Premyo Bonds quarterly Rewards Draw grand winners take home P1M and a house and lot unit

The grand winners of the Bureau of the Treasury’s (BTr) first and second quarter Rewards Draw for the “Premyo Bonds Para sa Bayan” (Premyo Bonds) recently received their cash and non-cash rewards in a ceremonial turnover held at the Ayuntamiento Building, Intramuros in Manila on June 25, 2020, a week after the actual draw. The event was led by National Treasurer Rosalia V. De Leon, Deputy Treasurers Atty. Erwin D. Sta. Ana, Atty. Gisela F. Lood and Sharon P. Almanza, and Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) Trust Banking Group Vice President Lolita M. Almazar. First Quarter Rewards Draw grand winner China Banking Corp. (China Bank) Employee Retirement Plan and Second Quarter Rewards Draw grand winner Josefina L. Flores each received a Manager’s Check for P1 million and a brand new house and lot unit from Lessandra by Vista Land & Lifescapes, Inc. (Vista Land) and Property Company of Friends, Inc. (Pro-Friends), respectively. The China Bank Employee Retirement Plan, an entity established primarily for the benefit of the bank’s employees, was represented by China Bank First Vice President and Trustee Maria Rosanna Catherina Testa, together with China Bank First Vice President Mary Ann Lim, and China Bank First Vice President and Treasurer Christopher Ma. Carmelo Y. Salazar. China Bank First Vice President Lim said in a message that innovative instruments, such as the Premyo Bonds, provide wider opportunities for investors. Meanwhile, Ms. Flores, for her part, expressed how grateful she was to receive the rewards, and shared that it was only on the last day of the Premyo Bonds public offering when she was able to invest. Luckily enough, her Electronic Rewards Number (eRN) was drawn as the grand winner during the second quarter Rewards Draw. The eRNs of grand winners, together with other winners of the First and Second Quarter Rewards Draw for the Premyo Bonds were electronically selected last June 18. A total of 116 lucky investors were drawn in each quarterly Rewards Draw: 100 winners of 3rd cash reward tier of P20,000 each, 15 winners of 2nd cash reward tier of P100,000 each, and one grand prize winner of P1 million and a house and lot unit. The winners of the 2nd and 3rd cash rewards tiers received their cash rewards on June 23, 2020 via direct crediting to their designated settlement account. The Premyo Bonds were offered to the public by the National Government through the BTr, with LANDBANK and Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) as Joint Lead Issue Managers. Joining the two state-run lenders as Joint Issue Managers were private banks BDO Capital and Investment Corp., China Bank Capital Corp., and First Metro Investment Corp. The Issue Managers also served as Selling Agents. The third quarter Rewards Draw for the Premyo Bonds will be held on September 18, 2020.

LANDBANK, 6 other digital payment firms join hands for quick release of 2nd SAP aid

Beneficiaries of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) being implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will expect faster release for the second tranche of their cash subsidies. The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) will be working with six (6) financial service providers (FSP) to administer the electronic payment and distribution of emergency subsidies to entitled SAP beneficiaries. The move is a result of a memorandum of agreement signed on June 30, 2020 at the DSWD Central Office in Batasan, Quezon City by DSWD Secretary Rolando Joselito D. Bautista and LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo and representatives of the six FSPs – G-Xchange, Inc. Vice President for Enterprise Business Group Jose Luis G. Reyes;  PayMaya Philippines Inc. CEO Orlando B. Vea; Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation President and CEO Eugene S. Acevedo; Robinsons Bank Corporation President and CEO Elfren Antonio S. Sarte; Starpay Corporation President Lamberto Scarella; and Union Bank of the Philippines President and CEO Edwin R. Bautista.   The signing was witnessed by officials from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).   Under the signed “Multilateral Agreement for the Electronic Payment of SAP Subsidies,” LANDBANK will facilitate and execute the crediting of the emergency subsidy of the beneficiaries into their respective nominated account in other financial institutions via electronic fund transfer using PESONet and Instapay based on instruction and payroll documents provided by DSWD within 24 hours. LANDBANK will also credit the program fund in the FSP’s funding accounts maintained with the LANDBANK Batasan Branch or in other financial institution based on the instruction and payroll documents provided by DWSD within 24 hours from receipt of payroll documents. “Our partnership marks a significant step towards facilitating the immediate, efficient, and secure delivery of emergency subsidy to disadvantaged individuals, families, and communities who are struggling with the challenges posed by COVID-19. We are confident that with six financial service providers on board for SAP 2, our efforts will be multiplied, resulting to a faster and more efficient delivery of much-needed subsidy to the beneficiaries,” LANDBANK President and CEO Borromeo said in her message. The qualified beneficiaries for SAP 2 are the family-beneficiaries of the first tranche that are still under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) per Executive Order No. 112, series of 2020, and a Memorandum from the Office of the Executive Secretary dated May 2, 2020. These include the National Capital Region (NCR); Region III, except Aurora; Region IV-A; Benguet; Pangasinan; Iloilo; Cebu Province; Bacolod; Davao City; Albay Province; and Zamboanga City. On June 11, 2020, LANDBANK already completed the payout for the second wave of cash assistance worth P6.74 billion to the LANDBANK Cash Cards of 1.3 million Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries under SAP 2.

LANDBANK delivers P2.65 billion cash aid to 530,000 rice farmers amid COVID-19

The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK), in partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA), has distributed a total of Php2.649 billion to 529,816 rice farmer-beneficiaries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic across 26 provinces, under the DA’s Financial Subsidy to Rice Farmers (FSRF) Program. As of July 1, 2020, a total of 61,928 rice farmers claimed their cash benefits through their existing LANDBANK ATM Cash Cards while 467,888 farmers received their financial assistance in designated pay-out sites nationwide. Through the FSRF Program, small rice farmers tilling farms with an area of one (1) hectare or less received Php5,000 each to supplement their production budget and family income. “In partnership with the Department of Agriculture led by Secretary William Dar, LANDBANK continues to deliver much-needed financial aid to small palay farmers nationwide during these difficult times. This is in fulfillment of our expanded mandate to support our priority sector—the agriculture sector—recover from the challenges of COVID-19 as soon as possible,” LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo said. Aside from the delivery of cash aid, LANDBANK has also provided 29,728 agrarian reform beneficiaries a one-year moratorium on amortizations with due dates falling during the previous Enhance Community Quarantine (ECQ) period. This covered 41,837 hectares of agricultural land amounting to a total of Php1.56 billion in dues. For more updates, please Follow, Like and Share the official LANDBANK Facebook, Instagram and YouTube accounts (@landbankofficial), Twitter (@LBP_Official), or visit the LANDBANK website (www.landbank.com).

LANDBANK offers direct ‘study-now-pay-later’ loan program for students

Parents and guardians/benefactors of students enrolled for the upcoming school year can now directly avail of loans up to P300,000 from the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK). LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo said the bank is launching a new direct loan program to cover students’ tuition to assist parents and guardians/benefactors who may be reeling from effects of the COVID-19 health crisis. LANDBANK has allotted P1.5 billion in credit support under the I-STUDY (Interim Students’ Loan for Tuitions towards Upliftment of Education for the Development of the Youth) Lending Program to cover the tuition and other enrollment-related fees of eligible students. The LANDBANK I-STUDY Program is open to parents and guardians/benefactors of incoming students who are qualified under the admission and retention requirements of an academic institution recognized or accredited by the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), or the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). Parents and guardians can borrow the amount of tuition equivalent to one (1) school year or two (2) semesters, or up to P150,000 per student but not more than P300,000 per eligible borrower. “LANDBANK supports President Duterte’s call to finance students’ access to quality education amid the economic challenges brought about by the pandemic. Through the I-STUDY Lending Program, we hope to help students finish their studies despite the difficulties they are facing,” Borromeo said. The I-STUDY Lending Program offers an affordable fixed interest rate of 5% per annum for short term loans for pre-school, primary, and secondary students payable within one (1) year, as well as for term loans for tertiary students payable up to a maximum of three (3) years, inclusive of one (1) year grace period on the principal. Eligible parents and guardians/benefactors should have an established repayment capacity, credit history and good credit standing. Eligible students cannot be a current beneficiary of the Universal Access for Quality Tertiary Education Act of 2017 (also known as Republic Act 10931), or any scholarship program or privilege granted to honor students and should be of good moral character as certified by school. The LANDBANK I-STUDY Program will be available only for School Years 2021 to 2022. For details about the Program’s features, eligibility and application requirements, interested borrowers may contact the nearest open LANDBANK Lending Center or Branch nationwide, or call LANDBANK’s customer service hotline at (02) 8-405-7000 or at PLDT Domestic Toll Free 1-800-10-405-7000. For more updates, please Follow, Like and Share the official LANDBANK Facebook and Instagram accounts (@landbankofficial) and Twitter (@LBP_Official) or visit the LANDBANK website (www.landbank.com).

Mastercard - GrabPay Promo

Terms and Conditions: •Get P100 worth of Grab vouchers when you Cash-in at least P1000 to your GrabPay Wallet with your LANDBANK Mastercard credit card. •Valid for New to GrabPay Users in the Philippines with no activated GrabPay Wallet only and has an existing Grab account. •Limited to one (1) redemption per user only. •Promo runs until July 15, 2020 only. •P100 worth of vouchers are as follows: (1) P50 OFF GrabCar (min. spend P250 | GrabPay), (2) P50 OFF GrabFood (min. basket P500 | GrabPay) •GrabCar is currently live in Metro Manila and Cebu (limited areas) only. •GrabPay payment for GrabFood is available in Metro Manila and Cebu only. •Vouchers will be received within 5 hours upon successful transaction. •Vouchers can be found under ‘My Rewards’ in the Grab app. A voucher can be used by tapping “Use Now.” •Vouchers are valid for (1) year upon awarding. •Maximum of one (1) Grab account per user per device. •Users who have been determined to be fraudulent or abusive in any ongoing or completed GrabPay promotion are automatically disqualified. •GrabPay reserves the right and has authority to disqualify fraudulent transactions or promo abuse. •Questions regarding user’s qualification or eligibility for this promo shall be resolved by GrabPay at its discretion. •Should there be any disputes, GrabPay’s decision shall prevail. •This terms and conditions shall be governed by the laws of the Philippines and any dispute arising out of or in connection with promotion shall be referred to the exclusive jurisdiction of courts of the Philippines.   Per DTI Fair Trade Permit No. FTEB-100630 Series of 2020

Mastercard - SM Promo

LANDBANK releases P3.02B in loans to help farmers and fishers boost productivity

In pursuit of its mandate to support the country’s agriculture sector, the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK), in partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA), continues to provide affordable financial assistance to farmers and fishers, as well as their cooperatives and associations, to help increase their productivity and profitability. Under the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) Lending Program, the Bank has released a total of P2.5 billion in loans to 19,367 eligible borrowers as of June 30, 2020. Of the total borrowers, 19,189 are Small Farmers and Fishers (SFFs), 119 are micro and small enterprises (MSEs), and 59 are farmers and fisherfolk cooperatives/associations. Direct lending under the ACEF Lending Program has been made available to eligible borrowers at an affordable interest rate of 2% per annum. Individual farmers and fishers may use the loan under the Program for the purchase of farm inputs and equipment or for farm improvement. For MSEs, cooperatives and associations, the loan may be used for the acquisition of machineries, equipment and facilities for agri-based production and post-production, as well as processing.   Moreover, LANDBANK has released a total of P527.3 million in loans to 3,115 rice farmers and 22 cooperatives as of end-June 2020 under the Expanded Rice Credit Assistance under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ERCA-RCEF) Program. The ERCA-RCEF Program was implemented to provide support to farmers following the implementation of the Republic Act No. 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law. The Bank is one of the implementing agencies for the P1-billion RCEF allocation for credit, and mandated to make available P500 million in loans annually to rice farmers in 59 out of 80 rice-producing provinces covered by the Program from year 2019 to 2024.  Direct lending under the ERCA-RCEF Program has been made available to eligible borrowers at an affordable interest rate of 2% per annum. For on-lending, interest rate is at 0% per annum with prescribed pass-on rate to end-borrowers of up to 6% per annum. Individual farmers may use the loan under the Program for the purchase of farm inputs for rice and rice seed production, and acquisition of farm machineries and equipment for production and post-production. For cooperatives, the loan may be used for the purchase of farm inputs for rice and rice seed production as a collective operation, working capital for rice and rice seed trading operation and other rice farming-related activities, acquisition of machineries and equipment, relending to small rice farmers listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA), and rediscounting of existing loans of small rice farmers listed in the RSBSA. “LANDBANK is continuously working with the Department of Agriculture to intensify our support to the agriculture sector. Through the ACEF and ERCA-RCEF Loan Programs, we aim to assist more farmers and fishers, as well as their cooperatives and associations, so they can boost their productivity and profitability, and contribute significantly in ensuring food security in the country especially with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo said.

LANDBANK to offer BTr’s Progreso Bonds Para Sa Bayan starting July 16

For a minimum investment of P5,000, interested investors may purchase the Bureau of the Treasury’s (BTr) Retail Treasury Bonds Tranche 24 (RTB-24 or Progreso Bonds) and help boost the state’s coffers for socioeconomic development initiatives.  On July 16, 2020 (4:00PM), the Department of Finance (DOF) and BTr will launch through a virtual Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIB) Investor’s Briefing the five-year RTB-24 or Progreso Bonds offering with Bond Exchange, to generate at least P30 billion. The event will be streamed live via the Facebook Page of the BTr (www.facebook.com/TreasuryPh) to be shared by LANDBANK (www.facebook.com/landbankofficial) and other participating Banks. The virtual event will be led by Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez and National Treasurer Rosalia V. De Leon, together with Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo, and Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) President and CEO Emmanuel G. Herbosa. The RTB-24 will be offered to the investing public until August 7, 2020, with state-run lenders LANDBANK and DBP as the Joint Lead Issue Managers. They will be joined by BDO Capital and Investment Corporation, BPI Capital Corporation, China Bank Capital, First Metro Investment Corporation, PNB Capital Corporation, RCBC Capital Corporation, SB Capital Corporation, and Union Bank of the Philippines as Joint Issue Managers. “LANDBANK’s participation in the RTB-24 or Progreso Bonds offering is a testament to the Bank’s unwavering support to the National Government to raise funds for its socio-economic development initiatives. Rest assured that the Bank will do its part to promote and encourage retail investors to invest in the Progreso Bonds,” LANDBANK President and CEO Borromeo said. The proceeds to be generated from RTB-24 will be utilized by the National Government to fund health initiatives, especially priority measures to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 crisis, and extend support to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Interested investors may purchase RTB-24 through the branches of LANDBANK those of participating institutions. They can also purchase the Bonds through the RTB Online Ordering Facility at the BTr’s website and through the BONDS.PH mobile application. On top of selling the new Bonds, the BTr will be allowing holders of previously issued bonds, namely, RTB 10-01, FXTN 05-73, RTB 10-02 and FXTN 07-57 to exchange and reinvest their bond holdings for the RTB-24. It will be the second time that the BTr will issue RTBs this year, after the issuance of the RTB-23 with exchange offer last February. The RTBs are generally considered low-risk investments which allow investors to earn a fixed interest quarterly during the term of the bond based on prevailing market rates. For more updates, please Follow, Like and Share the official LANDBANK Facebook and Instagram accounts (@landbankofficial) and Twitter (@LBP_Official) or visit the LANDBANK website (www.landbank.com).

LANDBANK’s agri loans reach P227 Billion as of end-June; helps close to 2 Million farmers and fishers

In line with intensifying support to the agriculture sector, the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) has provided P227.47 Billion-worth of agriculture loans as of June 2020. Of these loans to agriculture, P35.63 billion was outstanding loans to small farmers, fishers, cooperatives, and farmers associations. This includes direct lending to farmers and fishers which grew by P219 million or 18.37% from P1.19 billion in May to P1.41 billion in June. Meanwhile, loans to other players in the agri-business value chain stood at P191.84 billion, of which P141.67 billion was lent to small, medium, and large agribusiness enterprises and P50.17 billion financed agri-aqua related projects of local government units (LGUs) and government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs).   Assisting 2 Million farmers and fishers As of June 2020, LANDBANK has assisted 1,976,689 cumulative small farmers and fishers nationwide representing a 98.8% accomplishment over the 2 million cumulative target for the year. The 300,825 or 18% increase from last May’s 1,675,864 tally was due largely to the new farmers assisted under the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Financial Subsidy to Rice Farmers (FSRF) Program. Of the 1,976,689 farmers and fishers that LANDBANK has assisted, 1,290,240 were supported through the Bank’s various regular loan offerings and lending programs jointly implemented with the DA and the Department of Agrarian Reform. The remaining 218,530 and 467,919 small farmers were assisted specifically through the DA’s Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RFFA) Program and the FSRF Program, respectively. “Now more than ever, LANDBANK continues to exert greater focus on driving support for the agriculture sector amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the whole-of-government approach, our strong partnerships with the Department of Agriculture and Department of Agrarian Reform have allowed us to fulfill our mandate of reaching and assisting more small farmers and fishers nationwide than ever before,” LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo said. After achieving and exceeding its target of assisting one million farmers and fishers in 2019, LANDBANK is aiming to assist an additional one million new farmers and fishers for a total of 2 million this 2020.    LANDBANK is a government financial institution with the social mandate of promoting countryside development, servicing the financial needs of small farmers and fishers, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), countryside financial institutions (CFIs), LGUs,  and government institutions. For more updates, please Follow, Like and Share the official LANDBANK Facebook, Instagram and YouTube accounts (@landbankofficial), Twitter (@LBP_Official), or visit the LANDBANK website (www.landbank.com).

Sowing the seeds of success through mechanized farming

Farmer-members of the Malinao Dam Federation of Irrigators’ Association (MADFIA), Inc. in Bohol now enjoy improved productivity and income with the help of a four-wheeled tractor and two rice combine harvesters which the federation acquired through the Agricultural Competitive Enhancement Fund (ACEF) Lending Program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK). PILAR, Bohol – Two years ago, farmer-members of the Malinao Dam Federation of Irrigators’ Association (MADFIA), Inc. in the towns of Pilar and Dagohoy in the province of Bohol shared the hardships brought about by traditional palay production. From tilling the soil to harvesting the rice crops from the fields, they only depend on their trusted carabaos and obsolete farming methods as they worked under the sun for more than eight hours a day. Despite all their labor and hard work, MADFIA President Kim L. Doroy said that it was extremely challenging to earn a living from growing palay in a traditional way, especially during bad weather. “Sobrang hirap. Nakikita ko na bawat isa sa miyembro namin ay talagang ibinubuhos ang lahat ng kakayahan sa sakahan para mabuhay. Tapos minsan naaabutan ng ulan, naaabutan ng bagyo, kaya yung kita namin ay talagang bumabagsak,” he said, noting that this vicious cycle also triggered food shortage in the province.  The difficulties and uncertainties facing their members prompted MADFIA to avail of a P4.9-million term loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) in 2018, under the Agricultural Competitive Enhancement Fund (ACEF) Lending Program, for the acquisition of farm machineries and post-harvest facilities. Through LANDBANK, MADFIA was able to acquire two brand-new units of rice combine harvesters that same year, and in 2019, they were able to purchase a brand-new four-wheeled tractor unit to help them quickly prepare rice paddies for the planting season. With the mechanization of rice farming methods, the productivity and income of the 4,963 rice farmers from 17 irrigators’ associations under MADFIA significantly increased. From spending three to four days and employing three farm workers to prepare one hectare of farmland, they can now complete the job for only two hours with the use of a tractor and just one operator. Harvesting a hectare of rice field was also reduced to two hours and one farm worker with the help of the harvester, instead of the conventional two to three days that requires 16 farm workers. In terms of profit, the farmers were able to earn 40% more every cropping season. And since the time they spend in their rice fields was shortened, some of them were able to get additional income from growing other food crops such as vegetables and corn. “Napagaan ‘yung buhay namin, medyo guminhawa. Nakapag-ipon kami ng panustos sa pag-aaral ng aming mga anak at puhunan sa paghahanda sa susunod na season ng pagtatanim. Ngayong may pandemic, may quarantine, ang laking naitulong dahil iilan lang ‘yung pwedeng makalabas. Kasi sa harvester at tractor kaunti lang ang tao na kinakailangan. Kapag wala kaming ganong equipment, siguradong taghirap na ‘yung mga farmers ngayon,” Doroy said. Aside from MADFIA, LANDBANK through the ACEF Lending Program, has also helped other federations of irrigators’ associations in Bohol to acquire farm machineries and post-harvest facilities. In total, the Bank was able to finance 39 units of four-wheeled tractors, 10 units of rice combine harvesters, and 18 units of rice transplanters to these associations. The ACEF Lending Program is a joint program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and LANDBANK, which aims to provide necessary credit to small farmers and fishers (SFFs), their cooperatives and associations, and micro and small enterprises (MSEs) to increase their productivity, and to enhance the competitiveness of players in the agriculture sector. As of June 30, 2020, LANDBANK has released a total of P2.5 billion in loans to 19,367 eligible borrowers nationwide under the ACEF Lending Program. Of the total borrowers, 19,189 are SFFs, 119 are MSEs, and 59 are farmers’ and fishers’ cooperatives/associations. For more details about the Program’s features, eligibility and application requirements, interested borrowers may contact the nearest open LANDBANK Lending Center or Branch nationwide, or call LANDBANK’s customer service hotline at (02) 8-405-7000 or at PLDT Domestic Toll Free 1-800-10-405-7000.