(left photo) Mayantoc Mayor Julie P. Icmat (2nd from right) and LANDBANK Branch Banking Sector Head Executive Vice President Joselito P. Gutierrez (rightmost) present palay farmers (L-R) Virginia Gabriel, Arnold Teodoro, and Tirso Sion as the first to avail of the ACEF Loan Program in Mayantoc. (right photo) Meanwhile, Mr. Iggy Castro (3rd from left), owner of Iggy Castro Hardware, is introduced as LANDBANK’s Agent Banking Partner in Mayantoc. They are joined by LANDBANK’s Corporate Banking Group Head Senior Vice President Ma. Celeste Burgos (2nd from right), and Central Luzon Branches Group Head First Vice President Sylvia C. Lim (rightmost). MAYANTOC, Tarlac – Small farmers of palay in this municipality were among the first availers of the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) Lending Program offered by Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) and the Department of Agriculture (DA). During LANDBANK’s Financial Inclusion (FI) Forum held here last October 19, 2019 and attended by more than 500 participants, 80% of whom were small farmers, palay farmers Virginia Gabriel, Tirso Sion, and Arnold Teodoro were recognized as the first loan availers of the ACEF. “Nagpapasalamat po ako sa LANDBANK dahil malaking tulong pinansyal ang naibigay nila sa akin. Malaking tulong po ito bilang puhunan at budget sa aking pagtatanim,” said Virginia. ACEF is a special purpose fund which aims to increase the productivity of farmers and fishers, their cooperatives and associations, as well as micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) by financing their farming needs such as acquisition and establishment of production, postharvest and processing machineries, equipment and facilities, farm inputs, and improvements. Launched in 2016, the FI Forum is an initiative of LANDBANK which aims to serve unbanked communities in the country through a half-day forum dubbed “Ipon at Kabuhayan Para sa Ating Kababayan.” The event was led by Mayantoc Mayor Julie P. Icmat, LANDBANK Branch Banking Sector Head Executive Vice President Joselito P. Gutierrez, Corporate Banking Group Head Senior Vice President Ma. Celeste Burgos, and Central Luzon Branches Group Head First Vice President Sylvia C. Lim. “Through the Financial Inclusion Forum, LANDBANK aims to bring its products and services closer to the unbanked and underserved communities. We are more than willing to serve the banking needs of the citizens of Mayantoc and finance the farming needs of the local farmers and fishers, to help improve their income and livelihood,” said LANDBANK Executive Vice President Gutierrez. Modules on financial literacy and LANDBANK’s products and services, particularly its lending programs, were also presented during the forum to help farmers manage their finances properly. Also introduced during the same event was LANDBANK’s Agent Banking Program where Iggy Castro Hardware, owned by Mr. Iggy Castro, was presented as the Bank’s Agent Partner in Mayantoc. The LANBANK Agent Banking Program provides the public with basic banking transactions such as Point-of-Sale (POS) cash-out, prepaid card sale, card reload/card refund/withdrawal, balance inquiry, and bills payment. Through partnerships with client cooperatives, associations, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and private entities, the Program is targeted to further expand the Bank’s reach in remote and unbanked areas without bank presence. Mayantoc is the 6th stop of the FI Forums this year. A total of 3,752 farmers and fishers have already participated in all six sites of the FI Forums, which include Sto. Niño, Cagayan; Rizal, Palawan; Libacao, Aklan; Aloguinsan, Cebu; and Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte. The last two FI Forums for this run will be held in Claveria, Misamis Oriental and Polillo Island, Quezon.
READ MORE2019 Robinsons Warehouse Sale: Shop. Save. Share DTI Fair Trade Permit No. FTEB 19557 Series of 2019 1. Promotion is exclusive to all Philippine-issued Mastercard credit, debit and prepaid cards. 2. Get up to 70% off on selected items from the following brands – Toys “R” Us, Savers Appliances, Robinsons Department Store, Benefit, Elizabeth Arden, Topshop, Topman, Dorothy Perkins, Miss Selfridge, Warehouse, Burton Menswear, Handyman, True Value, Daiso Japan, and South Star Drug. 3. Promotion period is from November 14-17, 2019 from 11:00 am – 8:00 pm at Hall D, World Trade Center
READ MORELeft photo: Now heavily involved in the family business, Arjay Vasquez encouraged his father to invest in mechanization. Right Photo: Husband and wife Romeo and Josefa Consuelo Vasquez showcase their innovative farming technique of growing seeds on trays before they are transplanted to the prepared field. Born to a landless tenant farmer in San Mateo, Isabela, Romeo Vasquez was determined to improve his life. He worked odd jobs to support himself through college, eventually earning an Agricultural Engineering Degree from the Central Luzon State University. After graduation, he worked double jobs in Manila as sales representative for a fertilizer company and as a jeepney driver at night. Then with a growing family of his own, he saved all his extra earnings and commissions to buy farm lots. But in 1986, he was diagnosed with a malignant tumor in his left leg, which had to be amputated. Although his doctor gave him a small chance of complete recovery from the cancer, Romeo refused to give in and instead worked harder for his family. While he remained employed in the fertilizer company, he started cultivating his one-hectare palay farm in his native San Mateo. However, the year 1991 dealt him with both a blessing and a setback – his doctor pronounced him cancer-free, but the fertilizer company he was working for closed down. This prompted him to go back to his farm and, with an additional two hectares mortgaged by local farmers, he created R.S. Vasquez Enterprises as a full-time palay trading, rice milling, and seed production business. Seeking to make quality rice accessible to ordinary consumers, they created their own Mestizo Rice variety, which became sought-after not only in Isabela, but also in neighboring provinces and in Metro Manila. The business gradually expanded, especially after the Land Bank of the Philippines provided credit lines in 2004, which the couple partly used to supply neighboring farmers with their own seed variety for free. In return, the farmers would sell them their harvest. Technology-enabled farming His son, Arjay Rusell, who has been involved in the farm since 2012, encouraged Romeo to invest on mechanization and made sure that the company adopted the latest in rice production technologies. Romeo regularly attended agriculture-related training courses and linked up with the Department of Agriculture (DA) for technical assistance and continuing skills training, which exposed him to various agricultural innovations. R. S. Vasquez Enterprises also began the production of seeds grown in plastic trays containing combined pulverized soil and organic matter. The seedlings are regularly watered before being transplanted to the prepared field using mechanical transplanters. Because of these innovations, the DA named Engr. Vasquez as National Consultant in hybrid rice promotion to teach farmers proper farm waste management, inter-cropping, and other good practices in agribusiness. He has also won various awards through the years, including the Agricultural Entrepreneur Gold Award in The Outstanding Farmers of the Philippines in 2013 and the 3rd place under the Outstanding SME Agri-based Category of the LANDBANK Gawad SME 2018. The business has since then become a family affair, with their sons on top of introducing the latest farming technologies. They now farm several hectares of land and also advocate farm mechanization by helping set up mechanized farm learning centers that teach proper land preparation, farm site development, and irrigation. The Enterprise has also generated more than 80 jobs for the community through its palay trading, seeds production, goat raising, and vegetable production businesses. They recently opened a new agricultural supply business, where they also offer free consultancy on palay production activities and agricultural inputs. Affordable Financing LANDBANK remains aggressive in providing credit support to farmers like Romeo Vasquez, in pursuit of its drive to help more farmers and fishers boost their production and increase their income. “As we make direct financing available to more small farmers and fishers nationwide, we also strongly encourage them to invest on mechanization and adopt other agricultural technologies, as this will significantly decrease production cost and improve their harvest,” said LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo. LANDBANK helps small farmers to engage in mechanization through its various credit programs. These include the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF), which helps small farmers and fishers (SFF), their cooperatives and associations, as well as Micro and Small Enterprises, in their crop production requirements and purchase of agri-machineries, equipment, and facilities. Another program that LANDBANK implements is the DA-funded Expanded Rice Credit Assistance under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ERCA-RCEF), which farmers can tap for their rice production or acquisition of rice farm equipment or machinery. This is available to rice farmers registered in the Registry System on Basic Sectors in Agriculture or RSBSA, and to DA-accredited cooperatives. The ACEF Lending Program and ERCA-RCEF now have interest rates fixed at only 2% per annum to make them more affordable for small farmers. The Bank also standardized at 5% per annum the interest rates for most of its direct lending programs for SFFs. These include the Accessible Funds for Delivery to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (AFFORD-ARBs) Program, which provides loans to finance production of rice, corn, and high-value crops, as well as the acquisition of small farm implements.
READ MORELand Bank of the Philippines is one with the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) in the annual observance of the 18-Day Campaign to end VAW from November 25-December 12, 2019.
READ MOREManila City Mayor Isko Moreno (3rd from left) and LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo (4th from left) present the signed Loan Agreement for P10 billion which will finance various development project in the City. Joining them are LANDBANK Executive Vice President for Branch Banking Sector Joselito P. Gutierrez (extreme right), LANDBANK Executive Vice President for Agricultural and Development Lending Liduvino S. Geron (2nd from right), Secretary to the Mayor Bernardito C. Ang (extreme left) and City Budget Officer Atty. Mary Grace Chua (2nd from left). Complementing his vigorous campaign to clean-up the streets of Manila from garbage and eyesores, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno is also focusing on upgrading the city’s health, educational, tourism and public services facilities. On November 11, 2019, the City Government of Manila signed a P10-billion Loan Agreement with Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) under the Bank’s Omnibus Term Loan Facility (OTLF). The approved loan facility will be used to finance the following: (1) construction and renovation of the Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center, the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila School of Medicine Building, the new City Hall building, and the Manila Sky Deck; (2) the rehabilitation of Manila Zoo and the development of Pandacan Depot into a commercial district; and (3) the acquisition of equipment, furniture and fixture for these projects. Present during the loan signing were LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo, Executive Vice President for Agricultural and Development Lending Liduvino S. Geron, who signed for the Bank, and Senior Vice President for Corporate Banking Ma. Celeste A. Burgos as witness. They were joined by Executive Vice President for Branch Banking Joselito P. Gutierrez and First Vice President for North NCR Branches Marilou L. Villafranca. Also present were City Legal Officer Atty. Genaro Jose Emeterio S. Moreno, Jr., OIC of the Treasury Department Ma. Jazmin A. Talegon, City Accountant Maria Lourdes R. Manlulu, Secretary to the City Mayor Bernardito C. Ang, and City Budget Officer Atty. Mary Grace Chua. “Over the years, LANDBANK has worked closely with local government units nationwide and has remained the biggest provider of financial assistance and development financing to the sector because we believe that local government is the biggest, if not the most integral, link between the national government and their respective localities,” said President Borromeo. The Bank’s OTLF allows qualified provinces, municipalities, and cities to avail of loans for projects that are listed in their Approved Local Development Plan or Annual Investment Program. This eliminates the inconvenience and associated transaction cost in having to secure loan approval for every single project to be implemented.
READ MOREThe PREMYO BONDs is the latest investment offering of the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) that can give you a chance to win 1 million pesos! Click here for the Notice of Offering and click here for the FAQs. For more information, kindly visit the BTr's website.
READ MORELANDBANK Treasury and Investment Banking Sector Head Executive Vice President Carel D. Halog (right photo) discusses the convenience of purchasing the Premyo Bonds via the LANDBANK Link.BizPortal during its recent launch. The Premyo Bonds launch was led by (left photo) National Treasurer Rosalia V. De Leon (third from right), together with (from right to left) China Bank Capital Corporation President Ryan Martin I. Tapia, LANDBANK EVP Halog, DBP President and CEO Emmanuel G. Herbosa, BDO Capital and Investment Corporation Eduardo V. Francisco, and First Metro Investment Corporation President Rabboni Francis B. Arjonillo. As part of its support to the government’s thrust to make government securities more accessible to the general public, Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) makes available its online payment facility—Link.BizPortal—as a convenient way for its account holders to invest and purchase the Bureau of Treasury’s (BTr) on-going Premyo Bonds offering. LANDBANK announced this initiative during the launch of the Premyo Bonds last November 25, 2019 at the Bulwagan ng Diwang Pilipino, Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) Head Office, Makati City. National Treasurer Rosalia V. De Leon led the launch together with top executives from partner banks in both private and public sectors, namely DBP President and CEO Emmanuel G. Herbosa; BDO Capital and Investment Corporation Eduardo V. Francisco; China Bank Capital Corporation President Ryan Martin I. Tapia; First Metro Investment Corporation President Rabboni Francis B. Arjonillo; and LANDBANK Executive Vice Presidents Carel D. Halog and Alan V. Bornas representing LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo. EVP Halog presented a step-by-step process in using LANDBANK’s Link.BizPortal for a more convenient way to invest in the Premyo Bonds. “This is a trailblazing effort to help reach the retail investors as part of the government’s financial inclusion efforts, through LANDBANK’s Link.Biz Portal,” EVP Halog said. Premyo Bonds are part of the government’s savings mobilization program designed to make government securities more accessible to retail investors. Proceeds from these will be used to fund government programs on education, housing, and healthcare, among others. “The Premyo Bonds is a public-private partnership for Filipinos to get into the habit of investing,” Treasurer De Leon said during the launch. For as low as Php500.00, interested individuals, cooperatives, provident funds, and retirement funds can invest in these bonds with a fixed 3% interest rate per annum. Investors also automatically qualify for a raffle entry for a chance to win as much as P1 million and other prizes such as condo unit or house and lot. Offer period will run from November 25 to December 13, 2019. For more information, visit https://www.treasury.gov.ph/premyobonds/.
READ MOREBangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin E. Diokno (3rd from left) leads the launch of the EGov Pay and QR Ph last November 20, 2019 with (left to right) RCBC President and CEO Eugene S. Acevedo, LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo, PayMaya Founder and CEO Orlando B. Vea, UnionBank President and CEO Edwin R. Bautista. Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) announced that it has already enrolled nearly 700 merchants to its Link.Biz Portal, which facilitates electronic payment to various government and private merchants, in support of the Government e-Payments (EGov Pay) Program of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). This makes LANDBANK the first bank to implement the EGov Pay. At the recent launching of the BSP’s EGov Pay and National Quick Response Code Standard (QR Ph) Programs, LANDBANK said a total of 349 government agencies and 332 private institutions to date are already enrolled in LANDBANK’s Link.Biz Portal, such as the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), among others. LANDBANK developed the Link.Biz Portal, together with the Philippine Payments Management, Inc. (PPMI) and PESONet, in support of the National Retail Payment System (NRPS), a policy framework that seeks to establish a safe, efficient and reliable retail payment system in the country. “We congratulate the BSP for these milestone initiatives. LANDBANK supports these programs as the safest, most convenient and cost-efficient means of accelerating digital payments across the country. Through our Link.Biz Portal, we are able to help government collect revenues efficiently, which facilitates the prompt delivery of social services to the public through a quick and safe payment mechanism via the internet,” said LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo. Link.Biz Portal is designed to allow clients to conveniently pay for products and services online for both government and private institutions, using LANDBANK and other PESONet PayGate participating banks accounts, BANCNET-partner issuing bank accounts, Globe G-Cash accounts, and cash payment option. Meanwhile, LANDBANK said it has also adopted the QR Code for person-to-person (P2P) fund transfers between LANDBANK account holders. The QR Code is a two-dimensional bar code which stores digital information and allows clients to transfer funds to a destination account via an online channel or application, where clients could scan/import the recipient banks’ QR Code via their mobile devices.
READ MORELANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo (3rd from right) and Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Orlando R. Ravanera (2nd from right) led the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement for the Financial Inclusion Through Cooperatives (FIT-Coop) Program that will support unbanked and underserved micro and small cooperatives all over the country. This was witnessed by LANDBANK Agricultural and Development Lending Sector Head Executive Vice President Liduvino S. Geron (leftmost) and CDA Executive Director Ray R. Elevazo (rightmost). The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) and the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) have joined hands anew for the Financial Inclusion Through Cooperatives (FIT-Coop) Program, an initiative that will provide capacity-building support to micro and small cooperatives in unbanked and underserved areas nationwide. LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo and CDA Chairman Orlando R. Ravanera led the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), together with CDA Executive Director Ray R. Elevazo and LANDBANK Agricultural and Development Lending Sector Head Executive Vice President Liduvino S. Geron. Through the FIT-Coop Program, a total of 220 cooperatives with more than 31,000 members from 92 unbanked municipalities all over the country will undergo financial literacy trainings that would better prepare them to access formal credit assistance. “The signing of this MOA for the FIT-Coop Program is a momentous and historical event— a great breakthrough in putting those in the margins into the mainstream of the development process. This will also be a great leap forward for CDA to fulfill its mandate to promote the viability and growth of cooperatives as instruments of social justice and economic development,” CDA Chairman Ravanera said. LANDBANK President Borromeo said the FIT-Coop Program is also a clear display of the Bank’s continuous commitment to reach the smallest cooperatives in the most far-flung areas and empower them to become catalysts for inclusive growth in the countryside. “LANDBANK is no stranger to cooperativism. We know that a lot more can be done if we collaborate with them. Communities have transformed into very progressive local economies because of cooperatives. The crucial thing is we strengthen the weak micro and small cooperatives so that they can grow and access formal lending programs,” President Borromeo said. Under the FIT-Coop Program, assesment tools from both CDA and LANDBANK were utilized to develop the Cooperative Assessment Tool—an instrument which will measure a cooperative’s maturity level and readiness for different support services. In addition, an Environmental Mapping or Scanning Tool was likewise devised to identify necessary but missing facilities in the community which hamper the cooperative’s growth and development. The CDA and LANDBANK will then refer the data collected from these tools to relevant government agencies to further help cooperatives thru possible developmental interventions. President Borromeo added that this strategy is very much aligned with the Duterte Administration’s “whole-of-government approach”, wherein relevant government agencies collaborate and synergize efforts to achieve more significant results.
READ MOREThe year 2019 turned out to be a landmark year for the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) as it breached the P2 trillion mark in assets—a new record for the state-owned universal Bank. LANDBANK posted total assets of P2.03 trillion last year, up by 8% or P157.2 bilion from 2018. This was propelled by deposits amounting to P1.78 trillion which recorded an uptick of 8% or P127.23 billion year-on-year. Likewise, the Bank’s net income also grew by 20% to P18.51 billion from P15.48 billion. This translates to a return on equity of 13.19% which is above the industry average of 10.38% as of September 2019. Meanwhile, capital significantly rose to P149 billion, 13% or P17.38 billion more than the P131.62 billion posted in 2018. “Reaching this new milestone in assets, including consistent growth in all financial fronts, has made 2019 a banner year for LANDBANK. More importantly, we are banking on this performance to enable us to create a bigger impact in helping the agriculture sector grow this year. We look to build on this momentum to intensify and further expand support to our priority sectors, our small farmers and fishers in the countryside,” LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo said. LANDBANK is the biggest credit provider to small farmers and fishers, and local government units, and the biggest lender to microenterprises and SMEs among government financial institutions.
READ MOREAs of Thu, June 19, 2025
| Buying | Selling | |
|---|---|---|
| USD | 56.85 | 57.55 |
| JPY | 0.386465 | 0.401335 |
| EUR | 64.363801 | 66.848651 |
| GBP | 75.253664 | 78.158931 |
| HKD | 7.215887 | 7.75286 |
As of Wed, June 18, 2025
| UITF | NAVPU |
|---|---|
| Cash Management Fund | 1.567055 |
| Money Market Fund | 1.318249 |
| Money Market Plus Fund | 1.230686 |
| PERA Money Market Fund | 1.027957 |
| Medium-Term Bond Fund | 2.481467 |
| Bond Fund | 2.026902 |
| PERA Bond Fund | 1.201009 |
| Balanced Fund | 2.674433 |
| Growth Fund | 2.643801 |
| Alpha Equity Fund | 3.091873 |
| Blue Chip Equity Fund | 0.976162 |
| Equity Fund | 0.814599 |
| High Dividend Equity Fund | 1.024096 |
| US$ Money Market Fund | 1.438105 |
| Global $ Fund | 1.537131 |
