Banking & Finance

The Department of Finance (DOF), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and supported by the Government of Canada, has introduced a new initiative aimed at expanding green and climate finance through nature-based solutions (NbS) in the Philippines. In a statement released last week, the DOF announced the launch of NatureNest, a six-month accelerator program under the “Accelerating …

Bank lending in the Philippines maintained its double-digit growth in March 2025, while domestic liquidity also posted a solid increase, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Thursday. Preliminary data showed that the outstanding loans of universal and commercial banks (U/KBs) rose by 11.8 percent year-on-year to P13.18 trillion. This was slightly slower than the 12.2 percent expansion recorded …

The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) on Wednesday assured that the national government’s outstanding debt remains within manageable levels, with the total reaching P16.68 trillion as of end-March 2025. Of the total debt stock, domestic borrowings made up P11.38 trillion or 68.2 percent, while P5.30 trillion or 31.8 percent came from external sources. The current mix, the BTr said, helps …

The Philippines’ gross international reserves (GIR) declined to $104.6 billion at the end of April 2025, according to preliminary figures released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) last week. This marked a drop from the end-March level of $106.7 billion. GIR, which consists of foreign currency assets such as securities, monetary gold, and foreign exchange, serves as the country’s …

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has received reports that an entity named “UNA Financing Corporation” is fraudulently using the BSP’s name and logo, and the names of BSP employees and officers.  The scheme involves collecting fees and personal information, purportedly to secure the BSP’s clearance for the loan releases sought by individuals. The BSP clarifies that it is not …

Fitch Ratings’ decision to maintain the Philippines’ “BBB” credit rating with a stable outlook reflects global investor confidence in President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s economic management, according to the Department of Finance (DOF). In a Palace briefing on Friday, DOF Assistant Secretary Neil Cabiles said that ordinary Filipinos stand to benefit from Fitch’s latest credit review, which reinforces the country’s …

Philippine National Bank’s (PSE: PNB) Profit Peso Bond Fund was recognized as one of the Best Managed Funds for 2025 under the Intermediate Term Bond Funds using pure FVPL valuation category. The award was presented at the “Vision 2025: Market Forecast and Fund Excellence” event hosted by the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Society of the Philippines at Discovery Primea, Makati …

BDO Unibank, Inc. (BDO) recorded a net income of P19.7 billion in Q1 2025, vs. P18.5 billion for the comparable period a year ago, driven by sustained performance across its core businesses. Return on Average Common Equity (ROCE) was at 13.8% for the period. Gross Customer Loans grew by 12% to P3.3 trillion, reflecting broad-based growth across all market segments. …

Highlighting its growing contribution to advancing the Philippine capital market, LANDBANK was honored as one of the top-performing institutions at the 2025 Philippine Dealing System (PDS) Annual Awards Night. The state-run bank clinched 3rd place in the Top 5 Corporate Issue Managers/Arrangers – Bank Category, in recognition of its vital role in facilitating the issuance of corporate fixed-income securities in …

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), through its policy-making Monetary Board, has approved key amendments to foreign exchange (FX) regulations that are expected to enhance Filipinos’ access to hedging tools while helping deepen the local capital market. Outlined in BSP Circular No. 1212, the revised regulations expand the list of allowable FX hedging instruments involving the Philippine peso. Previously, only …