Philippine National Bank has clinched two top regional awards at the Asian Banking & Finance Awards 2026, on the back of a surge in consumer deposits and an aggressive digital merchant roll-out.
The lender, controlled by bilyonaryo Lucio Tan, was named the Philippines’ Domestic Retail Bank of the Year and won the financial inclusion initiative title at an industry event held at Marina Bay Sands.
“These awards reflect PNB’s commitment to serving the evolving needs of our customers through innovation, accessibility, and meaningful financial solutions,” PNB president and CEO Edwin R. Bautista said in a statement.
The retail bank title follows PNB’s performance in 2025, when its deposit base crossed the 1-trillion-peso ($17.1 billion) threshold. The growth was driven by branch upgrades and a new mobile account application that onboarded over 100,000 users in its first year—more than 80% of whom were new-to-bank customers.
“This recognition affirms the progress we have made in strengthening PNB’s retail banking franchise through a balanced strategy of branch modernization, digital innovation, and customer engagement,” said Carlo S. Dimaala, PNB executive vice president.
PNB was also recognized for its digital cash management tools aimed at shifting traditional cash transactions to digital payment networks for small and large businesses alike.
By the end of 2025, PNB had onboarded more than 16,000 merchants onto its point-of-sale (POS) and national QRPh platforms. The bank reported over 11,000 active merchant users generating more than 20 billion pesos in collections, while deploying QRPh payment tools to 1,200 corporate sales personnel nationwide.
“Financial inclusion is most meaningful when businesses of all sizes have access to solutions that help them grow and participate more fully in the economy,” said Katherine H. Cabrera, head of PNB’s cash management division.
