LANDBANK and Converge sign a P3-billion loan agreement to provide fast and reliable internet connectivity to more subscribers nationwide. The virtual signing ceremony on August 27, 2021, was led by (upper row from left) Converge CEO Dennis Anthony H. Uy, Converge President Maria Grace Y. Uy, and LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo. They were joined by (lower row from left) Converge Deputy Chief Finance Officer Christine Renee R. Blabagno and LANDBANK officials, namely Agricultural and Development Lending Sector, Officer-in-Charge Senior Vice President Filipina B. Monje and Corporate Banking Group Head, Senior Vice President Ma. Celeste A. Burgos.
State-run Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) signed a P3-billion loan agreement with Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions, Inc. (Converge) to help provide fast and reliable internet service to more subscribers nationwide.
LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo alongside Converge CEO Dennis Anthony H. Uy and President Maria Grace Y. Uy led the virtual loan signing ceremony to support the fiber broadband service provider’s continuing terrestrial and subsea domestic network expansion and finance working capital requirements.
They were joined by Converge Deputy Chief Finance Officer Christine Renee R. Blabagno and LANDBANK officials, namely Agricultural and Development Lending Sector Officer-in-Charge, Senior Vice President Filipina B. Monje and Corporate Banking Group Head, Senior Vice President Ma. Celeste A. Burgos. Also present during the signing ceremony was Converge Chief Financial Office Advisor Matthias Vukovich.
During the virtual ceremony, LANDBANK emphasized the importance of investing in technology as more Filipinos adapt to a digital lifestyle due to the ongoing pandemic.
“We are hopeful on this new partnership between LANDBANK and Converge to ensure the delivery of fast and consistent internet services across the country. It is with urgency that we must support more users in adapting to home set-ups for work and education in the new normal. This is also aligned with LANDBANK’s thrust of leveraging on digital innovations to provide uninterrupted, safe, and timely financial solutions to our clients, especially the unbanked and underserved,” said LANDBANK President and CEO Borromeo.
Converge CEO Uy expressed his gratitude to LANDBANK for providing an accessible financial channel to expand their fiber footprint nationwide.
“This loan financing brings us one step closer to our goal of connecting the unserved and underserved areas in the country. The available funds will help us reach into untapped markets and really ‘Go Deep’ into existing ones,” said CEO Uy during the virtual loan signing.
Converge will utilize the credit support from LANDBANK for its continued network expansion across the country, broadening its distribution reach, and boosting international connectivity.
The total loan package from LANDBANK will also include an additional short term loan line as well as a facility for its trade transactions amounting to up to P2 billion.
In line with servicing the emerging needs of its clients in the new normal, LANDBANK successfully facilitated 73.5 million transactions amounting to P1.307 trillion through its five major e-banking channels from January to July 2021. This represented comparative year-on-year increases of 12% and 65%, respectively.
As of July 2021, the Bank has also facilitated the opening of more than 1.7 million online accounts through its Digital On-boarding System or DOBS which digitizes the submission of account applications.
LANDBANK also launched recently the DOBS Mobile which facilitates online savings account opening in as fast as 10 to 15 minutes. The LANDBANK DOBS Mobile eliminates the need to line up in branches to open an account, in support of the National Government’s Ease of Doing Business (EODB) initiative, as well as safety protocols imposed to limit COVID-19 infections.
LANDBANK also continues to waive fees for inter-bank fund transfers via InstaPay and PESONet for retail clients until September 30, 2021.
UP, LANDBANK team up to boost scholarships and digital services
A Future for Inclusive Education. (seated) UP President Angelo A. Jimenez (4th from left) and LANDBANK Executive Vice President Leila C. Martin (5th from left) lead the ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 01 August 2025 at UP Diliman in Quezon City, formalizing a partnership to support student scholarships, faculty development, and digital financial inclusion across the UP community. Towards advancing inclusive and quality education, and corporate social responsibility (CSR), LANDBANK and the University of the Philippines (UP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide employee-funded scholarships, faculty development grants, and campus-wide digital banking services. Under the MOU, LANDBANK will support the University’s LINGAP-ISKOLAR Program by providing scholarships to select students from geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs), as well as support for professorial chair and faculty grants for UP educators. The initiative is uniquely fully-funded through voluntary donations from the more than 12,000 LANDBANK employees nationwide, aligned with the Bank’s commitment to CSR. “We are proud to walk alongside UP in shaping the next generation of leaders, changemakers, and nation-builders. Whether by funding education or supporting faculty development, LANDBANK is committed to helping expand access to quality education and financial services — especially in underserved communities,” said LANDBANK President and CEO Lynette V. Ortiz in a statement. UP President Angelo A. Jimenez and LANDBANK Executive Vice President Leila C. Martin led the ceremonial signing of the MOU on 01 August 2025 at Quezon Hall, UP Diliman Campus in Quezon City. They were joined by UP Executive Vice President Leo D.P. Cubillan, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Ma. Shari Niña G. Oliquino, Office of Admissions Director Francisco N. De Los Reyes, and LANDBANK Senior Vice Presidents Marilou L. Villafranca and Catherine Rowena B. Villanueva as official witnesses to the partnership. CSR and Digital Access Integration The partnership reflects the shared commitment of both institutions to empower Filipino students and educators towards progressive, and inclusive national development, aligned with the Bank’s CSR Pillars of S.E.R.V.E.—Sustainability, Environment, Resilience, Volunteerism, and Education. The collaboration includes the rollout of LANDBANK’s Cash-Lite Campus initiative, which promotes cashless transactions across the UP community. The program offers students, faculty, staff, campus vendors, and public transport providers access to digital banking services, including online account opening via the LANDBANK Mobile Banking App, QR payments, and e-commerce features, ensuring faster, safer, and more convenient daily transactions. Support for Admissions and Employability LANDBANK also assisted in promoting the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) through its branches and online channels, and provided free transportation for examinees in provincial areas during the 2 to 3 August 2025 test days. The Bank will likewise offer internship opportunities and prioritize UP graduates for employment across LANDBANK, its subsidiaries, and foundation. Meanwhile, UP will identify scholarship and grant beneficiaries and help roll out LANDBANK’s financial education and digital banking services through campus-wide engagements. About LANDBANK LANDBANK is the largest development financial institution in the country promoting financial inclusion, digital transformation, and sustainable national development. Present in all 82 provinces in the county, the Bank is committed to provide accessible and responsive financial solutions to empower Filipinos from countryside to countrywide.
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BIR, LANDBANK team-up for tax portal for digital services
QUEZON CITY — The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has tapped LANDBANK to develop the Value-Added Tax on Digital Services (VDS) Portal, a dedicated platform for Digital Service Providers (DSPs) located outside the Philippines to conveniently file and pay Value-Added Tax (VAT) obligations online for their in-country services. BIR Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui Jr. and LANDBANK President and CEO Lynette V. Ortiz formalized the partnership through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed on 8 July 2025 at the BIR National Office Building in Quezon City. The collaboration is in line with Republic Act No. 12023, which mandates the imposition of VAT on foreign digital service providers for services consumed within the country. LANDBANK will serve as the solution provider for the portal’s development and maintenance, while BIR will oversee implementation and policy compliance, to support the government’s push for digital tax administration and greater revenue mobilization in the digital economy. ABOUT LANDBANK LANDBANK is the largest development financial institution in the country promoting financial inclusion, digital transformation, and sustainable national development. Present in all 82 provinces in the county, the Bank is committed to provide accessible and responsive financial solutions to empower Filipinos from countryside to countrywide.
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LANDBANK, DOST-TAPI strengthen partnership to support Filipino innovators
LANDBANK President and CEO Lynette V. Ortiz (3rd from left) and DOST-TAPI Director Atty. Marion Ivy D. Decena (2nd from left) sign the partnership for the enhanced I-TECH Lending Program, designed to provide accessible financing to Filipino inventors and technology developers. Witnessing the signing ceremony on 15 July 2025 at Okada Manila are LANDBANK Executive Vice President Ma. Celeste A. Burgos (rightmost) and DOST- TAPI Investment and Business Operations Division Manager Romeo M. Javate (leftmost). In a joint push to advance innovation and inclusive technological development, LANDBANK and the Department of Science and Technology – Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI) have formalized a renewed partnership to provide greater support for Filipino inventors and technology developers. Central to the collaboration is the Innovation and Technology (I-TECH) Lending Program, designed to provide affordable and accessible financing to help inventors commercialize their patented technologies and bring them to market. LANDBANK President and CEO Lynette V. Ortiz and DOST-TAPI Director Atty. Marion Ivy D. Decena formalized the partnership through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) signing on 15 July 2025 at Okada Manila. LANDBANK EVP Ma. Celeste A. Burgos and DOST-TAPI Investment & Business Operation Division Manager Romeo M. Javate witnessed the signing. “At LANDBANK, we firmly believe that technology is a key driver of inclusive growth that opens doors to a better, more sustainable future for all. We believe in the potential of every Filipino innovator, and we are here to back that potential every step of the way,” said LANDBANK PCEO Ortiz. Under the enhanced I-TECH Lending Program, LANDBANK serves as the primary lending conduit, while DOST-TAPI administers the Invention Guarantee Fund (IGF) to fund the program. Empowering innovators with accessible financing The I-TECH Lending Program introduces several enhancements to better serve target beneficiaries, broadening its reach and maximizing impact. To encourage wider participation, the previous loan ceiling of P12.5 million has been removed, allowing eligible borrowers to access up to 85% of the total project cost, and up to 80% for land acquisition. Loan interest charges have likewise been waived through funding sourced from the IGF, enabling the Program to operate as an off-book facility for LANDBANK, and lowering the financial burden on borrowers. These enhancements are in line with Republic Act No. 7459, or the Inventors and Invention Incentives Act of the Philippines, which aims to empower local innovators through financial and non-financial assistance. As of 30 June 2025, a total of P32.25 million in loans has been released under the I- TECH Lending Program. Through this enhanced partnership, LANDBANK and DOST-TAPI reaffirm their commitment to empowering Filipino innovators, transforming homegrown ideas into sustainable, high-impact enterprises, and helping build a robust technology-driven economy. ABOUT LANDBANK LANDBANK is the largest development financial institution in the country promoting financial inclusion, digital transformation, and sustainable national development. Present in all 82 provinces in the county, the Bank is committed to provide accessible and responsive financial solutions to empower Filipinos from countryside to countrywide.
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