RCBC plans new peso bond sale to refinance maturing debt
Reginaldo Cariaso
Yuchengco-led Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) plans to sell fixed-rate peso bonds as it taps the remaining ₱101 billion of its ₱200 billion debt program to fund asset growth and refinance maturing obligations.
In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, RCBC said that proceeds from the potential offerings will support general funding requirements.
RCBC also flagged the possibility of utilizing the capital to finance or refinance sustainable projects, consistent with the lender's established Sustainable Finance Framework.
Under the existing program, the bank maintains the flexibility to issue unsecured and unsubordinated bonds in various tranches and tenors, with specific interest rates and terms to be determined based on prevailing market conditions and management approval.
This planned move follows a successful capital market outing in July 2025, when RCBC raised ₱12.21 billion through the issuance of Series F ASEAN Sustainability Bonds due 2028. That offering, which carried a 6.00 percent annual coupon, saw robust appetite from investors.
The order book for the July sale reached more than four times the initial ₱3 billion target, prompting the bank to close the offering early on July 9. The lender noted at the time that the surge in demand reflected broad investor confidence in its strategic growth initiatives and its commitment to green and social financing categories.
The upcoming issuances will mark a continuation of RCBC’s aggressive push into the local debt market. Since 2019, the bank has raised a total of ₱99.01 billion from various bond offerings, a record volume for the institution.
The previous 2025 issuance was the eighth time the lender tapped the peso bond market, further solidifying its presence as a recurring issuer of thematic debt.
In June 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission confirmed that RCBC’s bonds complied with the ASEAN Sustainability Bond Standards. This regulatory nod allows the bank to market its debt under the ASEAN sustainability label, appealing to a growing pool of ESG-conscious investors in the Southeast Asian region.
While the bank has not yet provided a specific timetable for the next tranche of the ₱101 billion balance, it indicated that detailed terms will be released at the appropriate time subject to final management determination.