(Top row, L-R) Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and House Speaker Lord Allan Jay Q. Velasco extend their congratulations during the virtual launch of the LANDBANK Mastercard Prepaid Card for the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) Program on January 15, 2021, led by (Bottom row, L-R) LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo, CHED and UniFAST Governing Board Chairman J. Prospero de Vera III, and UniFAST Executive Director Atty. Ryan L. Estevez.
In partnership with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST), state-run Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) launched the LANDBANK Mastercard Prepaid Card (LMPC) for the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) Program on January 15, 2021.
The LMPC is a general-purpose reloadable card for TES beneficiaries that functions as an electronic wallet and can be used as a debit or ATM card.
Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and House Speaker Lord Allan Jay Q. Velasco extended their congratulations through recorded video messages during the launch.
“The virtual holding of this ceremony is an affirmation of this administration’s unyielding commitment to make quality tertiary education more accessible for Filipino students, especially now that we are dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic,” President Duterte said.
The virtual launch via Facebook Live was led by LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo, CHED and UNiFAST Governing Board Chairman J. Prospero de Vera III, and UniFAST Executive Director Atty. Ryan L. Estevez.
President Borromeo announced that TES beneficiaries may withdraw their stipend using their LMPC through LANDBANK’s 2,320 ATMs and 411 branches nationwide.
“We welcome this opportunity to provide efficient and secure banking services to student-beneficiaries. As your partner bank, we will ensure that the students will receive their monthly stipends in a timely, safe, and convenient manner,” President Borromeo said.
Aside from accessibility and convenience, the LMPC also offers cashless payments, electronic funds transfers, and online account management, among others, as part of LANDBANK’s response to the growing demand of safer and digital financial solutions.
Moreover, TES beneficiaries will also benefit from the other features of the LMPC such as 3DSecurity for secure online transactions, contactless “tap” payments, and reloading of funds at any LANDBANK branches or Agent Banking Partners across the country.
“The LANDBANK Mastercard Prepaid Card that we are launching today will help ease the burden of our TES beneficiaries in receiving their TES amidst the restrictions of COVID-19,” said CHED Chairman De Vera.
Also present during the virtual launch were Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations Managing Director Atty. Joseph Noel M. Estrada, Association of Local Colleges and Universities UniFAST Commission Chairperson Dr. Elena E. Presnedi, and Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges President Dr. Tirso A. Ronquillo.
The TES Program is a joint venture among CHED, UniFAST, and LANDBANK that aims to prioritize support to more than 400,000 students from the poorest of the poor households. It also forms part of the implementation of Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.
LANDBANK rolls out capacity-building initiative to empower agri players
LANDBANK, alongside government and private partners, and AGRISENSO Plus farmer-borrowers, launch the LANDBANK ASCEND capacity-building program that aims to support at least 10,000 small farmers, fishers, and agrarian reform beneficiaries nationwide annually starting in 2025. LAL-LO, Cagayan — In line with its continuing mission to boost the agriculture sector and accelerate rural development, LANDBANK launched a comprehensive capacity-building program to equip agricultural players with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed for sustained growth and success. The LANDBANK Agri-Fishery Support thru Capability Enhancement for Nationwide Development (ASCEND) Program addresses the critical need for tailored interventions among agricultural stakeholders to ensure productive and profitable agri-business ventures, in line with Republic Act 11901 or “The Agriculture, Fisheries, and Rural Development (AFRD) Financing Enhancement Act of 2022.” Under the LANDBANK ASCEND, the Bank targets to support at least 10,000 small farmers, fishers, and agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) nationwide annually starting in 2025. LANDBANK President and CEO Lynette V. Ortiz, alongside National Government partners Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Roger V. Navarro and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Regional Office II Director Primo C. Lara, with local partner Lal-lo Vice Mayor Maria Olivia B. Pascual, led the ASCEND Program’s launch on 24 January 2025 at Lal-lo Municipal Gymnasium. The event gathered around 1,000 agriculture stakeholders from Cagayan and key representatives from other government and private partners, including the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), AGREA Agricultural Communities International Foundation, Inc. (AGREA), and LANDBANK Countryside Development Foundation Inc. (LCDFI). “With LANDBANK ASCEND, we aim to elevate the livelihoods of local agricultural producers, empowering them to maximize their full potential and actively contribute to national economic growth. This complements our continued efforts to provide accessible financial assistance and other meaningful support interventions across the agriculture value chain,” said LANDBANK President and CEO Ortiz. The LANDBANK ASCEND Program delivers holistic support through six integrated components. The Training and Upskilling component provides technical training to strengthen individual and organizational capabilities, while the Digital Financial Literacy component equips beneficiaries with essential skills for more effective financial management. The Program also employs Stakeholder Mapping to classify beneficiaries based on their capacity levels and financing access. Insights from this process will be utilized in Module Development to create customized training materials. The modes of training delivery include classroom sessions, virtual platforms, hands-on activities, demonstrations, coaching, and mentorships. To ensure sustainable outcomes, the Program incorporates a Monitoring and Evaluation component to assess the effectiveness of training modules and track the progress of beneficiaries. Additionally, the Market Linkage component connects beneficiaries to market opportunities through business clustering and other schemes. LANDBANK ASCEND serves as the capacity-building component of the LANDBANK AGRISENSO Plus Program, which features expanded eligibility, lower interest rates, and simplified loan process to provide broader access to credit and other support interventions for all players in the agriculture value chain. Eligible beneficiaries of the LANDBANK ASCEND include ARBs, duly registered farmers, as well as members of their household and their micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and agrarian reform communities. Interested participants may visit any LANDBANK Lending Center or Branch, or contact LANDBANK’s Customer Service Hotline at 028405700 for more details. ABOUT LANDBANK LANDBANK is the largest development financial institution in the Philippines promoting financial inclusion, digital transformation, and sustainable national development. Present in all 82 provinces in the country, the Bank is committed to provide accessible and responsive financial solutions to empower Filipinos from countryside to countrywide. LANDBANK operates a total of 10 branches and branch-lite units and a lending center in Cagayan, complemented by 57 automated teller machines (ATMs), seven cash deposit machines (CDMs), 27 LANDBANKasama partners, and additional 16 ATMs in partner 7-11 convenience stores.
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SRA, LANDBANK empower sugarcane farmers with expanded credit access
LANDBANK President and CEO Lynette V. Ortiz (3rd from left) and Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) Administrator Pablo Luis S. Azcona (4th from left) lead the signing of the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Socialized Credit Program under the Sugarcane Industry Development Act (SCP-SIDA) on 16 December 2024 at the SRA Sugar Center Building, North Avenue Diliman, Quezon City. The streamlining of the Program's processes aims to provide more accessible and affordable credit support, in line with the Bank's commitment to empowering Filipino sugarcane farmers and boosting the country's agriculture sector. As of end-November 2024, LANDBANK has approved loans under the SCP-SIDA amounting to P1.32 billion, benefitting over 4,000 individual borrowers, including six block farms and four common service centers nationwide. Joining the event are LANDBANK Executive Vice President Ma. Celeste A. Burgos (2nd from left), Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary for Logistics Daniel Alfonso N. Atayde (leftmost), together with SRA Board Members Ma. Mitzi V. Mangwag (2nd from right) and David Andrew L. Sanson (rightmost). ABOUT LANDBANK LANDBANK is the largest development financial institution in the Philippines promoting financial inclusion, digital transformation, and sustainable national development. Present in all 82 provinces in the country, the Bank is committed to provide accessible and responsive financial solutions to empower Filipinos from countryside to countrywide.
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LANDBANK welcomes RCEF extension until 2031
LANDBANK welcomed the recent passage of Republic Act No. 11954 as amendment to the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), and expressed full support for the extension of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) for another seven years, aimed to accelerate modernization in the rice sector and strengthen the resilience and productivity of Filipino rice farmers. As one of the implementers of RCEF in partnership with Department of Agriculture (DA), LANDBANK delivers credit assistance at low-interest rates with simplified processes to ensure accessibility for individual rice farmers and cooperatives in major rice producing provinces. Under the Expanded Rice Credit Assistance of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ERCA-RCEF), LANDBANK has extended P2.89 billion in loans to support rice production and post-harvest activities from 2019 to 2024. LANDBANK’s loans have benefitted 17,767 individual rice farmers and 270 cooperatives with more than 47,100 member-beneficiaries, which were channeled for palay production, milling and trading, re-lending, and the acquisition of farm machineries. Notably, 98% of LANDBANK’s direct borrowers under the program are individual rice farmers. “LANDBANK fully supports the RCEF extension towards strengthening our collective efforts to empowering Filipino rice farmers and boosting agricultural competitiveness. This significant step will bolster food security and sustainability, and the Bank stands ready to continue its active role in supporting this initiative,” said LANDBANK President and CEO Lynette V. Ortiz. LANDBANK has remained faithful to its social mandate of promoting inclusive and sustainable development as the biggest credit provider to the agriculture sector servicing all components of the agriculture value chain. As of October 2024, the Bank has extended outstanding loans amounting to P769.68 billion in support of agriculture, fisheries and rural development under Republic Act No. 11901, otherwise known as “The Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development Financing Enhancement Act of 2022.” LANDBANK’s investments in promoting countryside development of P769.68 billion represents 55.5% of the Bank’s total P1.387 trillion gross loan portfolio. The Bank has also assisted a total of 3.93 million small farmers and fishers nationwide through loans and various support interventions. ABOUT LANDBANK LANDBANK is the largest development financial institution in the Philippines promoting financial inclusion, digital transformation, and sustainable national development. Present in all 82 provinces in the country, the Bank is committed to provide accessible and responsive financial solutions to empower Filipinos from countryside to countrywide.
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