BDO still the biggest bank; Metrobank 2nd

BDO Unibank Inc., controlled by retail tycoon Henry Sy, remains the country’s biggest universal and commercial bank in terms of assets, capital, loans and deposits as of end-2015.

Data from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas showed BDO had total assets of P1.943 trillion as of Dec. 31 last year. It was followed by Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. at P1.461 trillion, and the Ayala-led Bank of the Philippine Islands with P1.241 trillion.

Other banks in the top 10 are Land Bank of the Philippines, P1.197 trillion; Philippine National Bank, P628.970 billion; Security Bank Corp., P532.984 billion; Development Bank of the Philippines, P508.463 billion; China Banking Corp., P454.852 billion; Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., P432 billion; and Union Bank of the Philippines, P375.940 billion.

BDO also led in terms of capital with P198.636 billion, followed by Metrobank with P186.856 billion; BPI, P145.768 billion; PNB, P94.336 billion; LandBank, P79.988 billion; RCBC, P58.096 billion; Union Bank, P54.677 billion; Chinabank, P54.136 billion; Security Bank, P53.161 billion; and DBP, P37.661 billion.

BDO had total deposits of P1.601 trillion last year, followed by Metrobank at the second spot with P1.106 trillion, and Landbank with P1.046 trillion.

Completing the top 10 in terms of deposits were BPI at fourth with P1.033 trillion; PNB, P470.76 billion; Chinabank, P373.478 billion; DBP, P324.007 billion; Security Bank, P290.994 billion; Unionbank, P268.671 billion, and RCBC, P264.069 billion.

BDO’s total loans last year stood at P1.310 trillion, followed by Metrobank at second place with P697.840 billion and BPI at third with P666.099 billion. Others in the top 10 are Landbank, P525.921 billion; PNB, P332.531 billion; Chinabank, P257.849 billion; Security Bank, P233.135 billion; RCBC, P226.512 billion; DBP, P197.452 billion; and Citibank, N.A., P153.809 billion.

BDO in 2015 posted a record P25-billion net income, a 10-percent increase year-on-year, matching the earnings guidance for the year.

It attributed the growth to the solid expansion across all business segments and the contribution of One Network Bank, the biggest rural bank in Mindanao, which it acquired in July last year.

BDO has one of the largest distribution networks, with more than 1,000 operating branches and over 3,000 ATM nationwide. It has a branch in Hong Kong as well as 27 overseas remittance and representative offices in Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East.

There are 40 universal and commercial banks in the Philippine banking system.

Industrial Bank of Korea, Shinhan Bank of Korea, the Japan-based Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., and the Taiwan-based Cathay United

Bank—whose applications were approved last year by the Monetary Board after the further liberalization of the industry in 2014—are also operating as universal and commercial banks.