Best Banks in the Philippines in 2023

The following are the lists of best banks in the Philippines in 2023. Taken from the published ranking by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the lists include the best commercial banks in terms of assets, deposits, capital, and loans.

It would be great to have savings and investments with these banks. If you are still a student and you are looking for the best bank to work for in the future, they are also recommended.

Update: Let us know which is the best bank for you in terms of customer service by leaving your experience in the comments section.

Best Banks in the Philippines in 2023

We consider the following as the best banks in the Philippines to be banking with this 2023 because of their impressive growth and great performance. The top 5 are always BDO (Banco de Oro), Metrobank, Landbank, BPI (Bank of the Philippine Islands) and PNB (Philippine National Bank).

It’s obvious why BDO came up to the rank number 1 because it started the bank operations for the weekends. Every SM mall also has BDO. Apparently, SM employees and other employees get their salaries through their BDO bank account.

We can say that BDO, Metrobank and BPI are also the best banks in terms of investment. They have their own trading platforms. Metrobank launched the most advanced trading platform in the Philippines through its First Metro Sec Pro.

Euromoney cited Metrobank as the best bank in the country for the past few years. Metrobank is also one of the Strongest Banks in Asia. China Bank has also done a massive growth in the past years.

PNB climbed up since it was acquired by Allied Bank and maintained its top position. Landbank did an excellent job this time ranking number 2 in terms of total assets. Likewise with DBP which surged its assets and climbed from the 9th place to 6th.

Security Bank also did a great performance climbing up ahead after revamping their company. East West Bank is also doing a great performance just like Unionbank (the top digital bank in the Philippines).

Taken from their published balance sheets and statistics, we have summed up the useful values and amounts associated with their assets, capital (Stockholder’s Equity), loans and deposits.

How we ranked the top banks in the Philippines?

Notice that we listed the official data as of September 30, 2022. Data is shared by the BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pililipinas), available to the public. The figures will be updated every quarter.

Top 10 Best Banks in the Philippines in Terms of Assets

Amounts in Million Pesos

  1. BDO – 3,726,915.48
  2. Landbank– 2,761,498.91
  3. BPI – 2,519,564.47
  4. Metrobank – 2,460,838.79
  5. China Bank – 1,220,464.80
  6. PNB – 1,176,868.17
  7. RCBC – 1,089,790.77
  8. DBP – 1,035,208.89
  9. UnionBank – 949,639.29
  10. Security Bank – 838,799.05

Top 10 Best Banks in the Philippines in Terms of Deposit Liabilities

Amounts in Million Pesos

  1. BDO – 2,947,808.26
  2. Landbank – 2,416,787.42
  3. BPI – 2,024,589.7
  4. Metrobank– 1,783,004.77
  5. China Bank – 900,764.35
  6. PNB – 862,477.01
  7. RCBC – 801,450.10
  8. DBP – 778,359.64
  9. UnionBank – 618,656.13
  10. Security Bank – 585,026.43

Top 10 Best Banks in the Philippines in Terms of Loans and Receivables, net

Amounts in Million Pesos

  1. BDO – 2,452,499.93
  2. BPI – 1,575,668.18
  3. Metrobank – 1,178,576.33
  4. Landbank – 1,053,349.48
  5. China Bank – 639,212.28
  6. PNB – 631,864.35
  7. RCBC – 574,208.64
  8. DBP – 550,752.79
  9. Security Bank – 510,806.35
  10. UnionBank – 374,373.86
best-banks-in-the-philippines

Top 10 Best Banks in the Philippines in Terms of Capital

Amounts in Million Pesos

  1. BDO – 442,950.43
  2. BPI – 312,168.51
  3. Metrobank – 297,480.23
  4. Landbank – 204,412.46
  5. PNB – 158,619.61
  6. UnionBank – 142,222.32
  7. China Bank – 126,718.77
  8. Security Bank – 123,158.88
  9. RCBC – 115,726.40
  10. DBP – 77,145.73

Best Banks in the Philippines in Terms of Customer Service

It’s your vote that counts here. Tell us your favorite bank in terms of service by commenting in the comment box. Share your experiences and why do you consider it as your favorite bank.

What about you, where do you put your savings, deposits and investments? Who do you count on when you need loans? Share about your banking experience by commenting.

Other Banking Guides:

Fehl is the founder of Philpad. She has a degree in Accountancy and a background in Finance. She is a licensed Career Service Professional and author of a poetry book at Barnes & Noble. In her spare time, she likes to travel and vlog.

310 thoughts on “Best Banks in the Philippines in 2023”

  1. Called 811-9111 UCPB to ask about my main branch. First very sarcastic employee. Second, Been placed on hold for 6 freaking minutes without checking back on me. What a great bank! ???? Don’t worry I will spread the word.

    Reply
  2. Security Bank – while there is a “brand promise and commitment of Better Banking” Their online customer service is the worst of all banks. You cannot receive a single response to complains and requests. Is it really the trend now? Customer service representatives are dumb and if they response it does not usually address on what being asked for or is it just a delaying tactics on their part.

    Reply
    • I second that. As a customer living abroad, i cannot rely on security bank, even my branch of account to respond to my emails. Very disappointed. Once Im back in Philippines, will move my money and transfer all business transactions to a different bank.

      Reply
    • I agree to this and I can attest to it. They passed you on to a different representatives and not giving any resolution at all with your concern. They just wanted to collect fees from their client. The WORST bank #SecurityBank I in the Philippines and worst customer service ever.

      Reply
  3. You may also try PNB’s you first brand of service. The Officers and staff are really nice. It’s an amazing experience to bank with PNB. Try it, to believe it..

    Reply
  4. Hi everyone, please try PNB’s you first brand of service, it’s amazing. Staff and Officers are very friendly. Try it. Experience it. ????

    Reply
  5. I suggest RCBC. it’s banking products and other investment need are there, its employee’s are well trained with proper discipline and most of all there smile for they’re clients makes it comfortable. I had just started saving with them and its a privilage to bank them. I am auspicious about their actions to provide good service.????

    Reply
  6. RCBC is the best, specially Vivere Branch. Kudos to all employees there. Fast, accurate, and friendly service. Thank you RCBC Vivere Branch.

    Reply
  7. I love PSBank! It has good customer service. Most of my transactions right now are with them- fast processing.

    Reply
  8. Hi there! With BDO, long line, with Metrobank, cue card. With BDO, small loan interest rate but it’s an add-on rate, with Metrobank Loan, annuity rate and no add on rate. With BDO, go home late. But in Metrobank, HAPPY people, HAPPY customer, Go home late. The center of our heart, is to give excellent and quality service:-)

    Reply
  9. Not the biggest, but in terms of bank services, you can try PS Bank.

    Ambilis pa nang banking service nila. If you have an ATM Account, you can lock/ unlock. Nasa feature sa Mobile Apps nila yun Lock/ Unlock service. At least it would minimize fraud.

    Talo pa yung Metrobank nila in terms of technology.

    Reply
  10. the worst bank in the Phil is Union Bank.. They don’t have a friendly teller as well as they don’t provide any considerations with there clients. Its true!

    Reply
    • This is true. I hated the branch manager and put up with her for a long time because that was my only bank account. On top of that, starting July 17, 2017 their minimum average daily balance required is 100k Php and that’s for regular savings account. If you fall below that then take at least 1k Php fee which is ridiculous. 100k minimum is enough for a gold membership at Security Bank for a lot of perks. I just switched there and I love the customer service. They are so accommodating and the bank is so advanced in terms of technology. Check their website or you can go to your local branch and see for yourself.

      Reply
        • Agree! unionbank better improves their customer service and they have to be cosiderable.!!! I cant tell you how frustrated I am with Unionbank

          Reply
    • I had a VERY BAD experience with Chinabank last year 2018 ! I had account 3 years , All of a Sudden they CLOSED my Savings Account Didn’t give me any warning ! They even LIED to me about using a Generic Account Number ! I do not recommend Chinabank to my WORST Enemy ! I found out later they didn’t want anymore American Pensioners (Foreigners) to Apply ! I use BDO no Problems yet !

      Reply
  11. Beware of what you are told and to verify if it’s true just do it right then & there. I recently opened a peso savings account deposit but before filling out any form and going through the almost 2 hour process I asked several times if I can withdraw and convert the deposit to open a dollar savings account. I may have asked this 3 times and answer was always yes. I also asked about exchange rate used to buy/deposit the dollar and the fee(s) I have to pay.. Current dollar/peso rate will be used and no fee involved at all. I was doing some errands that day and the hours are getting long so I decided to make the deposit and return for the dollar conversion/deposit at another time. 2 weeks later when I returned to convert part of the peso deposit and open/deposit it into a dollar account , I was told I can’t because central bank regulations doesn’t allow it. Total bull, either person(s) I dealt with when opening account didn’t know or was lying. Like I said be careful when dealing with BDO employees.

    Reply
  12. I like BPI and BPI Family due to better service and lower bank fees. My only complaints are the phone support and not being able to pay gov’t agencies (namely SSS, Pag-ibig and Philhealth) online.

    If only this is available online, I would be soooooo happy. No more going to the bank to pay over the counter.

    Reply
    • I would suggest that you use G-Cash. G-Cash is totally connected with the said government agencies and is totally connected with BPI since both companies are controlled by Ayala Group. This will resolve your issue.

      Reply
  13. For all of you out there, if you are looking for good and knowledgeable bankers who will entertain your banking needs go for PNB and BPI. They are the ones who will entertain you even if you look like a scavenger.. Haha.. Followed by Security Bank.. Although phonebankers from BPI and Security Bank may irritate you..

    Go with Metrobank if you need snob and irate bankers.. BDO will find a way for you if you have like 25k and above. They’ll send you credit card without asking if you maintained your account not falling below 30k.. Most of the time their staff is also snob as they are always tired because a lot of depositors come and go.. And they mean business as they really charge a lot..

    If you would ask me about online banking facility, PNB has the best. For Phone Banking App, Security Bank is best and next is BPI.

    Yung EMV implementation, nauna nagpadala PNB ng bagong card, sunod BDO, then Security Bank.. BPI wala yatang balak.. Ni hindi alam ng phone banker kung ano yung EMV..

    Reply
    • It depends on what branch on Metrobank. I don’t have problem with the bankers on my maintaining branch. Accommodating & friendly sila.

      I do not know about PNB as online banking facility… I have PNB Credit Card, but I don’t think they are the best. PNB has excellent credit card but not their online facility. Palagi silang down. If I am looking for the best online banking facility, it has to be Citibank. Laging updated yung transactions mo, whether on phone app or sa website nila.

      Reply
      • Sad for me lahat ng napuntahan kong Metrobank eh masusungit ang officer sa desk ng new accounts.. Yung PSBank nila okay naman sa palagi super bait..

        Not sure kung gaano ka frequent yung pag down ng online banking system pero di ko pa naman na encounter with PNB.. Siguro kaya ko nasabi na best eh napaka bilis ng lahat at madali gamitin.. Yung app nga lang nila eh walang kasing impakto.. hahahaha

        Citibank di ko pa na try..

        Reply
          • Xander, EMV equipped na ba ang ATM Card mo ng BPI o Credit Card? Kasi po yung Credit Card lang po at ATM Machine ang EMV equipped. Sorry po kasi hindi ko alam kung ano yung ibig sabihin ng fact sa iyo. Pero totoo po sinasabi ko, tumawag ako sa phone banker hindi nya alam what I mean with EMV.. Tapos yung sa mismong bank po sabi sa akin eh wala pa silang advisory at sa CC pa lang talaga nila gamit noon pa.

          • @ sam DO NOT JUDGE BPI na walang EMV base sa isang nakausap mo.
            wag po tayung mang generalized at wag kang tanga.
            sabi na nga sa taas na since 2014 pa ayaw mo maniwala
            e di wow! ikaw naaaaaa

          • @xxeeria – wag kang bumanat ng pagka squatter mo dito. Una sa lahat maayos ang usapan dito. Walang nagmamagaling o ano pa man. Pangalawa para sabihin ko sayo, branch manager na ng BPI kausap ko.. Matagal na EMV equipped ang Credit 2014 pa pero ang Debit hindi.. Machines EMV ready 2016.. Paki ayos ng pag uugali.. May judge judge ka pang nalalaman.. Ugali mo asal..

    • I Think The Best Banking Mobile App (in my opinion) is PNB Why?
      – Access your Bank Account with Touch ID (for iPhone which Security Bank Does)
      – Design of the App is Superb (not like BDO is just Old Style! ??)
      – Check Your Balance, Pay Bills, Fund Transfer with Ease

      And the Killer Feature Which is i really Love is…
      – The AR (Augmented Reality) Branch/ATM Finder

      Reply
    • BDO is the worst bank ever! They claim that they are the best because they are the biggest. but it is not true. their service is too lousy. My father withdraw from their atm and it did not dispense any cash. they have the cctv footage and even the teller beside my dad witnessed it. then they asked us to file a complain. after 2 months, they are asking us a processing fee of 1200 pesos to investigate the issue! WTF!!! it was their machine’s fault, they have the cctv and the teller testified that the atm really did not dispense the money then we need to pay for processing fee!

      Reply
      • It also happened to me with Metrobank. When I first called them, I was told to keep my receipt for reference. However, it wasn’t needed anymore. They just followed up with me and told me that my money will be back in my account within 3 business days. After 3 days, I checked my account and it was there! No extra fees collected, no charges at all. They were so accommodating and I didn’t even had a hard time explaining the issue and dealing with them to resolve it. Hope yours can be resolved ASAP.

        Reply
    • Security Bank is good if you are in the branch but don’t expect a single response from their online banking representatives or customer service representative for your queries or online enrolment issues they are the worst I think.

      Reply
  14. Hello everyone,i want to get a bank account here can u suggest me which is the best bank for me, i need this account for international wire transfer. I have to receive the wired money thru this account. So pls suggest me which is best interms of wire transfer charges
    Thanks in advance.
    God bless.

    Reply
  15. BPI, best in Customer Service? Seriously? When customer service is mentioned, I’m also considering not just the service provided in whatever medium. I also consider the ease of use of their channels and for me BPI is the worst bank ever. from online to atm to actual service provided in their branches. ATM and online banking is always down especially during pay day hahaha

    Reply
  16. I went to bdo evangelista makati branch this morning oct the 21st at 9am to withdraw cash. My atm card has been missing I had to get cash over the counter. The representative assisting me was very polite and helpful.
    She had to send fax to the atms main branch because she couldnt find the scanned signature of my account.
    I myself worked as customer service representative in the call center industry.
    In this industry we have to be polite helpful to make customers very satisfied but sometimes we cant help ourselves we cannot control the emotion our tone of voice changed for rude abusive and customers behaving badly (on a very rare occassion).
    This representative of bdo took care of what I need. And not only that I was well informed of what she had to do she set my expectation correctly she always gave me update I can see that she is working on my issue. She gave me helpful suggestion she asked me to stay and wait because it wont take that long before she could get a reply from the main branch. She was very kind.
    I got the cash in less than 30 mins. Because of her continous follow up. She helped me Im very satisfied.
    I hope that every bdo rep is just like her.
    Well anyone can help but not this rep she went the extra mile.I can feel that shes taking care of my issue.
    I also had an unpleasant experience prior to withdrawing the cash I had to call customer contact center before going to bdo branch regarding the lost atm i’d rather not talk about it.

    The rep of this branch
    helped me a lot I hope that the management can read this she deserves a raise I hope that you’ll have more of reps like her on all ur branches it will be great to do business with u.

    Reply
  17. BDO SUCKS BIG TIME!

    Kung meron kang checking account dito magpalit ka na. was charged 2,200 pesos for a bounced check. Ok lang sana yung 1,200 kasi i overlooked my deposit. Pero I asked why they don’t have notifications with the bounced check, e sa lahat ng gawin ko sa account ko meron silang email and verification sms. Ganda pa naman ng motto nila “WE FIND WAYS”

    .. Savings wag na rin sa haba ng pila lagi.

    Reply
  18. I opened an account in EastWest Bank in E. Rodriguez Cubao Branch. they staff there are so good even the guards! for just 100 initial deposit you can have their E.W. Basic Savings account and it comes with a VISA Debit card!

    Reply
    • I agree with you sir. Halos lahat ng napuntahan ko na EastWest branches, wala pa akong napasukan na hindi ka icocomfort. Mababait at accommodating yung mga guadrs lalo na yung mga tellers nila. Maganda din ang service nila mapa online man or personal transaction.

      Reply
  19. Been searching for another bank which I could open a savings account with – aside from BPI (which I already have) because I want an account which wouldn’t be accessible for me for savings purposes.

    I initially wanted to open an account with BDO, but after learning these things, I don’t want to anymore.

    1. They charge customers with transaction fee for just about anything you do. Every move you make with BDO, there’s a corresponding fee. I encashed a check last Saturday in BDO MOA – and the teller asked me that there’s a P100 transaction fee because it was an interbranch transaction. So does this mean I could only freely do transactions in my home branch? What if I move houses, and my home branch is no longer convenient for me?

    2. They also have transaction fees for provincial vs. Metro Manila inter-branch transactions.

    3. Deposit machines aren’t hugely available

    4. No queuing system. You have to line up manually, hence, if you leave your line to go to the loo or something, you’d have to line up all over again (unless of course you ask the person near you to save your spot).

    5. Writing on forms. Seriously? BPI does this electronically.

    6. Mobile app is not that great as compared to BPI’s.

    That’s all. I’m trying to check out Metrobank next. 🙂

    Reply
    • If you choose Metrobank:

      1-2 . I can’t answer these ones
      3. Walang masyadong deposit machine
      4. No queing din. Priority number, just like BPI.
      5. Metrobank is still writing on forms. like deposit slip, withdrawal slip, payment slip
      6. Never mind their mobile app.

      I have Metrobank account, BTW. TBH, I like Metrobank coz I can pay my credit card, utilities, insurance, telecommuncations, etc. through online banking nila. Tamad ako magpila sa bank just to pay the bills. When depositing, magpapasuyo ako sa messenger/ driver sa office namin. palagi naman siyang pumunta sa Metrobank.

      Reply
    • MANGANGAWIT ka sa kakatayo sa pagpila ng mahaba sa BDO.. Gayahin na lang sana nila ang BPI na nakaupo ka lang habang naghihintay na tawagin ang number mo.

      Reply
    • For Metrobank there is No interbranch transaction charge on the same region. For example if your account is within NCR and you deposit at another branch which is also in NCR there will be no charge. Internet banking with metrobank is great. You can pay bills online.

      Reply
  20. Hi,

    I am doing a research on second-hand car loans market in the Philippines. To verify the figures above, may I request where the figures came from?

    Thanks.

    Reply
  21. I have savings accounts with BPI, Security Bank, and East West Bank. I’ve had one with BDO (but I decided to close the account because of their customer service). I’ll just give some PROs and CONs.

    BPI
    PROs:
    – Depositing money is convenient (they have machines that accept deposits being credited to your account REAL-TIME)
    – Online access
    – Mobile app (Transfer money to other accounts easily, check balances, pay bills, and so on.)
    – Requests can be done online (Re-issue of card, change of mobile number, etc.)
    – Statements can be viewed online

    CONs:
    -WORST waiting time when you call their hotline

    SECURITY BANK
    PROs:
    – Online access
    – Mobile app is great (transferring money is easy, checking balances, etc.)
    – Real-time notification when withdrawal has been done
    -Shorter waiting time that BPI when you call their hotline
    – Requests can be sent to them via e-mail

    CONs:
    – Customer reps need more training, they don’t pay much attention (not all, but some) to what you were discussing, made me repeat information, not once, not twice, but thrice. LOL

    EASTWEST BANK
    PROs:

    – Online access
    – Requests can be sent via e-mail
    – SLA for response on e-mail requests is 24hours, but they usually respond within a short-period of time
    – Statements can be sent to you via e-mail (password protected)
    – Shortest waiting time (for me) when you call their hotline

    CONs:

    – Long queue (but at least they have chairs in their branches. LOL)
    – Very few tellers processing requests in the branch

    Reply
  22. In line with Ranking of Banks as to assets, found it a bit confusing. According to BSP, top 10 as of Dec. 2015 are the following:

    1 BDO UNIBANK INC
    2 METROPOLITAN BANK & TCO
    3 BANK OF THE PHIL ISLANDS
    4 LAND BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES
    5 PHIL NATIONAL BANK
    6 SECURITY BANK CORP
    7 DEVELOPMENT BANK OF THE PHIL
    8 CHINA BANKING CORP
    9 RIZAL COMM’L BANKING CORP
    10 UNION BANK OF THE PHILS

    🙂

    Reply
  23. I only have bpi. Branch people are okay, friendly even but call 89100 for the phone/customer service so frustrating slow, frustratingly bad and always, always hours before I can get to talk to one representative. Thank goodness I still have landline and working speaker phone

    Reply
  24. BPI Quirino – Davao has always disappointed me. From their security guards to their tellers, they never failed to disappoint me with their lack of proper manners (no proper greeting at the start and no thank you at the end of my transactions, just recently someone said thank you but in an abrupt manner as if somebody forced it out of his mouth) , important document requests are delayed, forgotten to process, and the last time I requested a document they didn’t made it personal and put it in a recycled/cut envelope as if to signify that my concerns are not important. One more thing, when I was abroad, I tried to access my account and notified the bank online. Within 24 hours, somebody called me asking personal questions which I answered sufficiently. I also stated when and where was my last withrawal. However when it came to estimating how much money I have in my account, their representative demanded that I should provide them the nearest hundreds which I wasnt able to remember well. Their representative told me that if I cannot supply the right answer, I should just try again next week. I said that she should call me within 30 minutes instead since I have online access to my account anyway. I asked her if it’s okay, I know she’s still on the other line because there’s this office background noise but she just stayed silent and let me wait for a few minutes until I decided to drop the call. I was furious because she didn’t seem to care that I dont have any source of money abroad (just a tourist) and just didnt even say a proper goodbye. After 45 mins of waiting, I wrote an email to the bank with the subject: URGENT. I threatened them that if I starve abroad and dont get access to my money, I will write to their highest office, close my account, and tell all my friends, family, and fellow travel enthusiasts, not to use BPI especially when traveling abroad if you dont want to risk not having access to your money. After an hour, a polite representative called, which may still be the same one, im not sure, and I answered all her questions sufficently and she said thank you as if I can see her smile politely behind the phone. After the phone activation, an email was sent to me saying that there’s a problem with BPI’s system and they cant save it there. Oh well, I dont know what kind of magic trick is that. But I know that BPI Quirino Davao is rude to their customers and BPI international phone acct activation is not reliable.

    Reply
    • I totally agree. BPI has the worst customer service followed by Metro bank. I’m surprised at the poll results above being BPI getting the top place in customer service. Their customer service is a nightmare, to say the least. Their people are awful, arrogant, no courtesy, service is too slow, they always never have enough tellers to service the amount of people waiting in the bank. And the worst branches are those located in Metro Manila and other metropolis.

      Here’s a juust one bad customer service experience with BPI Ortigas San Miguel just a couple of years back. Our office is located in Medical Plaza, San Miguel Ortigas, so I asked my sister to withdraw a few tens of thousands from our BPI corporate account to transfer to our Security Bank corporate account which is just a few yards from each other. (Check these 3 points: Medical Plaza, BPI Ortigas San Mig and Securrity Bank San Mig. from Google Earth so you can have a better picture of what I’m saying. They are all just a few yards from each other). From BPI, my sister immediately went straight to Security Bank to make the transfer. While counting the deposit, the teller of Security Bank found a fake P1,000 peso bill and courteously pointed out to my sister the indications why the bill was fake. My sister immediately went back to BPI to complain and and showed them the fake bill. She first talked to Customer Service, then another officer, and the branch Manager. But all 3 of them just brushed the complaint off and said that all their bills are checked and counted manually by someone from their bank before they are released over the counter. Perhaps so, but have they not heard of human error, if not malicious intent? In spite of our several attempts of complaint, not any form of effort whatsoever to at at least investigate the complaint was exerted, So we decided to pull out all the millions we used to automatically direct to that account. Today, that account remains there, dormant. I mean, what for if we can’t get good service from them anyway. That’s just one of stories and believe me, there are many more.

      If I can avoid transacting with BPI, I will with all my life.

      Reply
    • I opened my first bank account with BPI Quirico branch in Davao. I was quickly humiliated in public by their manager or assistant manager. A tall woman with cigarette breath. She scolded me but when she realised her mistake instead of apologising, she just walked away. I stopped doing business with that branch. Later, she was transferred to Gaisano branch and was still the same attitude. Now, I only do business in Abreeza branch or Claveria branch. If she is transferred there. I will close my accounts, both savings and checking.

      Reply
  25. There was a time when people robbed banks, but now there is a bank that robs people: the Metrobank.
    Unbelievable, what a third-world country Mickey-Mouse bank. I have/had an account with them which I had not used for some time (living overseas). Out of the blue, they sent me an e-mail saying they have closed the account. I have tried my best to get a statement and asked them to transfer the balance to another bank, but they do not even have the courtesy to send a reply!
    Our money has gone. Be warned – the same happened to my sister. Withdraw your money because the same can happen to you!

    Reply
  26. Hi Guys,

    Quick question. Where do you get data like the ones above, who has biggest assets, most branches, etc.

    Thanks!

    Reply
  27. BDO- pinakaworst ang costumer service nila… Hindi ka aasikasuhin kung hindi ka mukhang mayaman.. Na-obserbahan ko s dlawang mtanda n ngaantay mapansin cla,yung teller busi busihan tpos after 1 hr tinanong nia..kung ano kailangan…etc etc..nalaman nia isang retirado s isang malaking company s pinas dali dali inasikaso ngkumahog.. The end.. Ako nmn 3 oras ngaantay..masungit p ntapat..nkktakot…worst feeling ever.. ” SM valenzuela-BDO”

    PNB- Munoz branch.. Eto sumunod na bank n super sungit na tellers at take note same as bdo..tumitingin sa kasuotan kung hindi ka mayaman tingnan..hindi aasikasuhin..ssungitan kapa..

    PNB- Valenzuela city-karuhatan: infairness s bank na to,friendly at very accomodating..pgpasok mo plng greet with smile n ang guard..igguide kp kng sang counter..kht mtanda..o simple k manamit..gnun treatment..,dto ako ng open ng investment..,hindi nman nghesitant kahit n napakasimple dmit ko..

    Next uwi ko..mgoopen ulit ako ng bagong account at may bago experience nnmn aq mararanasan mula sa teller..

    Thx 🙂

    Reply
    • PS:

      BPI- Valenzuela City

      VEry friendly at eto pinakauna sa listahan ko pgdting sa customer service…..dahil nakasmile ang mga tellers…at same as pnb val branch..nakasmile din ang guard…sa pinto plang mgnda na aura..what more pa if nsa loob kn… 🙂

      Reply
      • i agree. When I read this, i went there and i now have my card after 2 days.

        What can you say about Metrobank Val? I really didn’t like the approach of the woman I talked to awhile ago. (i keep updated here.) When I entered, I was in my school uniform and inquired about the requirements for opening an account. She told me that if I was not living in Val, it would be difficult. Mahihirapan kayo sir was her intro not even telling why. So I tried to explore my options. Saying that in other banks, nakakapag-open naman kahit hindi tagadoon sa place na iyon. She told me na hindi raw talaga pwede as if talagang ayaw niya ako pag-openin ng account dun. Ewan ko ba, edi huwag. The only reason I wanted to open was for the safekeeping of my extra money from my allowance. So basically, I wanted to save and it just so happen that the closest ATM was in our hospital just beside our school. I thought that if I needed money fast, I will just withdraw there. I really haven’t read anything good about Metrobank. Just to be fair, she did encourage me to open where I actually live “para di mahirapan”. Maybe it was for certain transactions that would costly or for certain billings which I really didn’t care to ask because of her approach. I proceeded to the RCBC just beside it was RCBC. Ayun. Tinanong ko lang requirements, walang problema. Ewan ko talaga diyan sa Metrobank na yan.

        Reply
  28. Hello.
    Just open an account with Maybank, last 4 months. Now I feel great and excited with the monthly interest rate. Good bank. And nice customer service too. One of the best bank here in Cebu, for me.
    So guys try to open premier 1 at Maybank. You can see your hard earn money grow. No hustle also.

    Reply
  29. I have had accounts with BDO, BPI, Metrobank, ChinaBank, EastWest Bank, UnionBank, the former Equitable-PCIBank, UCPB, Security Bank, and PSBank. I am now on RCBC and personally, I like the service I am getting. Most of my transactions are online and it just simply blows me away to find that withdrawing PayPal funds completes within 24 hours. Now, I am completing all of my PayPal transactions with RCBC in under 4 hours. BDO only offers the convenience of mall-based banking as well as extended office hours. Metrobank has always been at the top, so is BPI. Unfortunately, my experiences with them have been less than satisfactory, especially with BDO. I do recognize the need for proper identification but BSP rules already mandates at least one primary ID is sufficient yet they still require more than that. The Philippine banking system sucks, unfortunately. I have opened bank accounts in Indonesia and Australia and I have never encountered issues with my application. Only in the Philippines. It is quite difficult to open a regular savings account…

    Reply
    • Thank you for sharing. Ive been using Unionbank for Paypal funds. Never knew about RCBC linking to Paypal, it’s cool you mentioned it here 🙂

      Reply
    • Did you get the Basic Savings Account or the Dragon one? I’m planning on switching to RCBC for Paypal. Thanks to your comment.

      Reply
  30. hi ! it would be my first time to open a savings account. Can anyone suggest which bank (BPI, BDO, Metrobank) should I choose which is convenient in terms of deposit, good customer service, etc.

    Reply
    • It depends what your needs on bank. Like for example, I have Metrobank account. I also use this account to pay credit card bills (Metrobank, RCBC Bankard, Citibank), electricity bills, telephone bills, even insurance such as Pioneer Life, etc.

      BTW, I have BPI & Metrobank. I have most of my savings in BPI. As for Metrobank, I have mentioned above why I have that account.

      Reply
    • Convenience, BPI in Davao
      Customer service, BDO very professional
      I think I will try Metrobank and compare the 3.

      Reply
  31. Hi. Question. My mom got a check from US, the bank is One West Bank, what bank can she fo to encash the check? Thanks for the reply.

    Reply
  32. BDO has the worst customer service! They don’t care about their clients!! I am going to pull out all of my investments and try PSBANK

    Reply
  33. PSBank and BPI are the best in customer service. Friendly and caring for thier customers. BDO sucks when it comes to customer service. They don’t even have seats for customers. You have to stand sometimes for than an hour while waiting in line.

    But I commend BDO for extending their services on Saturdays and for one of the banks with the most number of ATM machines.

    Reply
  34. I am not sure if anyone has tried Eastwest Bank, but their services are now better than most banks. I also have accounts with BDO, BPI, Metrobank and Chinabank. Then, about a year ago, I opened an Eastwest bank account (after they changed colors haha) and I have never been satisfied with a bank like them. They may not be the most popular choice out there, but they do have good physical banks, several branches, several ATMs, friendly staff, very secured online banking, etc. I have nothing against other banks , but you guys should give Eastwest bank a try. =)

    Reply
    • Employee ka ba ng East West Bank? Bakit sobrang papuri mo sa bank nila? Here in the province they require billing or barangay clearance if you live with your parents. WTF! I have to pay 50 pesos for barangay clearance just to open for a bank account!!?? While the top 10 banks doesn’t require billing or barangay clearance at all! Well, East West bank, you can kiss my money goodbye!

      Reply
      • Yeah so true, only in east west bank requires billing statement under your name or barangay clearance. So hassle in opening an account. Better to switch to other banks. Customer service is not also so good. They have no PR and their aura are always busy when you talk to them in branches.

        Reply
      • Sa BPI Val din, galing lang ako kanina. Nagrequest pa ng barangay clearance. Sobrang hassle. Kumpleto pa naman ako except yun. Buti pa sa BDO, madali lang, making ways possible talaga. Ang gusto ko lang kaya mag-oopen pa rin ako sa BPI is yung online services nila.

        Reply
      • i bet you don’t have money kasi big deal sayo ung 50 pesos mo. Eastwest bank won’t miss you and you 50 peso savings believe me.

        Reply
  35. Hi,

    I have a question. I have this online gold trading business then our bonuses and payouts are rapidly increasing. I’m about to get my first 23,000 Euro which is I guess around 1.2M Pesos bonus and this amount will be coming from UK. I actually have several options to get it, either money transfer, credit card or gold bars that they will send to me.

    I’m thinking of having it through money transfer and I want to use my Metrobank account, however I’m afraid that they would question why I have that big amount. Do you have any idea on how money transfer works specially if the amount will be transferred from UK to Philippines? Would there be any documents needed or big charges that they would ask me to settle?

    I appreciate your help guys. Thanks in advance.

    Gian

    Reply
    • Hi, if you will use money transfer like Western Union, you will have to pay huge fee since you’re transferring a million. Use Metrobank if you already have it, 1.2 million is not very huge even to OFWs. BDO and PNB are also great in terms of online transfer abroad

      Reply
      • Hi,

        I have a PNB dollar account. I have always sent money through different remittance centers in the US to my PNB dollar account. Then, I tried to wire transfer $100 to test it because I could not find PNB’s routing number (now, I know it is called swift) just in case I’d send it wrong. I paid $40 just to wire $100 to see if it would work. When I got here in the Philippines, I went to PNB to see if it posted, and it did. However, they took eight dollars and only deposited $92. Before anyone would ask, I am a dual citizen and the money I sent was already taxed in the US. Can somebody explain why they took eight dollars? Thank you.

        Reply
  36. I have been banking with MetroBank for over 20 years now…. But it was a very disappointing experience I just had today… Imagine, they informed me of a returned check after one year I deposited it…. I have no more contact with the one who issued it, so I have no more chance of running after him…

    Reply
    • Hay I super agree! BDO is one top “CHARGING” banks! Everything about them has charges! And they don’t inform their clients well on updates example is increasing maintaining balance.I was surprised their maintaining balance in their dollar account increased. They just kept on charging penalties without informing their clients.

      Reply
  37. The worst bank i ever experienced is bpi bank. They are not systematic. Low tech. Almost all phone banker are no how.they don’t have any direct line to concern departments. Email banking team are very worst i ever had. They will reply your email 3 weeks after. If you complain to them they would rather say i am not the only customers they have that need some reply. Email banking team are liers. They don’t have proper endorserment abd communication to other team. Some team acknowledge that they received the documents i submitted to them when another banking team replied to me they argued thst they did not received any documents from me. My transfer to anyone takes two months after to activate. I cannot recommend BPI Bank to anyone who plans to open an account. A big no no to BPI Bank. They will make you headache. One more thing, some of their phone banker is very unprofessional. Hang up my call two times.

    Reply
      • I have to disagree with you!! For me BPI IS THE WORST BANK. why? I lost 12000 pesos in my account. And when I told them about the lost money, they said that I have to wait for 7 days because they have to review my account. I’ve waited for 1 year and 6 months NOTHING HAPPENED….so this is only an advice , if you think that your money is safe with BPI, will you have to think twice.

        Reply
    • me too i really disagree…There is no other hi-tech bank in the philippines only BPI..Maybe because of your experienced with the phone banker. But in over all I love to bank with BPI a very very convenient bank

      Reply
    • I don’t think there’s such thing as “email banking” in BPI.. channels available are phone, mobile, bpiexpressonline and ATM banking..

      My transfer to anyone (mobile-based) took only 5 days in accordance to their TAT, just check your email..

      Low tech and not systematic – I don’t find this appropriate.. I have other bank accounts other than BPI, but only BPI have this Cash Accepting Machine thing that made my banking experience (deposit specifically) and life (in general) easier.. what ya say bout that, huh?

      just my two cents..

      Reply
    • What? You’re wrong. I think your a personnel from a different bank. Haha! Seriously, BPI has one of the most advanced banking out there here in the Philippines! Easy online banking and everything! Very systematic indeed. Plus customer service wise? I choose BPI. Unparalleled service!

      Reply
    • Disagree. The customer service of BPI is the best! They replies in your emails really fast, send updates through sms for important reminders. Their contact numbers also works! They even have mobile numbers to contact to. I tried contacting BDO’s customer hotline and no one even answers!

      Reply
    • I beg to disagree! I always admire the convenience BPI giving to me everytime I have had transactions with them. Even now that I am working outside the country, they seems so reachable. Your comments Sir are baseless. I am challenging you to ask BPI customers who are with the bank with the past 5 to 10 years and you will be amazed how BPI take care of them and their hard earned money. I have bank accounts with the top 3, but BPI seems to be the most reliable and stable.

      Reply
  38. For me BPI is an okay Bank , though I don’t have an account with them. Due to their machine it’s easier to pay bills , deposit and withdraw. We have an account in BDO though , we don’t experience the long waiting because we know all the staff in our BDO branch . Kaya pwede namin isingit anytime ang transaction namin kapag mahaba Pila. Kaya I can’t tell the side of depositors waiting in long line.
    Worst bank we’ve experience is METROBANK meycauyan. All the staff and the manager too are all nakasimangot. Not accommodating specially if you dont look rich. They’ll keep you waiting for hours just to confirm a check before you can encash it. At pag hindi mo pa pinalow-up . You wouldn’t know na hindi pa sumasagot yung branch ng checke NA wini-withdraw mo.

    Reply
    • I am a Canadian married to a Filipino. We have a home in the Philippines and a Bank account with Metro Bank. There is a very troubling aspect regarding all Philippine Banks that is very easily overlooked unless you pay close attention. I am talking about DEPOSIT INSURANCE.

      In Canada, the maximum insurance payout for a given account is $100,000 CAN. This coverage is available for any number of accounts in a given bank. If you have three accounts and each account has less than $100,000 and the bank fails, you will get a full refund on EACH of the 3 accounts.

      In the Philippines, the situation is completely different. The maximum amount of Insurance deposit coverage is P500,000 PER BANK! Let me explain. Firstly, the PDIC does not refer to accounts they refer to “THE DEPOSITOR”. If for instance Metro Bank was to fail, the PDIC would refer to you as THE DEPOSITOR and they would have no interest whatsoever with respect to how many separate accounts you have had with a particular Bank.

      Instead, the PDIC would simply add up the total amount of money you had in the bank at the time of failure and then pay you up to P500,000 against your loss. If you had 3 accounts each with P500,000 then the PDIC would simply say that you have P1.5 million in that bank and they would pay you P500,000 against that total sum. The other P1.5 Million would be a total loss!!

      For this reason we keep only a small sum of money in Metro Bank (less than P500,000) and the rest remains in Canada. The bottom line here seems that it is not possible to secure more than P500,000 in PDIC coverage in a given bank (or branches of that bank) in the Philippines. If you use 2 banks say Metro and BPI then the maximum amount of PDIC insurance you can collect is P500,000/Bank for a total of P1.0 Million.

      This is scary especially when the Chinese military are knocking on the front door. At any rate, I don’t mean to criticize the Philippines, I’m just pointing out something that the PDIC seems to have chosen not to explain in simple easy to understand language.

      Regards
      Robert

      Reply
  39. You wanna treat like a GOLD? Please visit our website and learn more about the new Security Bank. New products and Services that tailor fit to your needs because #YouDeserveBetter

    Reply
      • No it is not. LOL

        Security Bank staff are really friendly and opening an account is very easy.. I currently have accounts with PNB, BDO, BPI and Security Bank..

        Reply
  40. BDO sucks! Their tellers and staff are not accommodating especially on weekends. Tellers wont even smile at you and there are time when I needed to make a deposit that tellers would pause at what they are doing to chitchat with one another in front of clients who have been in line for at least 40 mins. BPI’s online services are the best! Transfer funds, manage your accounts, pay bills, etc in seconds. Whe you walk in, you dont need to fill up confusing bank sllips as everything is done electronically. They will give you a queue number and you can wait for your turn comfortably on your seat. Everyone, even the guards will smile at you. Most of these banks products and services are the same, but how they treat their clients is what matters. BDO should learn a thing or two with how BPI serve their clients, just like how they are now copying the mobile banking app of BPI.

    So Sorry Miss BDO endorser / employee or whatever, I;’m not sure where you are getting your figures but your poll would tell that many favor BPI over your beloved BDO.

    Reply
    • BDO is the worst in customer service. Bank employees discriminate class d & e customers but they are know as a “wet market bank.”

      Reply
  41. Bdo

    Worst customer service..

    Only bank in the Philippines that has no seats for customers.

    You have to bring your own portable chair because you’ll be standing up for quite some time.

    Parang Pila sa tayaan ng lotto. Pag malaki ang jackpot

    Reply
  42. Aside from Having international accounts (HSBC,SCB,Citi)) meron din akong BPI, BDO. They got strengths and weakness. So I just treat them fairly lang din. One thing that I’ve noticed about BPI is that they are promoting self-service methods w/c convenient lalo na yung deposit machines nila which is I find it convenient lalo na at ang uwi ko is 1am( I’m working in HSBC technohub) With BDO naman, they got saturday banking which is great lalo na if you have branch transactions that is needed during weekends. Pero it’s long line talaga. With my international banks naman, I use those 3 companies kasi they got branches in overseas specially with HSBC and Citi. Last but not the least, SCB is the only international bank na nakita ko na merong savings account without maintaining balance and no opening balance so I find then very convenient and in par with BPI since they also got self service methods such as deposit machines and etc.

    Reply
  43. My experience. BPI is the best bank. BPI requires less documents and requirements + staffs are direct to the point. Unlike BDO, they requires more requirements and documents+ the worst are the staffs. Why? they ask you everything as if they are not experience employee. They will ask you, what is A,B,C,1,2,3//////etc

    Reply
  44. I’m from the states and banking in the Philippines is just flat out terrible. I have both BDO and BPI. But between the two…BDO is the worst. They make you stand in line to deposit or withdraw, sometimes for as long as an hour or more. A guard also makes his rounds scolding you everything you touch your cellphone. I’m a business man my business shouldn’t stop when I come in the bank. Customer service is horrible and they charge for everything even depositing at a different branch. I can’t say in enough words how terrible BDO is.

    Reply
    • That is true, even though their motto is “We find ways.”

      Obviously they choose to not find ways to make banking with them as good or even better than with Bpi.

      Still, at least they have to my observation the most number of atm machines and branches and hours, in particular with their branches in the SM malls.

      Then also I am worried that Bdo being a Chinese bank, it will stop operating and disappear once the family breaks up.

      That is what to my limited observation though, a lot of big businesses owned and operated by Chinese who succeed in a lifetime to get richer than the Spanish mestizos like the Ayalas and the Zobels, these businesses don’t continue upon the death of their Chinese founders.

      Reply
    • Yes i agree with you po all their transaction has a charge and customer service always giving wrong information then suddenly bdo magmemessage saken na naoverlooked ko daw yung due whilst i called a week after my transaction due to their billing statement came to late as usual. bdo sucks!!

      Reply
  45. i recently became a member of bdo bank mactan,cebu…im from the uk but live here with my family and i think bdo bank here need to learn more about how to treat there customers..the customer is the persons who make any bank there profits,without them they woudnt exist so you should treat the customer with respect and dignity…in the uk when you enter any bank there are service assistants who ask if they can help you,there are hardly any queues and there are also atms inside and outside most banks where you can deposit and withdraw funds,no hassle,no problem and quick service.so why here in mactan bdo branches there are always long queues,no atms inside whether it be for deposits or withdrawals,im sure the bank is making big profits and can invest more to make customers more comfortable, more welcoming when entering there branches wherever they are..because sometimes when i go to deposit money with my wife and baby daughter we have waited more then 1 hour and a half,that is bad customer service and unacceptable,we have seen at the most 2 tellers when it is obvious the more tellers are needed,if they are unable to supply more tellers when the queues are long why dont they employ more people,becuase it seems to me that the bank has a dont careless attitude towards people who have to put up with this evreytime they go into the bank..point taken….

    Reply
    • Sir, Since you mentioned about deposit and if you are a frequent depositor. I suggest go with BPI Bank, any branch will do. They do have Money Deposit Machine wherein you can just insert your cash, you don’t need to face a teller. Plus, the customer service is great.

      Reply
  46. In all the banks mentioned, i prefer PSBANK! Philippine Savings Bank simple lang, maaasahan! the only savings banks in Philippines na nakapasok sa ASIA’s 500. Bakit ko nasabi? Well sit back, check it out, and vist their website! But wait !theres more! PSBANK ang may pinakamababang interest in terms of Loans sa lahat ng banks! Simple lang di ba? Think well my friends.

    Reply
  47. Hi Guys! after reading this helpful topic and comments… I’ve decided to go on BDO and MetroBank but still I’m confuse what type of bank account should I open 🙁 I want my money grow with or without depositing in month/s in the bank and I want to use this account for my future Investment… Thanks guys!

    Reply
  48. for me i would go through BPI. very knowledgeable ang kanilang mga employee.kahit nagtanung lang ako sa teller regarding investments alam na alam nila.Hindi yung type na teka e rereffer muna kita sa officer namin.that’s what I’ve like BPI very smart employee and very convenient bank.

    PS: Kung gusto mo rin ma una sa queuing number nila.pwede ka kumuha ng online number sa bpiexpressonline as long as nka enroll yung account mo sa online.you know for me BPI is incomparable.

    and this is my experienced…..

    Reply
  49. Can you also do a review on the negative sides, like how often their system go down or the likes. In that way we can tell which one can provide the best consistent service.
    Just my piece. By the way, very good list. It gives me an idea where to go to.
    Thanks.

    Reply
  50. for all your banking concerns, try east west bank. just a suggestion. one of the best bank i experienced in terms of customer service and satisfaction.

    Reply
  51. I had bad experience with Metrobank. I had a credit card and salary account in the same bank. They deducted my credit card balance from my salary account without my consent. I thought I was hacked when my salary was less than expected. For some reason and rage, I figured out that my salary deduction came from the credit card. And it turned out they even got more than my credit card balance. However, they returned the excess payment after my dispute. But, they could never gain back my trust. I’ve closed all accounts there and have already considered other banks.

    Reply
    • My friend transferred some money from her BDO account to my BPI account.

      She transferred it online. After the transaction, the note the popped up was that the transfer was invalid so my friend did the process all over again and received the same response.

      On the third try, the note says that she has insufficient balance!

      When she checked her account, the first two transactions that was supposed to be invalid was deducted on her account.

      We immediately contacted their customer service (took us a long time to receive a response).

      Since the transfers were still “processing”, my friend asked if they can cancel the second transfer. She explained in her request the system glitch that happened.

      When BDO did replied, they told her that the cancellation will still be approved by them and that charges related to the transfer will not be add back to the account (the nerve!)

      My friend told them again about the system glitch and that it is not her fault. Why would she be charged for it?

      When I told her I already received the amount, the cancelled transaction was not yet added back to her bank. We tried calling their hotlines but no one answers them.

      When she checked her account again, the correct amount was added back to her account including the charges.

      If she didnt argue for the charges, she would have been charged for BDOs mess

      Reply
  52. Never Bank wih BDO, they are “The Modern day Robbers”. I opened an ATM account with them some years ago for only P1,000(opening and maintaining) but months after they had to increase the maintaining amount to P3,000 and we were not even advised! so after 5 months my account was closed. They charged me P200 for going below their maintaining. Went to my branch of account and asked what happened, they just told me that it was closed and they couldnt access my account anymore… lesson learned? don’t bank with robbers!

    Reply
  53. hi.. Just want to add that BDO strive to serve their client better. If you have any complains or anything you think needed to be reported, they have this want you call BDO watch. You can text or email your concern and 100% anyone involve will be reprimanded.. Visit their webssite toget the contact #

    Reply
    • Duh as if they respond to your complaints immediately! They’ re only good at informing clients of their charges! Mabuti pa sa metrobank and BPI. I had same experience with these three banks so far metrobank and bpi ang very accommodating. They even go to your office to personnally talk to you about the problem. BDO pupunta lng pag mag oopen kn ng account. After that wala na. Parang gobyerno na ang customer service.

      Reply
  54. Hi to all!

    I suggest you might as well try other emerging banks other than the top 3 banks that’s always been listed as of the best. I can suggest Eastwest Bank to try because apparently:

    1. They are expanding within this year, they are targeting to have 400 branches nationwide within the end of the year.
    2. No charges for interbank transaction (unlike bdo)
    3. They offer good rates for Dollar exchange and doesn’t necessarily need an account to have a transaction with (Just bring valid id)
    4. They offer low maintaing balance in checking account and passbook.
    5. Easy to enroll with their online enrollment which can also give you convenience in banking.
    6. They are now offering good rates especially to Time Deposits.
    7. They have a good customer service.

    You can also try PS Bank, which is a subsidiary bank of Metrobank which can offer you fast approval in loans such as housing and auto loans

    This is just an insight and opinion though. It doesn’t always necessary to open an account within the top 3 banks isn’t it? 🙂

    Reply
    • I opened an ATM account at Eastwest Bank last August 19, 2014. I liked how there wasn’t any long queues unlike in most big banks nowadays. I was told I’ll be able to get my ATM card “next week”.
      I came back eight days later and my ATM card was still not available. I needed to withdraw money that day so I was forced to withdraw through the teller and I was charged P100.
      I understand the charges. But the least they could have done was waive the charge since they were at fault for the delay.

      But to be fair with Eastwest Bank, I’ve been using their credit card for two and a half years now and I’m overall very satisfied with their credit card services especially how I could easily check online my outstanding balance and available credit limit. I no longer open the monthly bill they sent me because I can check the bill earlier online.

      Reply
      • Hi Miss Henie!
        Can I ask some information about the credit card of EastWest Bank?
        I’m conducting a research about the collection practices of EastWest Bank credit cards. Can I know what are they doing/ procedures/ steps they are making in collecting your debts to them?
        I hope you can read my comment. This would be a big help for me. Thankyou!

        Reply
  55. Hello,

    Just recently I opened a savings account at chinabank due to some factors. First of which is that di mahaba ang queue (kasi lesser and depositors compared to the big three. lol). I am also interested in investing part of my salary in prension/life insurance or probably a TD. Ano po ba yung suggested Insurance companies or banks niyo. thank you so much.

    Reply
    • TD won’t give so much income. I recommend you get Mutual Funds instead or UITFs if you want to open from banks. If you dno’t have insurance yet, go for VUL coz it has investment + insurance.

      Reply
  56. Depositing at a different branch or withdrawing at a different branch is extra charge, anytime I go to another branch expect extra charges for anything I do. These charges aren’t cheap either minimum 50 pesos or higher depending on the transaction. One company one entity does not apply to them, Kanya Kanya style, they compete with each other and blame other branches for screw ups. Customer service isn’t good either, due to their bad security on their credit card line someone was able to purchase 50 airline tickets from my credit card in a matter of 2 days worth 80 thousand. I complained about it and told them I haven’t purchased any airline tickets in 4 months so they told me to fill out forms for each transaction then I should scan and email it to them. What a hassle for something that’s common sense, in the states I would never fill out forms for something like this. With so much money going into bdo you would expect them to provide better service, less procedures, less charges. Unfortunately that’s the opposite.

    Reply
  57. The best bank in your list for 2014 (specially the top 5) are the worse in customer service and satisfaction. For me the best bank should be the one who takes good care of their client, No long lines/wait, no burden of having to justify that money wasn’t dispensed, or that the billing statement came late. ATM is online when you need it the most (online during payday and holiday). We the banking customers just want to be treated better by their banks since we put money in them, invested in these banks with a measly amount of return on interest.

    Reply
    • Like I said, as to customer service, I lay out the decision in the comments here 🙂 Thank you for sharing your comment about your banking experience. 🙂

      Reply
  58. I have to agree that your money is secured with Metrobank, but I absolutely hate their staffs. I went to a Metrobank branch and their security guards are rude. Their tellers are slow and very masungit. They also have long queues for their turtle-like service. What irritates me the most is that they refuse to accept cash with scotch tapes. Aren’t they suppose to accept mutilated cash because they’re a bank? I just don’t like Metrobank at all and I don’t recommend to open an account there .
    It’s better to open at BDO, BPI, Sterling or Chinabank in my opinion.

    Reply
  59. Hi Fehl,

    Pros for BDO: Secure online banking with Mastercard ATM abroad. BDO has been able to assist me activating my one-year-and-a-half unvisited account.

    Cons for BDO:
    1. Very slow to resolve my online enrollment, which took 12 days to get approved.
    2. Most of the branches do not accept any check deposit to my Savings Account, which is ridiculous. Thank God, one of them relented after two weeks of haggling

    Reply
  60. Hi, I’m still new to the different banks here in the Philippines. Taga-isla kasi ako eh 😀
    Anyways, I want to save my money as an emergency/college fund so what bank do you think is student friendly base on your experiences? (14 pa kase ako kaya wala pa masyadong experience)

    Reply
    • Most banks have products for students like you who want to save early. Go to BPI, BDO and PNB and check out their latest bank products that suit your goal

      Reply
      • Hi my husband s a businessman we wany to open an savings account we also want to have cheque for business porpuse and credit card for us and in the nesr future try to loan a car…what bank you think is the convenient for me and the least interest.

        Reply
        • Try PSbank because they are good in loaning terms and opening check accounts. Their staff is friendly and less queque. My mom opened in PSbank and our car loan is good and got our car thanks to their loan.

          Reply
  61. LARGE DEPOSITOR – super asikaso by bank reps.. NAkA smile pa…
    AVERAGE DEPOSITOR – MAGSAWA KA SA KAKAHINTAY SAMAHABNG PILA. SUSUNGITAN KPA NG TELLER..
    HAAAAYYYYYY…

    (MADALAS NANGYAYARI SA BDO)

    Reply
  62. Okay, maybe Metrobank always ranks high on different lists but I just have to say that I hate their employees. I don’t like how they treat customers. My mom and I went to a branch (I won’t tell) to inquire about that UITF stuff, actually we brought already some amount so we can invest that day. And since the amount is actually quite high, we didn’t dress up so much. Our clothes are just really simple yet presentable (like no make up and accessories) but when we ask one of their employees, she took a very long time answering while she’s actually doing nothing work related (just fixing files etc. on the table) and apparently she doesn’t know the UITF that much so she let another employee of a higher position, i think, to entertain us. However, I don’t like the attitude of that another employee. She looked at us like we’re some sort of people who just can’t afford to invest anything in their bank. She answered our questions but not in a welcoming way (she talked so lazily) so I just took the first step out because I was really irritated.

    I know this may not apply to all but an attitude of one or two employees had already change my perspective towards Metrobank.

    Reply
    • Whoa that sounds so disappointing. Perhaps those bankers really had no idea about what you’re asking so they acted like that (which they must not). Not all bankers could entertain investments and trust fund stuff. Every bank has few Trust rep. who knows about those investment products. I admire you because you didn’t lose your cool 🙂 Thank you for sharing your banking experience here.

      Reply
    • Yes, you can start Mutual Fund if you have 10K and just add 1K+ every month. Some Mutual Funds companies have investment products that allows that like Sun Life

      Reply
    • HINDI NAMAN LAGI
      madalas kaya sila bad service kasi andami nilang clients which for me, i understand.
      on demand sila e
      try AUB since low-profile lang sila. hindi ka mababad service kasi halso walang tao. 😉

      Reply
  63. Does Eastwest have a good standing among the top 10 banks here in the phils? No one has answered yet the others before me who also asked about East West. Hope someone can address my query. Thank you very much.

    Reply
    • Eastwest is in the top 15, not top 10.and has very poor service too.always offline! My atm card supposed to be released after 5 days, i went to the branch 8days after. And still they haven’t requested my atm card because they are always offline!

      Reply
      • I heard same thing with my brother’s lost ATM card. He tried to get a new one in a branch near us but they said it would take 2 weeks so the branch suggested to apply in Makati instead.

        Reply
      • Hi, eastwest bank is now the 10th largest private universal/commercial bank in the Philippines (source BSP website); also rank 5th in credit card business and one of the fastest growing commercial bank in the Country. eastwest bank is a subsidiary of Filinvest Group of the Gotianun family ( Gotianun Sr, considered as the 10th richest)

        Reply
      • I totally agree that EastWest Bank has the very poor customer service. Even their online banking is worst. It’s difficult to access, very slow and always crashes. Their online banking is such a joke. When you update your contact information, you still have to personally go to your branch of account even if prior to updating your contact information, you are asked of One Time Password. Bullshit.

        Reply
      • yes. i think using the word ‘best’ in this post is misleading since ‘best’ is more appropriately used in qualitative assessments and not quantitative (i. e. figures like assets, deposits, etc.). like, to be very honest, bdo may be the top in almost all quantitative categories above but i wouldn’t call them the best since their service is pretty shitty.

        Reply
        • That is why I categorized the best banks as to capital, loans, etc. I just left the best banks in terms of customer service at the readers comments here. 🙂

          Reply
          • Assets are what a company owns such as machinery, cash, equipment, land, building etc. Capital is usually the funds required to produce goods or profit and can be considered as asset

    • Any commercial banks would do, as long as you have an account w/ the branch, provide documents of where you got that large amount of money or if it does commensurate with your financial capacity. Php44M is just a small amount. You need to call the bank and inform them of the exchange to prepare the cash as banks do have cash limits in vault. Though It would take atleast an hour to serialize your 1k pcs in 100’s haha…

      Reply
          • I suggest you approach a bank Trust Department in the head office and put your funds in a Trust Fund to be more secure because PDIC only insures 500,000 pesos and you have damn a lot of money. Did you say 100 million dollars? That is 4.4 billion pesos. Don’t approach a branch, go directly to the head office of a bank. I can assist you but we need James Bond and some convoy of men in black LOL

  64. best bank in terms of security of bank account?
    i dont think OTP can stop online theft, thumb print would be better
    neither could we stop some from peeking on our accounts, such as AMLA, NBI, BIR, etc.
    better to maintain only the maximum amount of deposit insured with PDIC and
    with explanation where such deposits came from and forget the bank secrecy law

    best bank in terms of customer service?
    each of them have possibly had lapses particularly in talking with clients and chronic culprits may have been removed from the front line,
    but a bank did better, they installed BEA machines which also queues before going to the teller
    giving more impression that “first come, first served” policy is maintained with no discrimination
    clients not oriented with these machines are promptly guided by bank personnel
    tellers recheck the BEA transaction before processing, thus minimizing error
    you could even use the BEA online system even if you have not yet reached the branch
    clients and bank personnel still talk and inter-act
    i still see no material disadvantage of BEA machines

    bank is open outside regular hours or regular days? convenient to some, but expect it is jam packed
    Personally, bank’s customer’s service doesn’t mean clients’ amenities, perks or even coffee, but more on explanation on specific account transactions, could or could not be resolved, alternatives, time frame and other points to minimize the stress of the client on the transaction

    my favorite bank usually is conservative, minimal interest on regular deposits, lower loan limit
    but it has not substantially stressed me yet.
    all transactions clear, most transactions prompt, delays have definite time to be resolved

    Reply
  65. How about banks that are not strict in dealing with student’s needs.. lols.. Cuz’ we’re doing this thesis thing, and we really like to study Metrobank. however, ang susungit nila sa amin 🙁 Can we have the list of top 10 most student friendliest bank? Lols :)))

    Reply
    • BPI and PNB are always friendly to everyone. If you’re having thesis, it’s best you conduct a survey. Give a form containing questionnaires and let some students answer them to gather the info. Share us the most loved bank from your survey ok 🙂

      Reply
  66. Having read all of the comments to your article… Now I am so much confuse on where to open an account.. At first I said, I’ll go with Metrobank.. But now I’m really really confuse. All I want is to open an account, have my money be sevured WITH increasing its intetest.. Is that right? When you are having an account with a bank, it will turn your money gain interest? Please help me understand the process.. I want to know where or how to invest my money. Thanks

    Reply
    • All commercial banks in the Philippines offer similar interest rates in terms of savings accounts. If you want higher interest rates, opt for time deposits but I tell you, it’s still low. If you want higher profit with your money, opt for Mutual Funds and UITFs

      Reply
      • If you want a higher interest rate I would suggest you go open a TD account in a savings bank, they have much higher interest since they have a faster flow of money. Savings banks focus more in lending that is why they increase their int rate to encourage people to place their money in their bank and lend it.

        Reply
  67. Hirap wg withdraw sa bdo. Withdraw lang ako ng 1thousand dollars wala daw sila kasi naka reserve.Pinapahanap pa ako s ibang branch. Ang laking bangko walang 1thousand dollars. Dapat daw tumawag muna ako etc etc. Another bank which has a poor customer service is security bank, nagloloko ang atm machine nila, captured ang card ko, need ko pa naman, nung withdraw ako over the counter dun s same bank kungsaan nandun ung account ko considering na reported machine problem un chinarge pa ako ng 100php. Ano ba yan? Para din akong ninakawan.

    Reply
    • Oh wow that sucks. Oh girl I feel you. I think SM and BDO are very strict in foreign exchange. The client needs to write down the money serial numbers and stuff when exchanging to pesos. Big hassle.

      Reply
      • Though the hassle would pay off later when you found out your dollar is fake! What proof would you present when you return the dollar? Wollah its their serial numbers! Remember, the most counterfeited money is $ because of its easy security features!

        Reply
  68. above mentioned banks are good but dont ignore the PHILIPPINE BUSINESS BANK theyre in the top 8 savings bank in the past 5 years. owned by ALFREDO YAO of the zesto group, considered the most admirable businessman among his contemporaries. has more than 100 branches nationwide. its a silent ‘performer’ bank.. check it out..

    Reply
  69. No to BDO!!! Last tuesday (july 8, 2014), I wondered y I only have 4,700 in my savings acct (pasbook) because I know I never withdraw any amount because I know 5k is their maintaining balance. To my surprise, the teller just told me that i have been charged 300 for having below maintaining balance, so I asked her why and how come?!! She just simply said that they recently changed their maintaining balance amt from 5k to 10k effective last may 2014. I never got any letter or any type of notification about this change so after walking out of the bank, I withdraw the 4,700 in their atm and just decided to put the money in my piggy bank at home while Im still trying to save up to have the 10k maintaining balance for BPI because Im planning to open a new savings acct with them instead. I sooooooo hate BDO since then!!! Never open an acct in BDO!!!

    Reply
    • same here. i asked the teller regarding the two-300php deductions (600php). sabi niya service charge daw dahil bago na yung maintaining balance from 5k to 10k. sabi ko hindi manlang nag inform kung gusto ko daw gawa daw ako ng letter BUT hindi daw siya sure kung mababalik pa, useless din so bakit pa ko gagawa ng letter di ba. sa inis ko pinaclose ko account ko ngayon. Pero dapat talaga gagawa ko ng letter eh, iattached ko sa letter ko like tong comment mo as proof na hindi lang ako yung hindi nainform but huwag na lang. kanila na yung 600.

      Reply
      • Im a bank officer of BDO and Im very sorry for that..for your information,it was never 5k its 10k. 5k is only a partial deposit or initial deposit as what we call it. Again we’re sorry, some customer representative might informed you wrong.

        Reply
        • i opened my savings account since 2010 and the initial and maintaining balance was 5,000.00 so you cannot say that representative informed us wrong it was you who didin’t give any information to your client about the increase of maintaining balance i was a victim of this also debited of 900.00.

          Reply
  70. Best Bank in terms of Customer Service? BPI will be on the top spot.

    BDO is the worst in terms of Customer Service.

    Reply
  71. I have been with BDO for quiet sometime as Im an original Pcib depositor, then became equitable and now BDO. I stayed with Bdo because im an ofw and remits my hardearned money bank to bank thru bdo, and i would say bdo remittances are the best, my remittance is deposited in a matter of 1 hour from overseas banks and with the best exchange rates used.. However, when im in Manila i get so dissapointed with bdo branches due to long queues at the counters and customer services. I happen to live walking distance to an sm mall, so i always jave acces to atms, but most of the time bdo atms do have very very long queues too, if not offline. So now im just using my bdo for my remittances and kept my savings with BPI, metrobank for me is not an option as i had very bad experience with that bank.

    Reply
  72. I think Eastwest is the most convinient way of banking, easy access facilities never been hard, no long wait for branch transactions and high credit card limit in their credit card

    Reply
  73. Sorry but I think this article is misinformation.
    Just because the banks are the biggest in terms of assets, capital, deposits or loans doesn’t mean it’s the “BEST”.
    You could have used the term biggest as it is more appropriate. The term “BEST” is utterly misleading.
    I would understand if the numbers presented are based on growth of deposits and loans, or the performance of its investment instruments.

    Reply
  74. Hi Author. Nice article. These banks may be belong in the top 10 list in terms of their assets, capital, and loans but have you consider what’s the top 10 as well in terms of best service and worst service? Just saying. Thanks

    Reply
    • As for Savings Bank, it maybe new in the market ,but Sterling Bank of Asia has a very good customer service. In all branches even if you do interbranch transactions, the staff and officers are really nice.

      Reply
  75. i hope there is ranking as to customer service. i had a very bad customer experience with #metrobank. Last time when i was a victim of skimming, it took them 5 months to resolve the issue. If i didnt complain to BSP about their slow response – wala silang gagawin. i even have to suggest on some audit procedures on how to established that my case is skimming.

    Reply
    • Hello ck, i hope you can help me… same experience with metrobank until now di pa resolved they dont want to return the money because wala daw sa records nila na naskim ung atm ko and that never naman daw nagkamali sa pag input ng PIN. so they want to make it seem like it was just me who withdraw the amount or that i gave my PIN to someone, which i did not. did you get your money? Pano ka nag file ng complain sa bsp? Really need help… thanks!

      Reply
    • Hi, I’m also a victim of ATM card skimming.
      The branch is asking for a letter of complaint after 2 months of investigation. So weird. Pano po mag send ng complain sa BSP regarding this issue?
      Thanks!

      Reply
  76. Hi ms mariz, do you have any suggestions were i can put my money with a high interest rate like mutual funds or something?
    thanks.

    Reply
  77. PNB has good service on internet banking, until recently, when they introduce the a system which they called OTP ( one time password) now it sucks???

    Reply
    • To be honest, both banks and the account holder need that OTP. BDO has it too in their online banking log in. It is very important for account holders’ online security. You wouldn’t be wanting an online thief or hacker to view or enter your online banking account, would you? Passwords and logins are easy to guess nowadays, One Time Password is very important.

      Reply
  78. Security bank and security bank savings will merge soon. account officers can give personalized services to the clients regardless if corporate or individuals. They can go to the clients to transact without you going to the branch.

    Reply
  79. Ms. Fehl, please try to rank them as to their performance. BDO have been on top since they have acquired several banks before. Whay we may want to know is how strong are these banks. Life of banks depends on their performance and what they do to their stakeholders – owners, clients, employees and the community.

    Reply
  80. i think bdo is makamasa but its like a big bayad center bec of madami tao pero when it comes to service i think they failed to it imagine people were standing while waiting for chinabank is still more on makamasa than bdo pagpasok mo pa lang guards palang nka smile na at nkabati pa sayo pati feeling at home kapa because of the service of the staff and officers san kapa!!!!

    Reply
  81. basta ako di ko na kailangan pumunta ng bangko para lang mag bayad ng bills at magtransfer ng pera.mobile at internet banking sa BPI ganda talaga.try ninyo amazing talaga

    Reply
    • But you still need to go there to make deposit. One thing that BPI may lose is the personal relationship between the employees and the clients. At BPI, machines will be the one to greet you since it’s more of a self service thing.

      Reply
      • I admire what BPI did about the machine / kiosk thing when you fall in line coz it make transactions easier and faster plus no “singit” Metrobank, BDO, PNB need to do something about their long que service too. If they won’t add tellers, they should add machines like BPI did. Some banks put priorities to their big time clients than those ordinary clients who are falling in long lines. Time is money but sometimes money becomes time. Sad but true

        Reply
  82. I still think bpi is the best…for me its more convenient..there are no charges..I remember in bdo if u deposit in the other branch even if its just a block away they will charge 50 pesos..unlike in bpi…just saying..

    Reply
  83. Just to correct, PNB was acquired by Allied Bank not the other way around. but since PNB is more known than allied bank. so they decided to carry the Name PNB…

    Reply
  84. I have maintain savings account with the big 3 banks and Chinabank too.
    I love Chinabank’s online banking feature – very secure, convenient and easy to do transactions like transfering funds to the 3rd party banks with low transaction fee which only chinabank offers.

    Reply
    • PBCom right now is in the midts of changes.. They are into Next Level Banking..I saw their new branches, its awesome. a merger of of global and local bank culture..As to security, its safe to bank with them, they offer competitive rates, especially time deposit and dollar savings.. they have few branches but distance was never a problem with them..great bank..

      Reply
      • Isn’t it that they are still under the radar of PDIC? As you may know, PDIC has injected addtl liquidity to PBCOM to help dispose of its bad loans a few years ago. The good thing is that they are under a new management and controlled now by the ISM group headed by Eric Recto. Are they stable right now? I mean is it safe to deposit our money with them?

        Reply
        • As to safety for deposit, yeah its safe to deposit with PBCOM, they are growing and as a matter of fact, in business world issue August 22, 2013 PBCOM topped all banks with an astounding Return on Equity of 35.31%, with BDO and BPI on 29.62% and 24.77% respectively. That’s a good indication that the bank oi doing well. Let us see what will happen next 🙂

          Reply
  85. Hi my account was frozen by AMLA for having a regular dollar remittance abroad. It is on a regular basis already for a month before they froze it. Can anyone please suggest a bank that can accept big deposits from oversee on a regular basis. PS. Please give me advice too on what I can do about my account being freeze and how can I unfreeze my account the fastest way. Thank you.

    Reply
  86. Rather than comment, May I ask your opinion about BOC , owned by SMC whose shares were offered for sales to CIMB, Malaysia’s No. 2 bank. The 2nd bank am curious about is Maybank which is also a PHL and Malaysian partnership. Please email their rankings as of the latest in 2013.

    In the province they are easy to deal with too, other than the top 3. Thanks.

    Mariz

    Reply
    • Hi! Partnership of BOC and CIMB didn’t push thru. So BOC is still under San Miguel Corp. Nothing to worry about, still one of the most stable local commercial banks.

      Maybank is also a very good bank. They are also aggressive especially with Loans and Deposits. And a very stable foreign bank.

      Reply
  87. This topic is interesting. I am about to open a personal savings account but a little bit confuse where to open. I am an employee and my payroll falls on BPI and I am thinking of opening a personal account on BDO. I want to choose BDO since it has a good schedule because you know, as an employee, I have the same office hours together with some banks specially with BPI. By the way, these are the things I preferred before opening an account.
    1. Accessibility
    2. No conflict in office hours
    3. Bank stability
    4. Interest rate
    5. Good service crew
    6. Quick service response (online, over-the-counter)
    7. Online banking
    8. Have many branches and ATM availability
    9. Dollar account access
    10. Security
    – Oh my, seems like I’m over acting…. Hahahahaha ^_^

    Reply
    • Hi, Bong 🙂 No you’re not over reacting 🙂 It means you are a smart saver and investor. Personal savings have low interest rate and they are all the same here. I like BDO too coz they are accessible and they are open every weekend. I see BPI and Chinabank have also branches in malls too. Still BDO is the most accessible. hehe I agree with you about the factors to consider when opening bank account here. Thank you for sharing them here. 🙂 You have an amazing mind!

      Reply
    • with bdo you can have: 1,2,3,7,8,9,10
      with BPI: 1,3,5,6,7,8,9,10
      with Metrobank: 1,3,5,6,7,8,9,10

      this big 3 will not give you GOOD interest rates if it’s a regular savings deposit. even a time deposit, you will not go so far. It’s more of a safekeeping.

      if you want to have a better interest rates but compromising all those 10 considerations you have listed, try to bank with rural banks. I think Bank of Makati is a good one. I can not speak for all those other Rural banks.

      Reply
      • In any category BDO is always on the no. 1 spot. While its co-brand Chinabank is at no. 8 on assets, No. 5 on Loans and No. 8 again on Capital. Hadn’t BDO acquired Equitable Bank who merged with PCI Bank previously all together with its assets, loans, deposits and liabilities could they be no. 1? The buy out was a big help as it absorbed its market thru its depositors/clients and borrowers which most investors are concern of, specially with its banking system that is extended on mall hours and still serves even on weekends. So, congratulations to Mr. Henry & Hans Sy and their family!

        Reply
        • Yeah it acquired Equitable some years ago. The merge was a big factor for big growth. Speaking of merging, PNB was acquired by Allied Bank last February. I heard BSP is planning to focus to maintain only big 4 to 5 banks in the Philippines so we expect more merges soon 🙂 Let’s see which bank will remain.

          Reply
  88. well the ranking is based on their financial statements…do you have a ranking based on their good services
    to their clients ?

    Reply
    • Yeah, ranking was based from figures. I guess we could see the ranking for good service by hearing people’s comments here. Some people are sharing their bank service insights and experiences at the comments. It would be interesting to know yours 🙂

      Reply
      • How about rating these banks according to the extent of their customer service orientation. I once encashed a BDO check ( issued from BDO= Tagaytay Branch) at a BDO branch in Quezon City. I was paid 1,800 pesos out of 2,000 BDO check payable in my name. Their explanation: service fee.

        Reply
          • Some time last year, I reluctantly opened an account at this BDO branch in QC. Several years back this same branch refused to trade me dollars for pesos because I didn’t have an account with them. It’s policy, they insisted. I left. By the time I tried to open last year, I was hoping things have changed.

            The account opening went without a hitch and everything was pleasantly smooth until this one fateful day. More than half a year later and several over-the-counter transactions of check deposits I was told that my account has been restricted to “Cash Deposits” only. I argued I’ve never been aware of such a restriction. I pointed out that I, in fact, have already made several such deposits in the same branch. I even produced a copy of a deposit slip that happened to still be in my wallet. The teller advised me to wait and that she will have to check their records.

            Several minutes later she came back and told me that my account has had the restriction ever since the day it was opened. What?! Why have I not been informed about this? So I asked why it had such a restriction. The teller responded that it is policy that an account holder must have a landline for the restriction to be lifted. What?! Who uses landlines nowadays? It’s policy, they insisted. Fine. Realizing the futility of arguing, I opted to just encash the check then since it was a BDO check. Lo and behold, I had to be charged One Hundred Pesos to encash the check!

            These rankings are misleading and can drive more uninformed clients. There should be ratings for Customer Service too.

        • I think it was fair for you to be charged because you are encashing a provincial check in a metro manila branch. I work in a bank and i find these charges just. Imagine if no charges were applied, a lot of local remittance comp would lose their businesses. People and their relatives would just open a bank account and if they need money, they would deposit money in metro manila and withdraw it in the province.

          Reply
          • Actually, BPI does not charge anything for inter-branch deposits and we know we can always withdraw from any ATM branch nationwide for free. So people do and have been depositing money from major cities and withdrawing it in rural areas or vice versa free of charge. When I was still studying a decade ago, my mother deposited cash in her Metrobank account in Leyte and I used her ATM card in withdrawing it in Cebu – for free. Now, my brother in Manila currently has a BPI account, as do I, and when I need him to buy me something, I just use my smartphone to transfer money to his account – again for free.

            There are many ways to send money without paying anything which many just are not aware of. But it doesn’t mean that local remittance companies would go out of business. There will always be people who’ll find it a hassle or impractical to open a bank account especially if they live far from the city. Besides, why would they when it’s just as fast, cheap and so much easier to send money through remittance channels. Maybe this is a reason why Palawan Pawnshops/Remittance Centers have sprouted like mushrooms as of late.

            Anyway, back to the issue of BDO charging for encashing a check, most money changers I know of only charge 0.5 – 1% of the check amount. So a P200 “service charge” for a P2,000 check is over the roof for me.That’s way too much not to mention that the check was issued by the same bank just from another branch. Tsk3x. Not cool, BDO. Not cool.

          • Your line of reasoning is archaic at the very least. Interconnectivity is now the new name of the game. BDO charges relatively the highest among banks in terms of their finance and transaction charges. Yes, charges should and must apply, for inter-bank transactions. I don’t mind that. Same bank transaction? C’mon, I would have agreed with you had we been in the 90s. Landbank charges 50.00 While BPI charges nothing.

            I would go for BPI when it comes to customer satisfaction. Lest you say I am being biased, i have accounts from most of the banks enumerated above. Landbank for payroll, BPI family for savings, BPI for trade and investments, Metrobank for my insurance, Unionbank for another insurance, and BDO, well for shopping at SM. BPI trumps them all when it comes to customer satisfaction.

  89. What a great article on banks in the Philippines. This is very useful for anybody saving or opening an account or just starting a job. You really know things about finance and business. There are so many business opportunities there for Filipinos and banks are necessary in order to make them work and make things function financially. We depend on banks so much. Have a sweet day, Fehl 🙂

    Cathy

    Reply
    • It would be helpful to know the best banks to be banking with here in the Philippines. Those are commercial banks. Looking forward to post the other kinds of bank soon. 🙂 The top 4 have always been the top 4 for the past 3 years I think. Let’s see how things would change. Thank you for dropping by here honeybunny. 🙂

      Reply
      • Hi Fhel…thanks for the posts. Personally, I still find bpi less expensive and more innovative. But im continuing to find other things among the top 3 banks to compare

        Reply
    • Hi there! With BDO, long line, with Metrobank, cue card. With BDO, small loan interesr rate but it’s an add-on rate, with Metrobank Loan, annuity rate and no add on rate. With BDO, go home late. But in Metrobank, HAPPY people, HAPPY customer, Go home late. The center of our heart, is to give excellent and quality service:-)

      Reply

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