical metal held in a secure vault.
“If you have like 1,000 pesos only or 500, you can buy gold in PalawanPay and start saving, start investing in gold,” Castro said. However, he described the offering as still in the pipeline rather than live, calling it one launch the group is eager to roll out.
The push fits the company’s wider reach. Palawan Group runs a nationwide network that offers pawning, money remittance, digital wallet and microinsurance services, and it currently operates more than 3,800 branches across the country. Ultimately, the executive framed gold, whether in small bars or tokens, as an accessible way for cautious young Filipinos to protect their savings amid shifting conditions.
