The Philippine Star

BPI lends fresh P7 B to Home Credit Phl

- By LAWRENCE AGCAOILI

Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) has extended an additional P7 billion loan to Home Credit Philippine­s, making it the financing firm’s biggest lender.

BPI president and CEO Jose Teodoro Limcaoco said the Ayala-led bank is further accelerati­ng efforts to elevate financial inclusion in the Philippine­s via the partnershi­p with the consumer finance company.

“We are glad to support Home Credit by providing tailored solutions to enable their financial inclusion initiative­s to thrive and at the same time, improving the quality of life for Filipinos, enabling them to do more. This forms part of our vision to help build a better Philippine­s – one family, one community at a time,” Limcaoco said.

This marked the third credit facility extended by BPI to Home Credit, following a P1 billion facility in December 2022, P4 billion in August 2023 and an additional P1.5 billion in November 2023 from Robinsons Bank Corp., following its recent merger with BPI.

“This additional loan credit facility to Home Credit, extended by no less than BPI, the first bank in the Philippine­s and the Southeast Asian region, is a strong testament to the strong performanc­e and stability of Home Credit’s business in the country as a leading consumer finance company,” Home Credit Philippine­s director and treasurer Zdenek Jankovsky said.

Home Credit is the largest consumer finance company in the Philippine­s having served 10.4 million customers all over the country in end2023 through a selection of affordable and accessible financing products.

Home Credit Philippine­s was issued an AA issuer credit rating with stable outlook by Philippine Rating Services Corp. in 2023 based on its overall creditwort­hiness and ability to meet all its financial commitment­s and sustain its growth in its market.

“This local loan credit facility will enable us to better serve our 10-million strong customer base, allowing us to expand access to credit opportunit­ies for more Filipinos,” Jankovsky said.

Home Credit has been at the forefront of broadening financial inclusion in the Philippine­s for more than a decade since it opened its doors in the country in 2013.

It has continuous­ly provided innovative credit opportunit­ies for Filipinos especially to women, young people, and those earning less than P20,000 a month.

HC Consumer Finance Philippine­s Inc. was acquired by Thailand’s Krungsri (Bank of Ayudhya PCL) and Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. in June 2023.

 ?? ?? Photo shows (from left) BPI executives John-C Syquia, institutio­nal banking head and TG Limcaoco, president and CEO; Home Credit executives Zdenek Jankovsky, treasury and funding director and Patrick Peter Santos, head of funding, after signing the P7-billion loan facility.
Photo shows (from left) BPI executives John-C Syquia, institutio­nal banking head and TG Limcaoco, president and CEO; Home Credit executives Zdenek Jankovsky, treasury and funding director and Patrick Peter Santos, head of funding, after signing the P7-billion loan facility.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Philippines