Banking & Finance

Students, public utility vehicle drivers, vendors, household helpers, farmers, fishers, and other unbanked and underserved Filipinos can now open a LANDBANK PISO account with just P1.00 as minimum initial deposit. The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) offers a new product to help bring more unbanked and underserved Filipinos—including students, public utility vehicle drivers, vendors, household helpers, farmers, and fishers—into …

Nationwide residential property prices up by 5.6% YoY, but edge lower by 1% QoQ in Q1 2022 The residential real estate prices of various types of new housing units in the Philippines maintained its growth momentum in Q1 2022.[1] The Residential Real Estate Price Index (RREPI) rose by 5.6 percent from a year ago, but declined by 1 percent from …

The past two years have been tough for everyone. And when times get tough, financial institutions have it in their best interest to be at their strongest, in order to provide the most help for their clients.  Based on a leading consumer survey covering the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co. (Metrobank) was indeed a pillar of …

Assistant Governor (AG) Amenah F. Pangandaman, who also serves as Chief of Staff to the Governor, Executive Offices Coordinator, and Concurrent Head of the Strategic Communication and Advocacy, has accepted the invitation of President-elect Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to serve as the incoming Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). “It is my honor to serve the Filipino people during this critical …

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin E. Diokno reported that the Philippines’ outstanding external debt (EDT) remains at a prudent level as its ratio to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) recorded at 27.0% at end-December 2021. The ratio remains one of the lowest as compared to other ASEAN member countries. The country’s EDT expressed as a percentage of GDP is a …

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) encourages Filipinos to take full advantage of the benefits offered under the Personal Equity and Retirement Account (PERA).  “Compared to other retirement and investment products, PERA provides contributors or investors exclusive tax benefits which enable them to accumulate their retirement savings at a faster pace,” according to BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno. Income earned from PERA …

The BSP remains vigilant over the possible implications of the unfolding Ukraine-Russia conflict on the Philippine economy. We expect the ongoing conflict to continue to exert upward pressures on key international commodity prices, particularly oil and wheat. Meanwhile, the ongoing conflict could also cloud prospects for global trade and investment, as uncertainty spills over into financial markets through higher volatility …

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno (top) said that the next administration should continue to prioritize investments in infrastructure, human capital, healthcare, and agriculture to ensure economic continuity during the Manila Times Economic Forum. The BSP will retain its macroeconomic strategy irrespective of the election result and will work with the new administration to sustain the recovery. …

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) led enforcement operations in Pampanga and Tarlac on 19 January 2022 that resulted in the arrest of four suspects. During the operations, a total of 161 counterfeit Philippine currency banknotes and 78 fake foreign banknotes were confiscated. The four suspects were charged with violating Article 168 in relation …

The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) renewed their partnership program to finance the livelihood needs of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates. Initiated in 2019, the LANDBANK-TESDA partnership program was extended through a virtual signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) led by TESDA Director-General Secretary Isidro S. Lapeña …