The Land Bank of the Philippines is further expanding its retail lending programs as it intensifies its support for small farmers and fishers. “As we seek to reach more farmers nationwide, we are heavily focusing on making retail loans accessible, especially to those who are not members of associations or cooperatives and are unable to obtain loans from formal lending institutions on their own,” said LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo. While it continues to channel financing support to the sector through partner conduits such as farmers and fishers’ cooperatives, irrigators’ associations, and countryside financial institutions, the Bank is aggressively strengthening its retail lending programs to provide more individual borrowers with direct access to credit. LANDBANK-funded programs A newly-enhanced direct lending program is the Accessible Funds For Delivery to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (AFFORD-ARBs) Program, which will specifically cater to ARBs engaged in production of rice, corn, and high-value crops. The loan can also be used for the acquisition of small farm implements. The Program is a partnership with the Department of Agrarian Reform, which will provide the Bank with a list of ARBs and mobilize borrowers for loan orientation and financial literacy seminars prior to loan release to ensure ARBs are equipped with the basic knowledge to manage their finances and learn about farm planning and budgeting. LANDBANK also implements the Empowering Barangays in Remote Areas through Credit and Enterprise (EMBRACE), a direct lending program with relaxed features and requirements for small farmers and fishers, as well as microenterprises and small enterprises (MSEs) in unserved municipalities. Eligible projects include agricultural crop, livestock, and fishery production, as well as agri-enterprise and other livelihood projects. Support for National Government Programs LANDBANK also continues to strengthen its partnership with the Department of Agriculture as it implements retail lending programs for farmers, in pursuit of the government’s thrust towards improved agricultural productivity. A continuing partnership with DA is on the implementation of the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) – a special purpose fund which aims to increase the productivity of individual farmers and fishers, and their cooperatives and associations, as well as MSMEs, through credit assistance. Since the Program was launched in 2018, LANDBANK has already released P96.6 million in loans to 172 borrowers, which helped finance their crop production requirements and purchase of agri-machineries, equipment, and facilities. In line with the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law, the Bank also works with DA on the Expanded Rice Credit Assistance under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund. LANDBANK and the Development Bank of the Philippines will each make P500 million in credit assistance available to small palay farmers. The financing assistance will come with minimal interest rate and minimum collateral requirements. LANDBANK also continues to implement the Sikat Saka Program, which provides direct credit and integrated support services to small palay and corn farmers who are members of Irrigators Associations or endorsed by Farmers Organizations. Sikat Saka covers 45 major rice-producing provinces and 11 corn-producing provinces in the country. Since its launch in 2012, the Program has already benefited 16,174 small farmers, with cumulative loan releases at P8.535 billion as of end-April. Outstanding loans of 9,630 farmers as of the same period amounted to P909.93 million. Farmer-borrowers are likewise trained on credit discipline and financial management to teach them how to save, pay loans on time, and better manage their finances. Also a continuing program is the Socialized Credit Program under the Sugarcane Industry Development Act (SIDA) – a direct lending program funded by the Sugar Regulatory Administration specifically targeted at individual sugarcane farmers, block farms, and common service centers. As of April 2019, the Program has so far benefited 276 borrowers, with cumulative loan releases amounting to P27.738 million. “We continue to place utmost priority on providing responsive and relevant programs, especially to our priority sectors, as we work towards promoting growth that is inclusive and sustainable, especially in the countryside,” Borromeo added. Apart from credit support, LANDBANK also provides technical assistance such as financial literacy and capability-building seminars to make sure borrowers are equipped with basic financial knowledge that will allow them to optimize their loans to improve their income and boost their productivity. LANDBANK remains the biggest credit provider to small farmers and fishers among government financial institutions.
READ MOREIn support of the government’s aggressive drive to increase the productivity and income of farmers and fishers through greater access to financing, the Land Bank of the Philippines is pursuing a more focused and direct approach in lending to provide more Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) and individual small farmers with access to credit. “We are committed to vigorously extend our financial support to better serve small farmers and fishers, including ARBs, who need it most. We are strengthening our partnership with the Department of Agrarian Reform and the Department of Agriculture to make sure that we reach the rightful beneficiaries of credit and technical support,” said LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo. AFFORD-ARBs LANDBANK put in place a P5-billion direct lending program called Accessible Funds For Delivery to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries or AFFORD-ARBs, which will specifically cater to ARBs engaged in rice, corn, and high-value crops production. The loan can also be used to finance the acquisition of small farm implements. DAR, as program partner, will provide a list of eligible ARBs that LANDBANK can focus on, and will handle the mobilization of borrowers for loan orientation and financial literacy seminars prior to loan release. Initial target beneficiaries of the Program are the roughly 58,000 recipients of the Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) distributed from 2016 to 2018. Other eligible CARP beneficiaries based on the list to be provided by DAR shall also be granted credit assistance under the program. True to its name, AFFORD-ARBs comes with affordable interest rate at 6% per annum for short term loans and 7% per annum for long term loans. EMBRACE Another program designed to include as many Filipinos as possible into the fold of formal financial services is the EMBRACE or Empowering Barangays in Remote Areas through Credit and Enterprise Program. This direct lending program gives priority to small farmers who are tilling not more than five hectares of agricultural land and small fishers engaged in small scale fishing, seaweed farming, and aquaculture in unserved municipalities. Also covered in the Program are micro enterprises with asset size of not more than P3 million and small enterprises with asset size of more than P3 million but not more than P15 million. Eligible projects include a wide array of agribusinesses, such as crop production, poultries, backyard piggeries, fishery production, as well as other agri-enterprise and livelihood projects. These programs complement the Bank’s other retail lending programs for farmers and fishers and its menu of credit programs for conduits such as cooperatives, rural banks, non-government organizations, and microfinance institutions which in turn re-lend to small farmers, fishers and microenterprises. Apart from credit support, LANDBANK also provides financial literacy and capability-building seminars to make sure borrowers are equipped with basic financial knowledge that will allow them to manage their finances and boost their income. “While we focus on expanding direct lending to small farmer and fishers, we remain equally committed to maintaining solid relationships with conduits and partners that help us move forward in the pursuit of our mandate. With the ratification of RA11321 or the Sagip Saka Act, we are more than ready to provide responsive financing to farmer- and fisher-enterprises to help improve their income and boost the sector’s productivity,” Borromeo added. LANDBANK remains as one of the biggest credit providers to small farmers, fishers, and MSMEs among government financial institutions.
READ MOREGovernment-owned Land Bank of the Philippines remained aggressive in supporting small farmers, fishers, and its other priority sectors with loans amounting to P721 billion as of end-March 2019. This is higher by 20% than the P600 billion recorded in March 2018 and represents 93% of the Bank’s total loans to all sectors of P778.8 billion. The Bank’s identified priority sectors comprise of small farmers and fishers (SFFs) - a good part of which are agrarian reform beneficiaries - MSMEs, agri- and aqua-projects of local government units (LGU) and government-owned and controlled corporations, communications, transportation, housing, education, health care, environment-related projects, tourism, and utilities. “We at LANDBANK remain steadfast in directing support to our priority sectors, especially farmers and fishers, as we work towards making finance accessible and available to as many Filipinos as possible, especially in the countryside,” said LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo. The Bank’s support for the mandated sector grew by 12%, with outstanding loans to small farmers and fishers and their associations amounting to P45.3 billion as of March 2019. For the first three months of the year, LANDBANK released P13 billion in loans to the sector, benefiting 128,496 small farmers and fishers nationwide. Loans for agriculture and fisheries also rose by 19% to P172 billion from P144.0 billion in March 2018. These include agribusiness loans which grew by 29% to P114 billion from the year-ago level of P88.5 billion. LANDBANK remains as a major provider of financial assistance to MSMEs, with P111.7 billion in outstanding loans to the sector as of end-March. It is also the biggest credit provider to the LGU sector, with outstanding loans reaching P50 billion as of end-March 2019. LANDBANK earlier reported a net income of P4.75 billion for the first quarter of 2019, higher by 12% from P4.26 billion in the same period last year. Borromeo said the Bank’s solid financial position allows it to further channel financial and technical support to farmers, fishers, and its other priority sectors, especially those in unbanked and underserved areas of the country. In line with its commitment to reach more farmers and fishers, LANDBANK continues to expand its retail lending programs and strengthen partnerships with government agencies like the Department of Agrarian Reform and Department of Agriculture.
READ MORELANDBANK’s environmental due diligence (EDD) on its financed projects is the Philippines’ official entry to the 3rd International Best Practices Competition (public sector category) of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce in November 2014 .
READ MORELANDBANK President and CEO Gilda E. Pico joins the roster of the country’s finest business leaders with her recent conferment of the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards (APEA), Asia’s most coveted award for entrepreneurs.
READ MOREGovernment-owned Land Bank of the Philippines recorded solid growth in the first quarter of the year, with higher net income of P4.75 billion and double digit growth in loans, assets and deposits. The Bank’s net income for the three-month period is up by 12% from P4.26 billion in the same period last year. This is also 14% higher than the Bank’s first-quarter income target of P4.16 billion. Return on equity for the quarter was at 13.04%, while net interest margin stood at 3.42%, both above the latest industry averages. LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo attributed the strong first-quarter performance to substantial increase in income from loans and investments. Interest income on loans jumped 69% as the Bank’s gross loan portfolio grew to P867.32 billion from P708.10 billion in March 2018. Meanwhile, income from investments in financial assets grew by 43% to P6.36 billion from P4.44 billion. The Bank’s total assets likewise increased by 16% to P1.89 trillion from P1.63 trillion, while deposits grew by 17% to P1.68 trillion from P1.44 trillion in March last year. Total capital stood at P136.47 billion, a 26% increase from last year’s P108.37 billion. Borromeo said that this puts LANDBANK in a good position to further drive support for its priority sectors, especially to farmers and fishers, microenterprises and SMEs, agribusiness and other development players. “We work hard to maintain the Bank’s sound financial position as the profits from our commercial banking operations allow us to move toward our bigger mission of promoting inclusive growth, especially in areas where financial services are not easily available or accessible,” said Borromeo, who added that the Bank is continuously investing on technology to pursue its inclusive growth thrust and to provide greater convenience to clients. LANDBANK recently opened its 400th branch in Jagna, Bohol – marking its continuing expansion efforts to bring access to financial services and credit assistance, especially to the unbanked and underserved areas in the country. The Bank’s 400 branches are supplemented by 49 Branch-Lites, 44 Lending Centers and 2,018 ATMs all over the country. It targets to bring its total number of branches to 410 by the end of the year.
READ MORELANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo (second from left) receives the award from Nahlaa Al-Hammadi, Director General of the Oman Ministry of Commerce and Industry. With them are ADFIAP Chairman Mr. Phub Dorji (second from right) and Oman Development Bank CEO Dr. Abdulaziz Mohammed Al-Hinai. LANDBANK’s Volunteerific Program was recognized as an Outstanding Development Project under the Corporate Social Responsibility category of the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP) Awards 2019. It is among the 29 development programs recognized by the ADFIAP in recent ceremonies held in Oman. Public service is second nature to Landbankers – as employees of a government institution with a unique social development mandate. The organization’s strong spirit of volunteerism is a concrete manifestation of its brand of service culture. The Volunteerific Program was institutionalized as a vital component of the Bank’s core value of social responsibility. It allows employees to not only participate in the Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs but also initiate their own volunteerism activities and consequently inspire others to be more socially aware and responsible. In 2018, the Volunteerific Program engaged a total of 86.23% or 8,158 out of the 9,482 Landbankers nationwide to participate in and initiate their own volunteer activities – with the most number of total volunteer hours clocked in at around 46 hours. More than 500 activities were conducted by Landbankers all over the country last year, including watershed adoption; solid waste management and water quality improvement initiatives for coastal areas and other water tributaries; repair and repainting of schools; and skills and knowledge sharing to indigent communities. By voluntarily donating a portion of their salaries every year, Landbankers also help fund the Bank’s Gawad Patnubay Scholarship Program (GPSP) which supports the education of more than 100 scholars taking-up agriculture and agriculture-related courses in college. LANDBANK volunteers also dedicate their free time as trainers under the Education-to-Employment (E2E) Internship component of GPSP. The E2E gives graduates opportunities to develop professional strengths through seminars and hands-on field training—all geared toward helping them ease into agriculture-related professions. Landbankers also champion environmental sustainability with initiatives such as the LANDBANK Ecobrick program which fosters the practice of ecobricking among the Bank’s employees. In 2018, the program produced 3,500 ecobricks from 900,000 grams of plastic waste, making LANDBANK the top ecobricking community in the world. To date, the Volunteerific activities of Landbankers continue to multiply and are creating extensive impact on communities near and far. More than just providing dole-outs the Program has provided the Bank’s employees with avenue to share their time and extend wholehearted service to communities in need. Recognitions Since 2016, the Program has won for the Bank several awards and commendations. In LANDBANK was recognized by the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA) under the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) as the only government agency with an established volunteerism program for employees, and was conferred the National Outstanding Volunteer Award for the Corporate-Institution category last December 2018. The program also bagged an Award of Excellence in Communication Management: Community Relations category of the 2018 Philippine Quill Awards.
READ MORETupi Mayor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. and spouse Mrs. Rochelle Tamayo (fourth and fifth from left) pose with LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo (third from left), Executive Vice President for Branch Banking Liduvino Geron (left-most), and First Vice President for East Mindanao Branches Group Camilo Leyba (fifth from right). With them are Tupi Branch Head Mary Beth Kalabud (second from left), Vice Mayor Noel Escobillo (third from right) and other Tupi LGU officials. Tupi, South Cotabato Mayor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. and LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo led the inauguration of the Bank’s new branch in Tupi located at the Municipal Hall Compound in Barangay Poblacion. This was Mrs. Borromeo’s first branch inauguration since she re-joined LANDBANK as its President and CEO last March 1. “The opening of this new branch forms part of our aggressive thrust to expand our network as we seek to bring banking services closer to our clients,” said Borromeo. LANDBANK Tupi Branch is the first commercial bank in the municipality, and is the Bank’s 10th in the province. This brings its nationwide branch network to 398, which is targeted to reach 410 by the end of the year – with 12 more new branches in the pipeline. Digitization thrust In line with LANBANK’s commitment to provide accessible and responsive customer service, Borromeo said among the Bank’s priority thrusts this year is to improve branch operations through digitization. Part of the Bank’s efforts towards digitization is the implementation of the Digital Onboarding System (DOBS), a web application it launched in 2018 that enables clients to accomplish account enrolment forms online, thereby shortening account opening time. Within four months of implementation, DOBS is now utilized in 104 of the Bank’s branches across the country which reported significant reduction in account opening time from 30 minutes to 10-15 minutes. The Bank targets full implementation of DOBS Phase 1 to all its branches by third quarter of the year. DOBS Phase 2 will link the system to the Bank’s website which will allow individual (including Overseas Filipinos) and institutional clients to fill out account opening forms and upload IDs and documents online, prior to proceeding to the branch to complete the account opening process. The implementation of DOBS makes LANDBANK the first universal bank in the country that offers this service to both individual and institutional clients, including government agencies. Borromeo further urged the local government of Tupi and other clients of the branch to avail of the LANDBANK Link.Biz Portal, especially this tax payment season. Link.Biz Portal is an electronic payment facility that allows payment for taxes, application fees, and other dues and charges in government and non-government institutions. “These are just some of our initiatives but we will continue to make the best use of technology to streamline our processes, improve operational efficiency, and provide our clients with faster, safer and more convenient service,” Borromeo added.
READ MORELANDBANK Executive Vice Presidents Alan V. Bornas (third from left) and Julio D. Climaco, Jr (rightmost) receive the Asia’s Most Inclusive Bank award during the 2019 IDC FIIA awarding ceremony at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Center, Singapore. LANDBANK was named “Asia’s Most Inclusive Bank” at the 2019 Financial Insights Innovation Awards (FIIA) held recently at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Center, Singapore. The award was conferred by International Data Corporation to recognize the best-in-class technology initiatives of financial institutions in Asia and the Pacific. The Bank was recognized for its Digital Onboarding System (DOBS), a web application it launched in 2018 to reduce account opening time and simplify the account enrolment process for clients. Within four months of implementation, the System is now utilized in 64 of the Bank’s branches across the country which reported significant reduction in account opening time from 30 minutes to 10-15 minutes. The implementation of DOBS makes LANDBANK the first universal bank in the country that offers full digital account opening to both individual and institutional clients, including government agencies. The System is also designed to ensure the Bank’s compliance to regulatory requirements in terms of data quality as it allows immediate capturing and validation of complete account-opening data and enables easy storage and retrieval of digital records. Bringing innovative banking to the countryside “This Project is a significant step towards streamlining our processes and making our branches more IT-centric. DOBS will likewise play a central role in bringing our services to more unbanked and unserved areas, as we pursue our vision of promoting inclusive growth in the countryside,” said LANDBANK Executive Vice President Alan Bornas, who received the award in a ceremony held as part of the Asian Financial Services Congress in Singapore. Being the only Bank present in all of the country’s provinces, LANDBANK, through DOBS, can further make financial services accessible and available to more Filipinos in far-flung areas. The Bank aims a full implementation of DOBS Phase 1 to all its branches by third quarter. Phase 2, on the other hand, is set to be implemented by July 2019, which will banner additional features such as: 1) Client on-boarding without going to a branch; 2) Accessibility feature for OFWs, and; 3) Updating of customer information, among others. Out of 110 entries, LANDBANK is one of the 13 awardees and the only Philippine bank recognized in this year’s FIIA.
READ MORELANDBANK Executive Vice President Julio D. Climaco, Jr. receives the LEED v4 Gold Certificate for the LANDBANK Plaza from Ecosolutions President and CEO Engr. Felipe Agustin (second from right). They are joined by (from right) LANDBANK Vice President for Facilities and Procurement Services Dina Melanie Madrid, Accredited Professional of LEED for BO+M Arch. Kristina Samantha Pobre, Ecosolutions LEED Green Associate Arch. John Paul Efe, LANDBANK Facilities Management Department Head Ramil Remillano and Architect Christine Joy Laroza. The LANDBANK Plaza in Malate, Manila was recently conferred with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) v4 Gold Certification. This makes the Bank the first in the country to receive the latest version of the certification under the “Building Operations and Maintenance (BO+M): Existing Buildings” classification. LANDBANK is also the first government-owned and-controlled corporation with a facility awarded an LEED certification for Existing Buildings, while its head office remains one of the country’s top seven pioneering projects that have been successfully certified. Designed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED is the most widely used green building rating system to assess environmental compliance in terms of sustainability, energy conservation, water reduction, air quality and materials, and resources. “LANDBANK has remained consistent in incorporating environmental management practices in all aspects of our operations, services, and decisions. This LEED v4 Gold Certification is thus a welcome recognition of our continuing commitment to implement green practices and to lower our environmental impact,” said LANDBANK Executive Vice President Julio D. Climaco, Jr. Improvements implemented by the Bank include: (1) reuse of treated water from Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) for cleaning/ washing of pavements and exterior areas of the building; (2) replacement of existing water meters and sub metering to improve water consumption monitoring and quick resolution of leakage or misuse; (3) installation of energy-efficient lighting fixtures in all work areas; (4) replacement of defective air condensing units to more energy-efficient equipment; and (5) provision of alternative transportation for employees through e-jeepney service vehicles. Since the implementation of these and other innovations, the LANDBANK Plaza saw substantial decrease in water and electricity consumption, while cost savings increased. The Bank also implements building exterior and hardscape management, environmentally preferred purchasing policy, integrated pest control management, solid waste management, and green cleaning programs, among other policies and practices. Since 2004, LANDBANK has maintained an Environmental Management System (EMS) at par with global standards, with its head office and 39 of its branches now ISO 14001:2004-certified while EMS good practices are consistently implemented across all of its branches and field units.
READ MOREAs of Mon, July 21, 2025
| Buying | Selling | |
|---|---|---|
| USD | 56.85 | 57.35 |
| JPY | 0.378271 | 0.392848 |
| EUR | 65.226917 | 67.745089 |
| GBP | 75.281659 | 78.188008 |
| HKD | 0.12683 | 7.753663 |
As of Fri, July 18, 2025
| UITF | NAVPU |
|---|---|
| Cash Management Fund | 1.572145 |
| Money Market Fund | 1.322302 |
| Money Market Plus Fund | 1.23456 |
| PERA Money Market Fund | 1.030357 |
| Medium-Term Bond Fund | 2.490214 |
| Bond Fund | 2.043289 |
| PERA Bond Fund | 1.212849 |
| Balanced Fund | 2.690607 |
| Growth Fund | 2.63721 |
| Alpha Equity Fund | 3.124754 |
| Blue Chip Equity Fund | 0.971014 |
| Equity Fund | 0.820955 |
| High Dividend Equity Fund | 1.034544 |
| US$ Money Market Fund | 1.441811 |
| Global $ Fund | 1.54739 |
