BanksPhilippines.com

Here are the 18 Top Banks in the Philippines based on Total Assets as of June 2017:

Top Commercial/Universal Banks in the Philippines

The Big Four remains BDO, Metrobank, Landbank and BPI.
Security Bank has overtaken PNB in the race to No. 5.

RANK	BANK	TOTAL ASSETS	RANK
JUNE		in BILLION	MARCH
2017		PESOS	2016

	TOP 18

1	BDO	2,325.123	1
2	METROBANK	1,620.656	2
3	LANDBANK	1,483.531	3
4	BPI	1,432.268	4
5	SECURITY BANK	774.388	6
6	PNB	773.646	5
7	CHINABANK	572.344	8
8	DBP	533.370	7
9	UNION BANK	486.938	10
10	RCBC	427.450	9
11	CITIBANK	314.629	11
12	UCBP	310.732	12
13	EASTWEST	292.963	13
14	AUB	185.936	15
15	HSBC	171.708	14
16	PHILTRUST	155.515	16
17	BCOMMERCE	131.309	17
18	MAYBANK	101.732	19

No. 19 to
No. 34

19	PBCOM	89.153	20
20	ROBINSONS BANK	85.289	21
21	BDO PRIVATE	72.067	26
22	BANK of TOKYO	67.540	18
23	MIZUHO	67.509	25
24	DEUTSCHE BANK	51.670	24
25	VETERANS	49.460	23
26	STANDARD CHARTERED	49.116	22
27	ANZ	46.764	28
28	JP MORGAN CHASE	42.444	27
29	CTBC PHILS	38.870	29
30	SUMITOMO MITSUI	25.419	31
31	ING BANK	19.897	30
32	BANK OF AMERICA	19.427	32
33	BANK OF CHINA	14.880	34
34	MEGA ICB	14.112	33

No. 35 to
No. 42

35	BANGKOK BANK	8.372	35
36	KEB HANA BANK	8.173	36
37	CATHAY UNITED	4.485	40
38	INDUSTRIAL BANK of KOREA	3.718	39
39	UNITED OVERSEAS	3.633	37
40	SHINHAN BANK	2.884	38
41	FIRST COMMERCIAL	2.049	41
42	AL-AMANAH	0.698	41

Notes:
. KEB Hana Bank was formerly Korea Exchange Bank (KEB). KEB changed its name to KEB Hana Bank in July 2016 to reflect its acquisition by Hana Financial Group in 2012.
. Taiwanese bank First Commercial Bank Ltd. opened its Manila Branch in January 2017

Nine foreign banks have established operations in the Philippines since the passage of RA 10641 in July 2014. The law allowed the entry of foreign banks that could account for up to 40% of the banking industry's assets.
1. Sumitomo Mitsui of Japan
2. Shinhan Bank of South Korea
3. Cathay United Bank of Taiwan
4. Industrial Bank of Korea
5. Yuanta Bank of Taiwan
6. United Overseas Bank Ltd. of Singapore
7. Woori Bank of Korea
8. Hua Nan Commercial Bank Ltd. of Taiwan
9. First Commercial Bank Ltd.

There are now four Korean banks in the Philippines:
1. KEB Hana Bank
2. Woori Bank
3. Shinhan Bank
4. Industrial Bank of Korea

Previous Ranking: Top Banks, by Assets as of December 2015
US Dollar Accounts with Low Maintaining Balances

Which were the biggest Philippine banks that failed?

Based on total assets just before they were closed down, the biggest Philippine bank that failed was Export and Industry Bank.

1. Biggest -->> Export and Industry Bank, a commercial bank

Export and Industry Bank Inc., also known as Exportbank, had 28.75 billion pesos in total assets as of June 2011, almost a year before it was closed on April 26, 2012 by the BSP. The June 2011 statement was its last published financial statement on the BSP website. It had 50,052 depositors and 50 branches.

Of the 38 Philippines commercial/universal banks listed and ranked by the BSP as of March 2011 on its website, Export and Industry Bank was No. 29 in total assets, with 30.028 billion in total assets as of March 2011.

The day before it was closed down by the BSP, Exportbank wrote a letter to the BSP, saying that it was surrendering its banking license and that it was declaring a bank holiday effective April 27, 2012.

Exportbank acquired the failed Urban Bank in 2001. Urban Bank was placed by the BSP under receivership on April 26, 2000. Their merger became effective on February 1, 2002.

2. 2nd Biggest -->> Urban Bank, a commercial bank

The next biggest Philippine bank that failed was Urban Bank Inc., closed down by the BSP on April 26, 2000, the day after Urban Bank unilaterally declared a bank holiday on April 25, 2000. It had 15 billion in total assets before its collapse. After it was closed down, it was acquired by Export and Industry Bank in 2001, with the merger becoming effective on February 1, 2002.

3. 3rd Biggest -->> Banco Filipino Savings Mortgage Bank, a thrift bank

When Banco Filipino Mortgage Bank was closed down on January 25, 1985, it had 4.95 billion in total assets, based on the Tiaoqui report dated January 23, 1985.

Banco Filipino filed several cases against the BSP, challenging its actions regarding the operations of Banco Filipino.

Banco Filipino was allowed to operate again in June 1992. On March 17, 2011, it was again placed under receivership, as it “was no longer able to settle its obligations.” It had 11.77 billion in total assets and 23.03 billion in liabilities.

4. 4th Biggest -->> Orient Commercial Banking Corp., a commercial bank

Orient Commercial Banking Corp. was closed down on October 14, 1998.
In December 1997, Orient Bank had total assets of 7.8 billion and 52 branches, according to the study "Philippine Corporate Governance: Issues and Reforms," by Erlinda S. Echanis.

Orient Commercial Banking Corp. was formerly Bangko Silangan Development Bank.

5. 5th Biggest -->>Pacific Banking Corp., a commercial bank

Pacific Banking Corp. was put into receivership on July 5, 1985 and was liquidated on November 22 1985, based on the PDIC list of bank failures. It was noted as a major commercial bank in a New York Times report published July 8, 1985.

References:

Banco Filipino Savings and Mortgage Bank v. The Monetary Board, Central Bank of the Philippines. G.R. No. 70054. (1991, December 11). Retrieved from the Arellano Law Foundation's The LawPhil Project: http://www.lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1991/dec1991/gr_70054_1991.html

CA Clears BSP Governor, Other BSP Offices Re Urban Bank Case. (2004, June 8). Retrieved from http://www.bsp.gov.ph/publications/media.asp?id=328

Closure of Export and Industry Bank. (2012, April 27). Retrieved from
http://www.bsp.gov.ph/publications/media.asp?id=2861

The Closure of Urban Bank. (2003, August 28). Retrieved from http://www.bsp.gov.ph/publications/media.asp?id=600
UBI was placed under receivership the day after it declared a bank holiday.

Keeping Faith in the Face of Adversity. (2003, August 28). Retrieved from http://www.bsp.gov.ph/publications/speeches.asp?id=84&yr=2003

Philippine Bank Closure. (1985, July 8). The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.bsp.gov.ph/publications/media.asp?id=2861

Based on my two most recent Metrobank credit card balance transfers, it takes 10 to 16 days. This is from the time I accepted a Metrobank's balance transfer offer over the phone to the time the amount was posted as payment in my BPI account.

My 25,000 balance transfer was posted in my BPI account on the 16th day while my 50,000 balance transfer was posted in my BPI account on the 10th day.

Are you planning to take advantage of Metrobank's credit card balance transfer offer?

You can cut your monthly interest rate from 3.5% to only 0.68% for the amount that you are able to transfer from your non-Metrobank credit card to your Metrobank credit card.

If you have a Metrobank credit card and you have a big balance in your other bank's credit card that you cannot yet pay in full, consider taking advantage of Metrobank's balance transfer. Its add-on interest rate 0.68% is among the lowest among banks.

There were even two times over the past few years that I was able to enjoy Metrobank's balance transfer offer of 0.48%.

Currently, their 0.68% interest-rate offer is for terms of 12, 18 and 24 months

For the shorter terms of 6 months and 9 months, the interest rate is 0.99%.

Check your monthly amortization on this Metrobank's balance transfer calculator.

Are all Metrobank credit cards eligible for balance transfer?
Almost all Metrobank credit cards are eligible.
The cards not eligible are: ON Mastercard and Dollar Mastercard

Obviously, all Metrobank prepaid and debit cards are not eligible because these are not credit cards.

How will you apply for balance transfer?
Call the Metrobank 24-hour customer service hotline at 8-700-700
Or text MCC_BT_Your full name and last 4 digits of your credit card number to 2929-0622

You can also visit the Metrobank website.

Is there a minimum balance transfer amount?
Yes. The minimum amount is 6,000 pesos.

Can you pre-terminate the balance transfer?
Yes. The pre-termination fee is 500 pesos or 5% of the principal balance, whichever is higher.

Are there other requirements?
Your Metrobank credit card should have enough credit limit.
You should be a credit cardholder in good standing, meaning you are not delinquent.

Here are your monthly payments if you will make a balance transfer of 20,000 pesos:

Term	Interest	Monthly
	Rate	Amortization

6 months	0.99%	3,531.51
9 months	0.99%	2,420.11
12 months	0.68%	1,802.63
18 months	0.68%	1,247.04
24 months	0.68%	969.36

Send money to the Philippines from Jordan through these BDO remittance partners in Jordan:

Al Alami Exchange Co.
Wasfi A Tal St., Haddad Building,
No. 51, Tia' Al-Ali Area,
PO Box 922218
Amman, Jordan

Alawneh Exchange LLC
15 Abdul Hamid Shoman St.
Shmeidani,
PO Box 942041
Amman, 11194 Jordan

Freih Exchange Co.
First Trading Area
PO Box 585 77110
Aqaba, Jordan

Future Exchange
Building No. 66 Wasfy Ta’al Ali St.
Al Barakeh Quarter
PO Box 17995
Amman, 11195 Jordan

Jordan Valley Exchange
26 Abdul Raheem Alhaj Mohammad St. Wadi Seer Area
Al Swefieh District
PO Box 830211
Amman 11183 Jordan

Mubadalah Exchange
North Abdoun Main Circle
22 Prince Hasim Bin Al Hussain St.
PO Box 830400
Amman,11183 Jordan

Musharbash Exchange Co.
Building No. 133 Al Garden St.
PO Box 926360
Amman 11190 Jordan

Shift Financial Services Ltd.
17 Abodun Circle - 1st Flr.
PO Box 184219
Amman, Jordan

You can also send money through these global remittance companies if they have offices in your place in Jordan:

BDO International Remittance Partners:

MONEYGRAM
RIA Money Transfer
TRANSFAST Worldwide Money Transfer
XPRESS MONEY
SIGUE Money Transfer
ARY Speed Remit
EZ Remit
AFX Fast Remit
TURBO CASH
ERSAL
UNITELLER
UAE Exchange Centre
WESTERN UNION

Online Remittances:
XOOM (if you have a US bank account or US-issued credit card or debit card)
WELLS FARGO ExpressSend (if you have an account with Wells Fargo)

Here are the 34 Billionaire Rural Banks!

34 TOP RURAL BANKS in the Philippines

Based on TOTAL ASSETS, as of September 2017, published by the BSP on its website bsp.gov.ph.

RANK	RURAL BANK	TOTAL ASSETS	RANK
SEP		BILLION PESOS	SEP
2017			2016

1	One Network Bank	28.15	1
2	East West Rural Bank	22.61	2
3	Card Bank	11.22	3
4	Guagua Rural Bank	4.50	4
5	First Isabela Coop Bank	3.90	5
6	GM Bank of Luzon	3.45	6
7	Quezon Capital RB	3.42	8
8	Metro South Coop Bank	3.02	10
9	BOF Inc. A Rural Bank	2.91	11
10	AMA Rural Bank of Mandaluyong	2.72	9
11	Rang-ay Bank	2.54	15
12	Katipunan Bank	2.48	13
13	Cantilan Bank	2.41	12
14	Rizal Bank	2.17	19
15	Banco Dipolog	2.14	14
16	Country Builders Bank	2.06	16
17	Summit Bank	1.88	17
18	RB of Angeles	1.76	30
19	Bangko Mabuhay	1.64	21
20	Marayo Bank	1.56	25
21	Coop Bank of Cotabato	1.53	22
22	Insular Savers Bank	1.50	18
23	RB of Cauayan	1.34	24
24	New RB of San Leonardo (NE)	1.23	41
25	RB of Pandi (Bulacan)	1.23	29
26	People's RB (Gen Santos)	1.20	--
27	MVSM Bank	1.19	31
28	Camalig Bank	1.14	27
29	Consolidated Cooperative Bank	1.14	28
30	RB of Barili (Cebu)	1.12	34
31	Imus Rural Bank	1.09	36
32	Bankways	1.08	32
33	Aspac Rural Bank	1.05	35
34	PlanBank (Canlubang)	1.02	37

4 TOP RURAL BANKS based on all criteria: Assets, Deposits, Capital and Loans
as of September 2017

1	One Network Bank
2	East West Rural Bank
3	Card Bank
4	Guagua Rural Bank

5 RURAL BANKSFive rural banks that were in the TOP 33 list in September 2016 are no longer in the TOP 33 list in September 2017.
Valiant Bank moved down from Rank 33 to Rank 40.
These 4 other banks below are missing from the entire BSP ranking as of September 2017. I can only guess that they were delayed in submitting their financial reports to the BSP.
Sep 2016 Rank 7 Agribusiness RB
Sep 2016 Rank 20 RB of Porac (Pampanga)
Sep 2016 Rank 23 Mt Carmel RB
Sep 2016 Rank 26 Peoples Bank of Caraga

BIGGEST JUMPS!
People's Rural Bank (General Santos City) moved up from outside the Top 100 in September 2016 to Rank 26 in September 2017
New RB of San Leonardo (NE) moved up from Rank 41 to 24
RB of Angeles moved up from Rank 30 to 18
Rizal RB moved up from Rank 19 to 14
Marayo Bank moved up from Rank 25 to 20
Imus Rural Bank moved up from 36 to 31
Rang-ay RB moved up from Rank 15 to 11
RB of Pandi (Bulacan) moved up from 29 to 25
MVSM Bank moved up from Rank 31 to 27
RB of Barili (Cebu) moved up from 34 to 30

Here's a ranking of the 30 life insurance companies in the Philippines, based on assets as of the year 2016, based on annual statements submitted to the Insurance Commission:

Rank	Insurance Company	Total Assets	Total Assets	Rank
2016		Billion	Billion	2015
		Pesos	Pesos
		2016	2015

1	Philam Life	200.789	187.904	1
	(Life unit)
2	Sun Life Phils	195.874	180.731	2
3	Insular Life	132.071	106.893	3
4	Philippine AXA Life	87.823	79.146	5
5	Pru Life Insurance UK	86.274	80.702	4
6	BPI Philam Life	85.513	73.240	7
7	Manulife Phils	84.428	74.387	6
8	SunLife Grepa Financial	41.740	39.788	8
9	BDO Life Assurance	28.107	21.798	11
	formerly Generali Pilipinas Life
10	Manulife Chinabank Life	26.381	21.345	12
11	United Coconut Planters	23.964	22.759	10
12	Allianz PNB Life	23.612	22.906	9
13	Pioneer Life	10.572	9.301	13
14	Beneficial Life	5.674	5.291	14
15	First Life Financial	5.539	4.822	15
16	FWD Life	5.331	2.971	17
17	Fortune Life	3.993	3.684	16
18	Paramount Life	2.695	2.545	18
	(Life unit)
19	AsianLife & General	2.082	1.939	19
	(Life unit)
20	Philippine Life Financial	2.050	1.803	20
21	CLIMBS Life	2.045	1.608	21
	(Life unit)
22	Generali Life Assurance	1.423
23	East West Ageas Life	1.355
24	Philam Equitable Life	1.254	1.190	22
25	United Life	1.178	1.164	23
26	Caritas Life	1.083	1.092	24
27	Country Bankers Life	1.074	0.898	27
28	Cooperative Insurance System	1.040	0.559	28
29	Phil. International Insurance	0.981	1.020	25
30	Manila Bankers Life	0.449	0.316	29

Changes from the 2015 Ranking:

1. BDO Life Assurance Co. Inc. is the new name of Generali Pilipinas Life Assurance Co. Inc.
In 2016, BDO Unibank acquired Generali Pilipinas Holdings Company Inc. (GPHC), the parent company of life insurer Generali Pilipinas Life Assurance Company (GPLAC) and non-life insurer
Generali Pilipinas Insurance Company (GPIC).

2. Generali Life Assurance Philippines Inc. was relaunched in 2016 as a life insurance company after it was acquired by Generali Group of Italy. It was formerly a non-life insurer.

3. Allianz PNB Life Insurance, Inc. is the new name of PNB Life Insurance Inc., the life insurance subsidiary of Philippine National Bank (PNB), after 51% of PNB Life Insurance was acquired by Allianz in 2016.

4. EastWest Ageas Life Insurance Corp. (EastWest Ageas Life) is a new life insurance company licensed by the Insurance Commission in 2016. It's a joint venture of EastWest Bank and Belgian-based international insurance group Ageas Insurance International NV (Ageas).

5. Phil. International Insurance refers to Philippines International Life Insurance Company Inc.

6. Philippine Prudential Life Insurance Co. (PPLIC) was placed under receivership by the Insurance Commission on September 27, 2017. PPLIC was No. 26 in total assets in the 2015 life insurance company ranking. It had nearly 948.6 million pesos in assets in 2015.

7. CAP Life Insurance had the lowest total assets in the Insurance Commission's ranking of insurance companies in 2015. It had only 316.2 million pesos in assets. Now it's no longer in the list.

Here are the 31 Licensed Life Insurance Companies in the Philippines, licensed by the Insurance Commission to sell life insurance policies for the licensing years 2016 to 2018, as of June 29, 2017, as published by the Insurance Commission.

There are 2 changes from the previous list published by the IC in 2015:
. CAP Life Insurance Corp. is no longer on this list
. National Life lnsurance Company of the Philippines returned to the list

This List is alphabetically arranged.

1. Allianz PNB Life Insurance, Inc.
(formerly PNB Life Insurance, Inc.)
2. AsianLife and General Assurance Corp. *
3. BDO Life Assurance Co. Inc.
(formerly Generali Pilipinas Life Assurance Co.)
4. Beneficial Life Insurance Co., Inc.
5. BPI-Philam Life Assurance Corp.
6. CLIMBS Life & General Insurance Cooperative *
7. Caritas Life Insurance Corp.
8. Cooperative Insurance System of the Philippines
9. Country Bankers Life Insurance Corp.
10. East West Ageas Life Insurance Co.
11. First Life Financial Company, Inc.
(formerly First Guarantee Life Assurance Co.)
12. Fortune Life Insurance Company, Inc.
13. FWD Life Insurance Corp.
14. Generali Life Assurance Philippines, Inc.
15. Insular Life Assurance Co., Ltd., The
16. Manila Bankers Life Insurance Corp.
17. Manufacturers Life Insurance Co. (Phils.), Inc.
18. Manulife Chinabank Life Assurance Corp.
(formerly The Pramerica Life Insurance Co., Inc.)
19. National Life lnsurance Company of the Philippines
20. Paramount Life & General Insurance Corp. *
21. Philam Equitable Life Assurance Co., Inc.
22. Philippine American Life and General Insurance Co. (PhilamLife) *
23. Philippine AXA Life Insurance Corp.
24. Philippine Life Financial Assurance Corp.
(formerly Asian Life Financial Assurance Corp.)
25. Philippines International Life Insurance Co., Inc.
26. Pioneer Life Inc.
27. Pru Life Insurance Corp. of U.K.
28. Sun Life Grepa Financial Inc.
29. Sun Life of Canada (Philippines), Inc.
30. United Coconut Planters Life Assurance Corp.
31. United Life Assurance Corp.

* These 4 licensed insurance companies are licensed to sell both life and non-life insurance policies:
1. AsianLife and General Assurance Corp.
2. CLIMBS Life & General Insurance Cooperative
3. Paramount Life & General Insurance Corp.
4. Philippine American Life and General Insurance Co. (PhilamLife)

Here's a list of banks closed by the BSP in 2007:

15 rural banks closed
2 savings bank closed (Sandigan Savings Bank and Area Development Bank)
---
17 banks closed

17. Rural Bank of Malilipot (Albay)
- Head office at Belen St., Malilipot, Albay
- Closed by the BSP on December 6, 2007
- Taken over by the PDIC on December 7, 2007

16. Orani Rural Bank (Bataan)
- Head office at 2112 Centro Uno, Orani, Bataan
- Had 1 branch: Public Market, Orani, Bataan
- Closed by the BSP on December 6, 2007
- Taken over by the PDIC on December 6, 2007

15. Rural Bank of Milagros (Masbate)
- Head office in Milagros, Masbate
- Closed by the BSP on November 29, 2007
- Taken over by the PDIC on December 3, 2007

14. Rural Bank of Malabon
- Head office at 92 Gen. Luna St., Brgy. San Agustin
Malabon City
- Closed by the BSP on November 29, 2007
- Taken over by the PDIC on November 29, 2007

13. Rural Bank of Sta. Barbara (Pangasinan)
- Head office in Poblacion Sur, Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan
- Had 6 branches:
- Urdaneta, Pangasinan
- Mangaldan, Pangasinan
- Tayug, Pangasinan
- Santa Maria, Pangasinan
- Asingan, Pangasinan
- Poblacion East, Calasiao, Pangasinan
- Closed by the BSP on November 16, 2007
- Taken over by the PDIC on November 19, 2007

12. Rural Bank of Laur (Nueva Ecija)
- Head office at Gen. Tinio St.
Poblacion, Laur, Nueva Ecija
- Closed by the BSP on October 25, 2007
- Taken over by the PDIC on October 26, 2007

11. Rural Bank of Sebaste (Antique)
- Head office in Poblacion, Sebaste, Antique
- Had 2 branches:
- Poblacion, Numancia, Aklan
- Boracay, Malay, Aklan
- Closed by the BSP on August 24, 2007
- Taken over by the PDIC on August 25, 2007

10. Sandigan Savings Bank
- Head office at Canlapan St. corner T. Alonzo St.
Malolos City, Bulacan
- Had 6 branches:
- Pag-asa, Obando, Bulacan
- Banga, Plaridel, Bulacan
- Corazon, Calumpit, Bulacan
- Poblacion, Pulilan, Bulacan
- San Vicente, Apalit, Pampanga
- Abangan Sur, Marilao, Bulacan
- Closed by the BSP on August 24, 2007
- Taken over by the PDIC on August 24, 2007

9. Maranao Rural Bank
- Head office in Moncado Colony, Marawi City
- Closed by the BSP on August 16, 2007
- Taken over by the PDIC on August 17, 2007

8. Rural Bank of San Fernando (Romblon)
- Head office in Poblacion, San Fernando , Romblon
- Closed by the BSP on August 2, 2007
- Taken over by the PDIC on August 7, 2007

7. Rural Bank of Gen. Aguinaldo (Cavite)
- Head office at Magallanes St.
Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, Cavite
- Had 2 branches: Amadeo in Cavite and
Malanday in Marikina City
- Closed by the BSP on August 2, 2007
- Taken over by the PDIC on August 2, 2007

6. Banco Rural de San Antonio (Pangasinan)
- Head office in San Antonio, Poblacion, Sto. Tomas, Pangasinan
- Closed by the BSP onMay 24, 2007
- Taken over by the PDIC on May 25, 2007

5. New Settlers Bank (A Rural Bank)
- Head office at Talisay Ave., Parang, Maguindanao
- Closed by the BSP on June 7, 2007
- Taken over by the PDIC on June 8, 2007

4. Excel Rural Bank
- Head office at 61 G.A. Solis St.
Lipa City, Batangas
- Closed by the BSP on June 7, 2007
- Taken over by the PDIC on June 7, 2007

3. Area Development Bank
- Head office at Sambali Center
Alejandro G. Camara Bldg.
Iba, Zambales
- Had 2 branches: Palauig and Sta. Cruz, Zambales
- Closed by the BSP on May 17, 2007
- Taken over by the PDIC on May 18, 2007

2. Rural Bank of Santol (La Union)
- Head office in Corro-oy, Santol, La Union
- Had 3 branches: Balaoan and Bangar in La Union
and in Tagudin, Ilocos Sur
- Closed by the BSP on February 22, 2007
- Taken over by the PDIC on February 22, 2007

1. Rural Bank of Cajidiocan (Romblon)
- Head Office at R. Magsaysay Ave. cor. Arellano St.
Poblacion, Cajidiocan, Romblon
- Had 1 branch: Alcantara, Tablas Island, Romblon
- Closed by the BSP on February 8, 2007
- Taken over by the PDIC on February 9, 2007

Failed banks in 2007
Closed banks in 2007

Are you a BDO Rewards card user?
This is one easy way to earn some money for groceries or store items after earning points.
One point equals one peso. Ilang beses na rin ako nakagamit ng points to pay my SM Supermarket groceries.

Now BDO requires that you earn BDO bank points to maintain your BDO Rewards card. This means that if you do not have bank points within 2 consecutive years, your BDO Rewards card will be cancelled, including all points that you have earned.

How can you earn BDO bank points?

The easiest way
---> Pay your bills using your BDO online banking or atm or phone banking.
Payment of a bill amounting to at least 1,000 pesos gives you 5 points.
If US dollar account, payment of at least 25 US dollars gives you 5 points.
Splitting of transactions is not allowed.

Other ways:

Use your BDO atm debit card to pay your purchases, such as in supermarkets, SM department stores and other partner retailers.
1 point for every 1,000 pesos, up to 5 points per transaction

Send remittances from abroad through BDO Remit offices or remittance partners to your BDO savings or current account.
1 point for every 1,000 pesos or every 100 US dollars

Use your BDO Credit Cards
500 points for 3,350 Elite Credit Card Points (MasterCard Platinum, Visa Platinum and UnionPay Diamond credit cards)
500 points for 4,775 Regular Credit Card Points (Standard and Gold MasterCard, Classic and Gold Visa, JCB Lucky Cat or Premiere and UnionPay Gold credit cards)

Note: Call the BDO Rewards hotline to have your BDO Credit Card points converted to BDO Rewards points

Maintain at least 50,000 pesos in your savings or current account.
10 points for the first 50,000 month to date average daily balance
If US dollar account, 10 points for the first US$1,000 in month to date average daily balance

One-time awarding of points for these:
Auto Loan: 10 points for every 100,000 pesos
Home Loan: 10 points for every 100,000 pesos

You also get points for these accounts:
Peso Trust Accounts: 10 points for the first 500,000 pesos in average daily balance
US Dollar Trust Accounts: 10 points for the first US$10,000 in average daily balance

Yesterday, I received a replacement BDO Rewards Card for my old card which did not have an expiry date. The new card has now an expiry date. Okay na rin kasi sabi naman ng BDO, wala raw payment ang renewal card.

SM Retail Partners Where You Can Earn Points

400 Pesos = 1 Point
Alfamart
Baby Company
Crate & Barrel
Kultura Filipino
Levi's*
Mindpro
Mini So
Our Home
Savemore
SM Appliance Center
SM Hypermarket
SM Supermarket
Surplus
Walter Mart Supermarket
Watsons

200 Pesos = 1 Point
Ace Hardware
Adidas*
Bata Shoes
Crocs
Exploreum**
Forever 21
Joseph
Imax Theater
New Balance*
Nike*
Pet Expess
Sfera
Simply Shoes
SM Bowling**
SM Cinema
SM Skating**
SM Storyland**
Sports Central
Suite Blanco
The Body Shop
The SM Store
Toy Kingdom
Uniqlo
Uno de 50

*Inside SM Malls

Other Partners:
Selected Shell gas stations*
PLDT Telerewards*
Taal Vista Hotel
Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu
Park Inn by Radisson Clark and Davao
Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club
Pico San Hotel
Asia Pacific College
Agoda.com*

* Not used for membership level upgrading

As of today, February 12, 2018, no Philippine bank has been closed down by the BSP since January 1, 2018.

The programs of the BSP, PDIC and Landbank to strengthen rural banks must have helped. Their Consolidation Program for Rural Banks (CPRB) has been relaunched and will be available until October 26, 2019. It encourages rural banks which are located near each other to merge or consolidate and become stronger. They will be helped to improve their systems and processes.

It will be a great year for Philippine banking if no bank will be closed down in 2018.

In 2017, only 7 banks failed. Six were rural banks and one was a thrift bank.

In 2016, a total of 23 banks stopped operating. 22 banks were closed down and one thrift bank voluntarily surrendered its banking license. Of the 22 closed down, 20 were rural banks and 2 were thrift banks.

It was Progress Savings and Loan Bank, which did business in Subic, Zambales, that asked the BSP to cancel its banking license. The two other savings banks that were closed were Comsavings Bank, also called GSIS Family Bank, previously located in the Ortigas Center, and Sampaguita Savings Bank, previously located in San Pedro, Laguna.

See lists of banks which were closed down by the BSP and taken over by the PDIC from the years 2000 to 2017.

Send money from Bulgaria to the Philippines by using TavexWise, a BDO Remittance Partner in Bulgaria.

St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia, Bulgaria

TavexWise claims that its rates are cheaper than those charged by Western Union, Moneygram, Azimo, TransferWise and CurrencyFair.

It also claims that since it's part of a group that deals with currency exchange, it offers more favorable exchange rates to clients.
You will know the exact amount that will be received by your recipient in his/her country's currency.

TavexWise is incorporated in Estonia and it handles global remittances at 29 offices in 8 countries in Europe.

You can send money fron Bulgaria in 2 ways:
Online money transfer through TavexWise website
or go to any of these TavexWise's offices in Bulgaria:

Burgas
6 Yanko Komitov Str., 8000 Burgas

Paradise Center
100 Cherni Vrah Blvd., 1407 Sofia

Plovdiv
2 Aleksander Batenberg Str., Djumayata, 4000 Plovdiv

Serdika Center
48 Sitnyakovo Blvd., 1505 Sofia

The Mall
116 Tsarigradsko Road Blvd., 1784 Sofia

The Mall Of Sofia
101 Alexander Stamboliyski Blvd., 1303 Sofia

Varna
2 Andrey Saharov Blvd., 9000 Varna

TavexWise is regulated by the Estonian Financial Supervision Authority.

There is now a BDO remittance partner in Denmark. It's TAVEXWISE.

Tavexwise
Central Station Office
Bernstorffsgade 16-22, 1577 Copenhagen

Copenhagen, Denmark

2 Ways to Send Money through Tavexwise:

Online transfer through your bank in Europe

Send money at a Tavexwise office in Europe

2 Ways for your Recipient to Receive your Remittance through Tavexwise:

Withdrawal of your remittance from recipient's BDO bank account

Cash pickup at BDO, SM Business Center

and remittance partners in the Philippines

Tavexwise is based in Estonia and is regulated by the Estonian Financial Supervision Authority. It has 29 offices in 8 European countries:

Estonia

Denmark

Finland

Latvia

Norway

Poland

Sweden

Bulgaria

Other International Money Transfer Companies that you can use to send money from Denmark to the Philippines:

MoneyGram -- This is a partner of BDO.

Can be for deposit to a BDO account

Can be for cash pickup (Recipient informs BDO officer remitter is Moneygram)

Western Union -- For deposit to a BDO account only, as of this time.

If you want to make bank wire transfers from Denmark to the Philippines, it is best if your recipient has an account with Metrobank or Philippine National Bank.

These 2 banks have correspondents banks in Denmark.

Go here to see lists of the correspondent banks of Metrobank and PNB.

Chase Bank Philippines?

Are you looking for a Chase Bank in the Philippines, perhaps a branch of Chase Bank in the U.S.?

There's no Chase Bank branch here in the Philippines, which displays this logo

where you can just enter and make banking transactions using your US-based Chase Bank account.

Chase Bank is the popular name of JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. , headquartered in New York City. It is the consumer and commercial banking subsidiary of leading global financial services firm JPMorgan Chase & Co.

The logo of Chase Bank is the logo you see above: CHASE and the blue octagon.

If you're a US pensioner looking for a bank in the Philippines for your US pension and other banking needs, go here and see some tips.

What are here in the Philippines are four JPMorgan Chase & Co. operations:

One is the Philippine-branch of US-based JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A.
Its complete name is JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association - Manila Branch.
It's a commercial bank under the supervision of the BSP, which focuses on corporate, investment and wholesale banking.

JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association - Manila Branch
30th Floor, Zuellig Building
Makati Avenue corner Paseo de Roxas
Makati City
Phone: 885-7925
Fax: 885-7924

The services that this bank offers are:

arrangement of equity and debt capital
loans and loan syndication
merger and acquisition advisory
deposit taking
government securities
cash management
foreign exchange transactions
foreign currency payments
liquidity management
financial risk management

JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association - Manila Branch is a member of the PDIC which provides a deposit insurance for each depositor up to 500,000 pesos.

The three other operations of JPMorgan Chase & Co. in the Philippines are:

J.P. Morgan Securities Philippines, Inc.
30th Floor, Zuellig Building
Makati Avenue Corner Paseo de Roxas
Makati City, Philippines
Phone: +632 575 1199

JPMorgan Chase & Co. - Philippine Global Service Center

This global service center supports various lines of businesses of JPMorgan Chase & Co. around the world.

Ito yong tinatawag natin na "call center," although mas higit pa sa usual call center tasks ang mga ginagawa.

Its functions include human resources, performance improvement, quality assurance, information technology, accounting, account servicing, collections, operations and operations management, project management, risk & compliance, research, and training.

It has operations in Fort Bonifacio Global City (Taguig City), Cebu, Davao, Zamboanga and other cities in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Metro Manila
Ground Floor, Net Plaza Building
31st St., E-Square Zone
Bonifacio Global City,
Taguig
8am to 6pm
Call: +632 908 JPMC (5762)

Cebu
7th Floor eBloc Tower I
Cebu I.T. Park
Apas, Cebu City
8am to 6pm
Call: +6332 401 9700

Search CAREER Opportunities with JPMorgan Chase & Co. in the Philippines

JPMorgan Chase & Co. corporate groups

Their functions include Finance, Legal & Compliance, Corporate Real Estate & General Services, Technology and Human Resources.

Chase Bank Philippines

Photo Credit:
By Flowerlamp (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AChase_bank922.jpg

Philippine Savings Bank?

Are you looking for a list of Philippine Savings banks?
If yes, here's a list of Philippine savings banks or thrift banks.
And here's a list of the top savings banks in the Philippines by assets as of September 2017.

Or are you looking for Philippine Savings Bank, the subsidiary of Metrobank?

Philippine Savings Bank, more popularly known as PSBank, is the thrift subsidiary of Metrobank.
It is the second biggest thrift bank in the Philippines by assets, capital, loans granted and net worth.
As of September 2017, its total assets was 221.3 billion pesos.

Head office:
PSBank Center
777 Paseo de Roxas Avenue corner Sedeño Street
Makati City, Philippines 1226
Phone Nos.: (632) 885-8208 / 944-1753 / 944-1772

Website: https://www.psbank.com.ph/

Customer Experience Hotline 24/7: (632) 845-8888
Fax No.: (632) 845-0048

Number of branches: 255

Number of ATMs: 600

PSBank SWIFT code: PHSBPHMM

Popular Products:

PSBank Prepaid Mastercard
For remittance, allowance, store purchase, online purchase
No annual fee
No maintaining balance
Reloading fee at PSBank branch: 10 pesos
Reloading through PSBank Online or PSBank Mobile: Free

PSBank Debit Mastercard
Comes with Savings Account

PSBank ATM Savings Account
You receive your ATM card upon account opening
Maintaining Balance: 2,000 pesos
Maximum for point-of-sale purchase: 25,000 pesos per day

Penalty for falling below maintaining balance for 2 consecutive months: 300 pesos per month
Transfer to account in another bank via ATM: 25 pesos
via PSBank mobile and online banking: 150 pesos

Withdrawal and balance inquiry at PSBank ATMs: Free
Balance inquiry at Metrobank ATMs: Free
Withdrawal from Metrobank ATMs: 7.50 pesos
Withdrawal from Bancnet or ExpressNet: 10 pesos
Balance inquiry at Bancnet or ExpressNet: 1 peso
Withdrawal abroad from Mastercard ATMs: 3.50 US dollars per withdrawal
Balance inquiry from Mastercard ATMs: 1 US dollar per inquiry
Denied transaction abroad due to insufficient funds or excess withdrawal:

PSBank Overseas Filipino Savings Accounts or OFW Savings Account

No initial deposit
No maintaining balance
Earns interest
You get your personalized ATM card upon application

Can be opened by OFWs and their beneficiaries
Average daily balance to earn interest: 5,000 pesos

PSBank Auto Loan
. Prime Rebate: You earn a rebate on a daily basis if you pay in advance of your due date,
of if you pay in excess
. Minimum loan amount: 100,000 pesos
. Loan term: 1 to 5 years

PSBank Home Loan
. Loan Amount: P500,000 to P25 million pesos
. Up to 80% of the property's appraised value
. Term: Up to a maximum of 10 years for residential lot
Up to 25 years for house and lot, townhouse, duplex or condo
. Prime Rebate: You earn rebates when you pay in excess or in advance of your due date
. Interest rate fixing: Choose a fixed term option that will lock your interest rate for every succeeding period of 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 years, until the principal amount is fully paid.

PSBank Flexi Personal Loan
Options: Fixed term loan or Revolving credit line
Loan amount: 20,000 to 250,000
Term for fixed loan: 24 or 36 months
Interest rate: 2.5% monthly rate for the revolving loan
1.75% monthly add-on-rate for fixed term loan

Prime Rebate: You earn rebates when you pay in excess or in advance of due date

Makati City

Bank of America Philippines is formally called Bank of America, National Association.

It is a commercial bank branch of the US-based bank Bank of America and it has only one office in the Philippines. It serves mainly corporations, institutions and government agencies.

Bank of America, N.A.
27th Floor, Philamlife Tower
8767 Paseo de Roxas, Makati City 1226
Phones: 815-5000 / 815-5600
Fax: 815-5582

For US-based Bank of America account owners visiting the Philippines:

There is only one Bank of America office in the entire Philippines, and it serves only corporations, institutions and government agencies. This office is in Makati. See above address.
You cannot make over-the-counter deposits or withdrawals at this office.
There is no Bank of America ATM in the Philippines from which you can withdraw money.
Where will you withdraw money using your US ATM or debit card?

Find an ATM that displays the same logo (MasterCard, Visa, American Express) on your ATM card. MasterCard, Maestro and Cirrus belong to the same network.
Your best bets are the ATMs of HSBC, Citibank, Metrobank, PNB, BPI and BDO.
The usual withdrawal fee is 200 to 250 pesos per withdrawal.
There are maximum ATM withdrawal limits. 10,000 pesos is the usual maximum limit for major banks.
For other banks, the maximum is 4,000 pesos.
HSBC ATMs might still be generous up to today, so withdraw at an HSBC ATM if you see one.
In the past, its maximum was 40,000 pesos, and there are foreign ATM cards that can be used without paying the Philippine ATM fee of 200 or 250 pesos.
In addition to the 200- to 250-peso withdrawal fee, your US bank might also charge you for overseas ATM withdrawal.

When traveling to the Philippines, bring with you more than one card, so you will have more than one option when withdrawing. Or bring enough cash. Declare your cash at the NAIA Immigration office if you're bringing in more than US$10,000.
But the best plan is to:
- Limit your cash to less than $10,000 so you don't have to tell anyone how much money you have.
- Bring several ATM or debit cards with you, linked to different payment networks (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, etc.)
- Inform your US banks you'll be using your ATMs overseas for a certain period of time.

If you need to send money to your account in the U.S.:

You can send money through wire transfer at the Philippine bank where you have an account.

Just go to your branch and request a wire transfer.
BDO's wire transfer is done only through Mobile and Online banking.

You can send money using Western Union, whose outlets are spread out all over the Philippines.

If you're a US pensioner looking for a way to receive your US pension while residing in the Philippines, go to this post on Direct Deposit accounts for US pensioners.

As of September 2017, Bank of America, N.A. has 21.22 billion pesos in total assets. It's No. 31 in a ranking of all the 43 universal and commercial banks in the Philippines, based on total assets as of September 2017.

It has granted regular loans amounting to 1.2 billion pesos
and loans arising from RA/CA/PR/SLB amounting to 4 billion pesos.
Its total capital adequacy ratio is 44.87% and its tier 1 CAR is 44.35%

In the Asia Pacific region, the US-based Bank of America Merrill Lynch has a network of 23 offices in 12 countries and territories, serving mostly corporations, governments and institutions. It also supports more than 60 charities through grants and volunteers.

There are 3 US banks in the Philippines. All 3 are commercial banks and operating as overseas branches of the US banks.

Citibank, N.A.
Bank of America, N.A.
JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A.

Of these 3 US banks, it's only CITIBANK that offers consumer banking in the Philippines.
It has 3 branches: Makati City, San Juan City, and Cebu City

5 ATM locations in Makati
2 in Mandaluyong
2 in Muntinlupa
2 in Taguig
3 in Pasay City
1 in Quezon City
1 in San Juan City
1 in Cebu City

Maximum Limit per Day for ATM Withdrawals by Citibank Account Owners:

At non-Citibank ATMs: 40,000 pesos
At Citibank ATMs:
3,000 US dollars or its peso equivalent
(minus amount already withdrawn at non-Citibank ATMs)
Call 995 9999 anytime if you need to withdraw more at a non-Citibank ATM
Free Withdrawal at any ATM
Withdrawal of US dollars:
If you have a Philippine-based Citibank US dollar account, you can withdraw US dollars from any Citibank ATM, except the ones at the US Embassy.

Location of the main office of Citibank:
9th Floor, Citibank Tower
8741 Paseo de Roxas St.
Makati City 1226

Phone: 894-7700
Fax: 894-7703
Website: citibank.com.ph

See here Citibank branch and ATM locations

The other two US banks -- Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase Bank -- cater only to corporations, government agencies and other institutions. They do not have ATMs.

Bank of America, N.A.
27th Floor, Philamlife Tower
8767 Paseo de Roxas, Makati City 1226
Trunkline: 815-5000 / 815-5600

Fax: 815-5582

JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A.
31st Floor, Philamlife Tower

8767 Paseo de Roxas, Makati City 1229
Phone: 885-7925

Fax: 885-7924

Banking information for foreign travelers to the Philippines or those planning to stay here:

You can use your US-issued debit cards in most ATMs in the Philippines.
At many ATMs, maximum limit per withdrawal is 10,000 pesos. Maximum limit per day is 20,000 pesos.
In other ATMs, maximum limit per withdrawal is 4,000 or 5,000 pesos.
ATM withdrawal fee is 200 to 250 pesos per withdrawal.
International payment networks honored here (debit and credit cards):

Mastercard/Maestro/Cirrus
Visa/Plus
American Express
UnionPay
KTCP
NYCE

Bring more than one type/brand of card so you have backup cards

When traveling to the provinces, bring enough cash in pesos. Credit cards are not accepted in many provincial areas.

US-issued cheques need around one month to clear here. In addition, you need to have a US dollar account here to which you can deposit your US cheque.

For US pensioners planning to retire here:
Here are Direct Deposit account options that you can consider.

Are foreigners allowed to open a bank account here in the Philippines?
Yes. Present your passport and ACR-ICard. You will fill up an application form that asks personal information, including your residential address in the Philippines.
If you have a work permit or student registration card, bring them, in case these are required. Expect some banks to be stricter in their requirements than others.

Do you live in Los Angeles or New York City?
There are Philippine banks there: Metrobank and Philippine National Bank

You can send money online from your US bank account or using your US debit or credit card to your Philippine bank account through these online money transfer companies:

Xoom.com
Transferwise
WorldRemit.com
SmallWorldFS.com
Remitly.com
ShareMoney.com
LuckyMoney.com
WellsFargo.com
RiaMoneyTransfer.com
Transfast.com
Moneygram.com
WesternUnion.com

There's a Wells Fargo Bank Philippines, but it's not operating as a regular bank. It does not do banking transactions like accepting deposits, granting loans or making foreign exchanges.
It's a representative bank, doing only promotions and marketing work for the US-based Wells Fargo Bank.

Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
15th Floor Tower 1, Enterprise Center
6766 Ayala Avenue cor. Paseo de Roxas
Makati City

Phone: 884-8426

Fax: 884-8644

Send Money from the US to the Philippines through Wells Fargo Bank

One service that the US-based Wells Fargo Bank offers is remittance from the US to the Philippines.

Its service is called Wells Fargo ExpressSend®.

Its remittance partners in the Philippines are:

BDO
BPI
Metrobank

PNB

Cebuana Lhuillier

M Lhuillier

First, you go to your Wells Fargo branch and register your recipient in the Philippines.

Or call 1-800-556-0605.

Provide your recipient's complete name, complete address, phone number (indicate if mobile or landline), bank name and account number if remittance is meant for deposit, bank or remittance company if cash pick-up.

After registration, you can then make your first remittance.

For your second and subsequent remittance, you can go again to your branch, use the Wells Fargo Phone Bank, or Wells Fargo Online

How much is the money transfer fee?

It's 4 US dollars (for remittance amounts from 25 to 3,000 US dollars)

Use this calculator here to estimate your remittance cost and your remittance amount in pesos.

What is the maximum amount that can be sent from the US to the Philippines?
3,000 US dollars per day if through BDO, BPI, Metrobank or PNB
1,000 US dollars per day if through Cebuana Lhuillier or MLhuillier

Maximum amount that the sender can send per day: $5,000

Maximum amount that the sender can send during any consecutive 30-day period: $12,500

In what currency will the recipient receive the remittance?
In peso

Minimum remittance amount: $25

Would you like to work with Wells Fargo in the Philippines?
Wells Fargo has a business processing outsourcing (BPO) company in the Philippines named
Wells Fargo Enterprise Global Services, LLC-Philippines.
It provides business processing, corporate, and information technology services to Wells Fargo's customers in the US.

Wells Fargo EGS LLC-Philippines
Uptown Cluster 2 Building
36th Street, Uptown Bonifacio
Taguig City

For job applicants: visit the Wells Fargo Uptown Recruitment Center at the ground floor. One-day application processing. Open from 10 am to 8 pm, Monday through Friday

There are 11 representative offices in the Philippines, including Wells Fargo Bank
The others are:

The Bank of New York Mellon
Bank of Singapore Ltd. Philippine Representative Office
DBS Bank, Ltd.
Japan Bank For International Cooperation
Korea Development Bank Representative Office
Korea Eximbank Manila Representative Office
The Ogaki Kyoritsu Bank, Ltd. Representative Office
Rothschild (Singapore) Limited Philippine Representative Office
State Bank of India
UBS AG Philippine Representative Office

Photo credit for the Wells Fargo Bank logo above:
The original uploader was Henry W. Schmitt at English Wikipedia (Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons.) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Three thrift banks are among the Top 20 banks in the Philippines, based on assets as of September 2017. Each of the three has more assets than several commercial/universal banks.

BPI Family is No. 14, with total assets of more than 265 billion.
PSBank is No. 15, with total assets of more than 221 billion.
RCBC Savings Bank is No. 20 with total assets of more than 110 billion.

Of the TOP 50 banks, 14 are thrift banks. Here are the 14:

14	BPI FAMILY	265.012
15	PSBANK	221.291
20	RCBC SAVINGS	110.291
24	CHINA BANK SAVINGS	87.605
25	PHILIPPINE BUSINESS	80.380
27	CITY SAVINGS	71.701
34	PNB SAVINGS	46.973
37	STERLING BANK	36.266
38	BANK OF MAKATI	29.312
44	UCPB SAVINGS	18.185
45	FIRST CONSOLIDATED	16.155
46	HSBC SAVINGS	16.020
47	BPI DIRECT BANKO	14.995
50	PRODUCERS SAVINGS	13.382

Of these 14 top thrift banks, 9 are subsidiaries of commercial/universal banks:
BPI Family -- subsidiary of the Bank of the Philippine Islands
PSBank -- Metrobank
RCBC Savings Bank -- RCBC
China Bank Savings -- China Bank
City Savings -- Union Bank
PNB Savings -- PNB
UCPB Savings -- UCPB
HSBC Savings -- HSBC
BPI Direct Banko -- Bank of the Philippine Islands

One observation: BPI Family is the only one among the above top thrift banks that does not have its own website. Perhaps because BPI Family's operations are so intertwined with its parent, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), that BPI Family does not need a separate website. Clients of BPI and BPI Family can use any of BPI and BPI Family's ATMs and cash deposit machines without any interbank fees and use the same BPI Express online banking system.

Here's a complete list of the top thrift banks in the Philippines, based on assets

Are there how many thrift banks in the Philippines?

What's the best savings account in the Philippines?

We will have different answers and most of us will all be correct.

It's because "the best" means which savings account will fulfill our needs and which gives us the most convenience.

For me, the best savings accounts are: BPI Family atm savings account and BDO atm savings account.

For OFWs, it could be the OFW account offered by BDO, BPI, PNB, Metrobank, RCBC, or Landbank.

For others, it could be the UnionBank Eon, their payroll account, or the account offered by the bank nearest their residence or work, or the bank that granted them a bank loan.

For college students or new employees, it could be the BPI KAYA savings account.

So the best savings account really depends on what fulfills best our banking needs.

Why do I say that the BPI Family and BDO atm savings accounts are the two best savings accounts?

My reasons:
1. There are BPI and BDO ATMs near our house and in the places I frequently go to.
2. I can deposit anytime using BPI Cash Deposit machines.
BDO has Cash Accept machines too, although only a few are accessible for 24 hours.
3. BPI and BDO have good online banking systems and mobile banking apps.
Most online transactions are FREE.
4. I can get my US dollar payments at my BDO branch in US dollars.
5. The maintaining balance requirements are low:
1,000 pesos for the BPI Family atm savings account
2,000 pesos for the BDO atm savings account
6. If I need to transfer money online to an account in another local bank, or to a BDO partner for cash pick-up, I can use the BDO Send Money feature
7. Most of the people that I deal with also have BPI and BDO accounts, so it's easy for us to transfer money online.
8. BPI and BDO have branches inside the malls that I go to.
9. BPI and BDO have branches near Czarina and Sanry's where I usually exchange US dollars.
BDO has a branch near Xchange Forex, which also gives competitive exchange rates.
10. BDO gives BDO Rewards points to banking transactions.
11. Bank ranking is not my most important reason, as many commercial/universal/thrift banks in the Philippines are stable, but it's an added bonus to know that BDO is the biggest bank and BPI is among the Top 3, usually the 2nd or 3rd biggest.
Obviously, their huge size enables them to operate many branches and ATMs nationwide and to offer services like cash deposit machines and fast online banking services.

Tips for managing your savings account:

1. Do not withdraw your maintaining balance.

2. If possible, withdraw only at your bank's ATMs to avoid ATM service fee deductions.

3. Create a PIN related to a memorable event in your life,
so you won't forget.
-- A PIN easy for you to remember,
but difficult for others to guess.

I use a PIN which is the number of the apartment near Taft Ave. where I stayed as a college student many years ago. Until today, I can visualize in my mind that graying wooden door and its number.

4. Keep in mind your last savings account balance, so it will be easy for you to notice when there is a questionable withdrawal or deduction.

Related posts:
OFW accounts
Kiddie accounts
Student accounts

Here's a list of Metrobank remittance partners in Qatar:

You can ask these remittance partners if they can help you open a Metrobank OFW account while in Qatar. Bring your IDs and money for processing. If they offer account opening, you will get your atm card and/or passbook after about one month.

Al Dar for Exchange Works
PO Box 24451 Doha

Al Fardan Exchange Co. W.L.L.
PO Box 339 Doha

Al Mana Exchange
124 Airport Road Al Mana Tower Doha

Al Sadd Exchange
PO Box 17127 Doha

Al Zaman Exchange W.L.L.
Souq Najada, Doha
PO Box 23497

City Exchange Co.
Souq Najada Pb No 16081

Gulf Exchange Co.
PO Box 4847 Doha

Habib Qatar International Exchange Ltd.
Mushrib Street
PO Box 1188, Doha

Islamic Exchange Co. W.L.L.
Souq Najada Ali Bin
Abdulla Door, Doha
PO Box 2731

International Money Transfer Partners of Metrobank

MoneyGram
Prabha Money Transfer
Remitly
RIA
Transfast Worldwide Money Transfer
UniTeller
Wells Fargo
XOOM
WorldRemit
CASH Express Worldwide Money Transfer
XPRESS Money Global Money Transfer

Representative Offices of Metrobank in Qatar

You can ask the marketing officers about opening a Metrobank account while in Qatar. Ask also about atm card activation.

Gulf Exchange Co.
Flat No. 6, Building No. 32, Zone 26,
Street 830, Najma Area, Doha, Qatar

Marketing Officer: Daniel Mana-ay
Email Addresses: daniel.manaay@metrobank.com.ph
danielmanaay@yahoo.com
danielmanaay76@gmail.com
Mobile No.: (974) 5576-1899
Fax No.: (974) 44811584

Al Dar For Exchange
5th Floor, Flat No. 10, Rako Bldg.
Bin Mahmoud Doha, Qatar

Marketing Officer: Edgardo Rañosa

Email Addresses: edgardojrranosa79@gmail.com
Mobile No.: +97433834747

How Many Filipinos Are There in Qatar?
There are around 205,000 Filipinos in Qatar, as of 2013, according to the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO). Qatar is No. 9 on the CFO list of countries with the biggest number of overseas Filipinos.

Side Notes:
There are two Philippine schools in Qatar that cater to the educational needs of the children of Filipinos in Qatar. Both are authorized by the Philippine Department of Education (Deped) and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) of Qatar.

Philippine School Doha (PSD)
-- offers the STEM and the Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM) programs

Philippine International School-Qatar (PISQ)
-- offers the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and the Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) programs

BDO Remittance Partners in Qatar

18 Top Philippine Banks, Based on Assets June 2017

Biggest Bank Failures in the Philippines

Metrobank Credit Card Balance Transfer - How Fast?

BDO Remittance Partners in Jordan

Top Rural Banks in the Philippines, by Assets Sep 2017

34 TOP RURAL BANKS in the Philippines

Top Life Insurance Companies by Assets 2016

List of Licensed Life Insurance Companies June 2017

Philippine Banks Closed in 2007

BDO Rewards Card Needs Bank Points to Prevent Cancellation

Banks Closed Down in 2018

BDO Remittance Partner in Bulgaria -- TavexWise

BDO Remittance Partner in Denmark -- Send Money to Philippines

Chase Bank Philippines

Philippine Savings Bank

Bank of America Philippines

US Banks in the Philippines

Wells Fargo Bank Philippines

3 Thrift Banks are in TOP 20 Banks List

Best Savings Account, Philippines

Metrobank Remittance Partners in Qatar