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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider Banking & Finance devider Philippine Business Bank eyes steady growth despite oil crisis

Philippine Business Bank eyes steady growth despite oil crisis

Published Apr 15, 2026 01:47 pm

The Yao group’s Philippine Business Bank (PBB) sees sustainable growth as it navigates challenges posed by the ongoing oil crisis, backed by its steady performance last year.

“PBB expects the operating environment to remain challenging in the coming months, as elevated oil price risks, global uncertainties, and still-fragile business sentiment continue to weigh on economic activity,” said PBB Vice Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rolando Avante.

He noted: “These conditions could place added pressure on borrowers and make competition across the banking sector even tighter. Even so, the bank remains confident in the strength of the client relationships it has built over the years... while further strengthening the tools, discipline, and capabilities needed to navigate the months ahead.”

PBB will continue to prioritize profitability over balance sheet growth through a three-pronged strategy: strengthening client relationship depth and quality, enhancing operational capabilities and efficiency, and selectively growing its higher-margin business in chosen consumer loan segments.

“This strategy is expected to position the bank for sustainable growth and profitability in the periods ahead,” said Avante.

PBB reported a 6.4-percent improvement in net income to ₱1.9 billion last year from ₱1.8 billion in 2024, as interest income grew 7.5 percent to ₱11.4 billion in 2025 from ₱10.6 billion in 2024.

Net interest income reached ₱7.3 billion, up from ₱6.7 billion in 2024; core income stood at ₱3.5 billion last year from ₱3.4 billion; and profit before tax rose to ₱2.5 billion in 2025 from ₱2.4 billion.

Total resources stood at ₱168.8 billion as of December 2025. Total net loans and receivables stood at ₱127.7 billion at end-2025.

On the funding side, deposit liabilities were ₱134.9 billion as of end-2025. Low-cost deposits, or current and savings accounts (CASA), ended at ₱64.4 billion, while time deposits reached ₱70.6 billion.

“PBB delivered a solid performance in 2025. This was achieved despite a challenging operating environment marked by weaker business sentiment, domestic issues that weighed on market confidence, and broader global uncertainties,” said Avante.

Against this backdrop, the bank further sharpened its focus on credit and asset quality, deliberately directing efforts toward margin expansion rather than asset-base growth.

PBB’s non-performing loans (NPLs) ratio also improved to 4.2 percent from 5.7 percent in 2024, underscoring the bank’s prudent risk management and focus on asset quality.

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