Banking & Insurance

The government’s privatization program has received a significant boost with the issuance of new guidelines by the Privatization Council (PrC), expediting the disposition of non-performing public assets. Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto said the guidelines will not only generate additional non-tax revenue but also offer investment opportunities for ordinary Filipinos.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private investment arm of the World Bank Group, has appointed Amena Arif as its new country manager for the Philippines. In this role, Arif will focus on mobilizing private sector investments to promote job creation, mitigate the impacts of climate change, and enhance financial inclusion across the country.

The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), led by the Ayala Group, has unveiled its new digital payroll solution, ePayroll, designed to streamline payroll management for businesses while enhancing employee onboarding. The system, integrated into BPI’s corporate banking platform, BPI BizLink, is set to simplify payroll processing, allowing businesses to onboard employees and disburse salaries with ease and efficiency.

Strong demand for Treasury bills (T-bills) at Monday’s auction led to a drop in average rates for shorter-dated securities while keeping the yield on one-year paper stable. The Bureau of the Treasury received tenders worth ₱90.6 billion for the ₱22 billion in bills offered, a sign of robust investor appetite.

The country's gross international reserves (GIR), an indicator of capacity to pay for trade and maturing debt, saw a significant rise in February, reaching USD106.7 billion, up from USD103.3 billion in January, according to the latest data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).