BPI's savings bank focuses on mass market

BPI Direct BanKo Inc. (BanKo) said it will continue to improve its mass market appeal as the microfinance arm of Ayala-led Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), by becoming the “trusted microfinance partner of the masang Pilipino.”

They will do this by digitalizing further and to bring “banking closer to communities by offering the right financial services at an affordable price.”

Part of its marketing strategy is to have actor Kathryn Bernardo as endorser for the second year in a row.

“Our vision at BanKo is to build a better Philippines – one family, one community at a time – and this is embodied in each and every financial service we offer to a wide range of customers,” said BanKo Chairman Josephine “Jojo” Ocampo.

For 2024 and onwards, BanKo said it is renewing its “commitment to bring innovative banking experience to self-employed microentrepreneurs (SEMEs) and C2D salaried individuals.”

“This forms part of the bank’s mission to promote financial inclusion by providing access to easy, convenient, and affordable products to serve Filipinos who plan to level up their business and uplift their lives, as reinforced by its tagline, ‘Sa BanKo, may ngiti ang bukas mo’,” said the bank.

Last year, BanKo opened 26 new branch-lite units in various locations across the country. To date, the total number of branches and BLUs is 346. 

The bank operates in 77 out of 82 provinces, with branches in 125 cities, and serving as the sole representative of BPI in 152 of these areas, it said.