Land Bank to raise ₱50 billion for green projects, social growth
By Derco Rosal
Lynette Ortiz, Land Bank president and chief executive officer
State-run Land Bank of the Philippines is preparing to return to the capital markets in the second half of the year to fund its growing portfolio of social and environmental projects.
Following the robust reception of the lender’s recent debt sale, Lynette Ortiz, Land Bank president and chief executive officer, said the bank aims to replicate its previous success by tapping investors for another ₱50 billion.
“Maybe we will go back to the capital markets,” Ortiz told reporters on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) editors and economic opinion leaders forum on Tuesday, Feb. 24.
Ortiza said Landbank is currently identifying a pipeline of projects focused on agricultural value chains and social development to underpin the new issuance
Asked about the target size of the bond issuance, Ortiz said Landbank deems it ideal to match the recent bond sale. “We hope to match the previous issuance—if we can raise the same amount, why not?” she said.
Landbank sold ₱50 billion from its latest bond offering after demand from retail and institutional investors surged, far exceeding the bank’s initial target.
Orders for the agriculture, sustainability, environment, and socioeconomic development (ASENSO) bonds far exceeded the ₱5 billion minimum. The final haul also surpassed the lender’s ₱30 billion upsize target.
LandBank focuses on lending to small farmers and fishers, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), local government unit (LGU) agri-projects, and major sectors such as transport, housing, health, education, tourism, and utilities.
Its net earnings climbed by nearly a fourth to ₱44 billion in 2025 from ₱35.5 billion a year earlier.
Similarly, issuing bonds is on the agenda of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) this year.
“I think we have planned more bond issuances this year. We are looking at about ₱15 to ₱20 billion,” DBP President and CEO Michael O. de Jesus told reporters in a separate interview. He is also looking at entering the capital market in the second half of 2025.
Last year, the DBP said it was looking at issuing peso-denominated bonds in 2026 as part of its fundraising efforts to recoup the ₱25 billion capital it injected into Maharlika Investment Corp. (MIC).
DBP Executive Vice President Carel D. Halog earlier said the planned bond sale will form part of the programmed ₱120 billion in bonds, which are to be issued in at least six tranches.
DBP’s mandate is to provide medium-term loans to agricultural and industrial enterprises, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in rural areas. Its net income fell 39.76 percent to ₱4.3 billion in 2025 from ₱7.1 billion in 2024.