Banking & Finance

THE  Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) released the results of the inaugural monthly Business Expectations Survey (BES), marking the start of a more frequent assessment of business sentiment in the Philippines. The shift from a quarterly to a monthly survey will allow the BSP to monitor business confidence more closely and respond more effectively to rapidly changing domestic and external …

The Philippines is set to ink 25 official development assistance (ODA) agreements with foreign governments, Finance Secretary Frederick Go said Thursday. Speaking at the Social Security System office, Go said the deals include 10 loans from Japan, 10 pipeline loans from Korea, and five loans from France, totaling USD10.3 billion. Separate Department of Finance data show that 10 pipeline ODAs …

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Bureau of the Treasury (BTr), and UnionBank have signed a memorandum of agreement to integrate UnionBank’s UPay Facility into the national tax collection system, aiming to expand digital payment options for taxpayers. The partnership, signed Tuesday at UnionBank Plaza in Pasig City, seeks to provide convenient web- and mobile-based channels for paying taxes and …

Land Bank of the Philippines and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) have signed an agreement to enable digital disbursement of scholarship grants and training support funds for over 335,000 TESDA scholars. The memorandum of agreement was signed on Feb. 16, 2026 at the TESDA Central Office in Taguig City by LandBank President and CEO Lynette Ortiz and …

Philippine National Bank (PNB) reported consolidated net income of ₱25.3 billion for full-year 2025, a 20% increase from 2024, boosting return on equity to 11.1%, up 70 basis points from the previous year.  The strong performance was fueled by solid core business results, efficient balance sheet management, cost discipline, and operational efficiency. PNB’s loan portfolio expanded 15% year-on-year, led by …

For Benedicto “Benny” Marra, loyalty isn’t just a value—it’s a way of life. Like millions of overseas Filipinos, Benny left home to provide for his family. While working as a mechanic in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, he relied on BDO as his financial partner. “Life abroad is demanding, maraming hirap at na-aksidente pa ako. Pero kinaya ko lahat ng sakripisyo,” he …

MAKATI CITY—LANDBANK has successfully raised ₱50 billion through its Agriculture, Sustainability, Environment, and Socioeconomic Development (ASENSO) Bonds, officially listed on the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. (PDEx) on 16 February 2026. Proceeds will continue to finance projects that uplift communities, expand economic opportunities, and advance a more sustainable and inclusive future. LANDBANK President and CEO Lynette V. Ortiz, Securities and Exchange …

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Monetary Board reduced key policy rates by 25 basis points last week, citing the need to stimulate growth after weaker-than-expected output in 2025. The move sets the target reverse repurchase (RRP) rate at 4.25%, the overnight deposit rate at 3.75%, and the overnight lending rate at 4.75%. Since August 2024, the BSP has lowered rates …

The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) set the average rate for its 10-year fixed-rate Treasury note (FXTN) at 5.893% during a recent auction. Although the BTr offered ₱300 billion worth of the debt paper, it awarded only ₱107.07 billion out of ₱328.47 billion in total tenders. National Treasurer Sharon Almanza said there are no plans to match last year’s ₱300-billion …

Remittances from overseas Filipino workers climbed 4.2% year-on-year to $3.52 billion in December 2025, driven mainly by higher inflows from land-based workers, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). The December tally pushed total cash remittances for 2025 to a record $35.63 billion, up 3.3% from $34.49 billion in 2024. Land-based workers sent $2.83 billion in December, 4.5% higher …