The Bankers Association of the Philippines (BSP) said that awarding Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno as “Global Central Banker of the Year” – beating all other central bankers around the world – is a “well-deserved recognition”.
“Governor Diokno’s steadfast leadership motivated the banking industry to revolutionize its services, systems and operations to better serve the banking public in the midst of the global pandemic,” said the BAP in a statement on Wednesday, Jan. 5. “Through his thoughtful foresight, the banking sector was able to successfully navigate and surpass the adverse impact of the crisis allowing the country to achieve positive growth in 2021 despite the continuing threat of the COVID-19 health crisis,” the group added.
Diokno was named both “Central Banker of the Year” and “Asia-Pacific Central Banker of the Year” for 2022 by the UK-based and Financial Times Ltd.-owned, The Banker.
The BAP said Diokno has a clear vision which helped to “bring forward the Philippines in the digital sphere at par with other advanced markets in the region while his strong resolve to environment, sustainable and governance (ESG) inspired the banks to holistically implement ESG for a greener and sustainable Philippines.”
The bankers group also said that it is “strongly encouraged by (Diokno’s) openness and guidance as the industry jointly pursues various initiatives that promote inclusive and sustainable development.”
“We are confident that the Bangko Sentral will continue to develop policies that will lead to a stronger and long-term economic recovery for the Philippines,” said BAP.
BAP, first established in 1949, consists of 45 member banks of which 21 are local banks and 24 are branches of foreign banks in the Philippines.