Bank of Commerce (BankCom) is widening its physical and digital footprint as it seeks to turn its role as San Miguel Corp.’s (SMC) operational bank into a broader growth engine.
At the PSE Star Investor Day on Tuesday, BankCom Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Antonio S. Laquindanum said the bank is adding branches and branch light units (BLUs) in areas where SMC has significant business activity, including Lipa, Rizal, San Pablo in Laguna, and Catbalogan.
The strategy goes beyond serving SMC and its affiliates. BankCom aims to capture business from the conglomerate’s suppliers, dealers, distributors, contractors, employees, and other partners.
“What we’re planning to do now is leverage the San Miguel ecosystem to start broadening the reach of our branches,” Laquindanum said.
The bank is favoring BLUs in selected areas as a lower-cost way to expand its network, with full-service branches serving as hubs. The smaller units can also be upgraded as business volumes grow, said Robby Carlo J. Gaerlan, vice president and head of corporate planning.
BankCom is pairing the branch rollout with investments in digital onboarding, loan origination, and internal processes following its core banking upgrade last year.
Laquindanum said the technology push is aimed at making the bank more scalable while improving customer experience and operational resilience.
As of June, BankCom had onboarded more than 3,500 ecosystem accounts, putting it nearly 60 percent of the way toward its expanded target of 6,000 clients.
The bank is pursuing growth even as lending conditions remain softer amid market uncertainties, but management is keeping a close eye on profitability.
“We still aim to try to achieve some growth over our loan balance at the end of last year,” Laquindanum said, adding that protecting margins and return on equity remains a key priority.
