Banking & Finance

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 …

Students at the State University of Northern Negros (SUNN) are transitioning to digital transactions following the launch of Land Bank of the Philippines’ Cash-Lite Campus Program on Feb. 19, 2026. The initiative covers over 2,000 students and campus partners, enabling tuition payments, food purchases, and other school transactions through secure digital banking channels, reducing reliance on cash. The launch was …

The non-performing loan (NPL) ratio of Philippine banks improved to 3.08 percent in December 2025, down from 3.32 percent in November, marking the lowest level since August 2020, based on Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas data. Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation chief economist Michael Ricafort said the decline in NPLs amid rising bank loans is partly due to a total 200-basis-point reduction …

Confidence in the Philippine economy is showing signs of recovery, BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr. said Wednesday, projecting a growth rebound in the second half of 2026. Citing the central bank’s survey of supply chain managers, Remolona noted that the confidence index has risen above 50 percent, signaling improving sentiment. He also pointed to declining yields on Bureau of the …

The Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) has been recognized internationally for promoting agricultural growth and reforestation efforts, DBP President Michael O. de Jesus said. DBP was named Top Community-Centric Company at the 2025 Asia Corporate Excellence and Sustainability (ACES) Awards for its Agri-Puhunan at Pantawid Program (APPP), in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, and for a 100-hectare reforestation …

More than 200 nano-entrepreneurs in Quezon City joined “Ayusin ang Pera, Palaguin ang Negosyo,” a financial literacy and entrepreneurship session organized by the Quezon City Small Business Cooperatives Development and Promotions Office (QC-SBCDPO) in partnership with the BDO Foundation at the Amoranto Sports Complex. The session was facilitated by personal finance coach Chinkee Tan, who shared practical lessons on managing …