Metrobank gets ‘Strongest Bank in the Philippines’ award

MANILA, Philippines — Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. has been named “The Strongest Bank in the Philippines” for the second consecutive year by The Asian Banker.

According to The Asian Banker, the bank continued to outperform its peers in the country in terms of capitalization and liquidity. Its Tier 1 capital ratio, total capital adequacy ratio and liquid assets to total deposits and borrowings ratio remained high. Moreover, the bank grew its low-cost CASA deposits, reflecting its solid deposit franchise.

Meanwhile, with its prudent management of credit risk, the bank demonstrated stronger asset quality than its peer banks in the country.

Metrobank president Fabian Dee attributed the award to the bank’s 14,000 strong Metrobankers.

The highly sought award is given to financial institutions who have exhibited strength based on their financial performance, which covers their ability to scale, balance sheet growth, risk profile, profitability, asset quality and liquidity.

“Because of the solid commitment of our Metrobankers, our bank delivered strong performance in the last two years. That is why we are very thankful to receive this timely recognition by The Asian Banker for our efforts to remain strong and to continue to be a reliable partner for all our stakeholders. We are now even better capable of withstanding growing global concerns on inflation, rising rates, and the possibility of recession,” Dee said.

As of end-September, Metrobank remains to be the country’s second largest private universal bank.

Capital ratios are among the highest in the industry, with total CAR at 17.2 percent and Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio at 16.3 percent.

Consolidated assets stood at P2.7 trillion, making it one of the strongest and well-capitalized banks in the country.