Government-owned Landbank of the Philippines (Landbank) will offer full digital banking services starting next month, April, to reduce over-the-counter transactions and encourage more online new accounts.
“We are heavily investing in enhancing our digital infrastructure to ensure seamless service delivery across our online banking channels and traditional touchpoints,” said Landbank President and CEO Lynette V. Ortiz on Monday, March 25.
By going digital, she said the bank will enhance customer experience this year via the streamlining of its operations.
Ortiz, former president of British bank Standard Chartered Bank, said they have invested more in new technologies to improve the accessibility of its financial services to more Filipinos. They also prioritized cybersecurity enhancements.
“Ensuring data security and privacy is likewise a top priority for us,” she said, adding that the bank is “implementing multi-layered security controls in our systems to provide safe and frictionless solutions for our customers.”
Landbank, the country’s second largest lender, is aiming to reduce over-the-counter transactions in its branches “by encouraging customers to maximize the bank’s digital banking channels.”
These channels include the LANDBANK Mobile Banking App, the iAccess online retail banking channel, and the Link.BizPortal web-based payment channel for retail clients.
For 2024, the bank is targeting to onboard additional government agencies, local government units (LGUs), private merchants, and other qualified institutions as billers in its digital channels, enabling more customers to make direct online payments.
The state-controlled bank is also “poised to intensify its marketing efforts to encourage wider digitalization adoption among institutional clients.”
“Digital solutions include the eMDS internet facility for national government partners, the LBCS electronic bulk disbursement facility, and the weAccess corporate internet banking platform,” it noted.
Landbank added that as part of its phygital strategy, selected branches across the country will implement an automated queuing management system with a teller interface to further cut processing time for over-the-counter transactions. The next phase of this project will allow customers to set appointments via an online pre-booking facility before visiting the branch, it also said.
“Starting April of this year, interested customers may also open a Landbank account without visiting a branch through the new straight-through account opening feature of the LANDBANK Mobile Banking App. This will provide customers instant access to the Bank’s digital services, such as fund transfers, bills payment, e-commerce transactions, and cardless withdrawals,” said the bank.
This year, the bank said loan availers will also be able to tap innovative online lending platforms for LGUs and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). “These platforms will allow borrowers to apply for loans anytime, anywhere and enjoy a more streamlined loan process,” it said.
Landbank has a digital bank subsidiary, Overseas Filipino or OFBank. It is one of six online-only banks granted a license by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.