UnionBank confident of growth amid ongoing global crisis
Aboitiz-led Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) is unfazed by the ongoing crisis spawned by the Iran war and is confident it will continue to deliver sustainable growth this year.
“We entered 2026 on solid foundations with a clear focus on sustainable growth and improved shareholder returns. The work we undertook in 2025 has prepared us for what comes next, serving generations of Filipinos with next-generation experiences that feel intuitive, secure, and genuinely helpful,” said UnionBank President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ana Aboitiz Delgado during the bank’s annual stockholders’ meeting (ASM).
She noted that the continuing conflict in the Middle East is a reminder of how quickly geopolitical shocks can ripple through global markets, affecting energy prices, supply chains, inflation expectations, and financial conditions well beyond their point of origin.
“Moments like this reinforce why Union Bank’s culture and DNA matter. We are built to adapt quickly as conditions change, while remaining grounded in empathy and responsibility toward customers and employees affected by the uncertainty and the real impact escalating oil prices and inflation will have on their lives,” Delgado added.
Amid these challenges, “we remain focused on managing a resilient bank and business model, one capable of serving customers reliably across the economic cycles. For our stakeholders, this means we are operating better, building a stronger core, and creating more sustainable value.”
UnionBank entered 2026 with a clear agenda for a next-generation bank, one that blends technology with human insight to serve customers across every stage of their financial journey.
The bank is prioritizing the use of data more deeply to drive better decisions and more personalized experiences while getting closer to its customers and studying their behavior to understand both what UnionBank does well and where it can do better.
These insights shape a focused roadmap for enhancing existing products and services and launching new ones.
“We’ve also made deliberate choices to simplify—sunsetting products, retiring systems, and merging entities where the value was unclear. These actions strengthen earnings quality, improve day-to-day reliability, and support long-term performance. Behind the scenes, we completed a comprehensive review of our books, resolving legacy issues, removing inefficiencies, and strengthening financial operations,” Delgado said.
These improvements allow the bank to operate better today while building a more scalable and sustainable platform for tomorrow.
UnionBank is also driving operational precision at scale, where digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) play a critical role.