“A farmer has to be a scientist. You have to do a lot of observing. You don’t just plant and plant.” – This is the philosophy that farmer-turned-agripreneur Ruben Ragas lives by. His farm in Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte is proof of his careful and meticulous planning. All sections - from the fish pond and livestock shed to the various vegetable plots - are strategically laid out for specific reasons. “It has to be,” Ruben says. “For example, since the wind from the sea blows from the west, if we put the livestock shed west of the house, the smell is going to go straight to our living room. Everything has to be thought out.” Ruben is among the hundreds of small farmers who benefited from direct financing from LANDBANK through the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF). The ACEF Lending Program is implemented by LANDBANK in partnership with the Department of Agriculture to help increase the productivity of farmers, fishers, and their cooperatives and associations, as well as MSMEs, through credit assistance. Since the Program was launched in 2018, the Bank has so far released P154.29 million in loans to more than 400 borrowers. Continuous learning Determined to improve his knowledge and skills, Ruben continuously attended seminars and technical courses related to farming. His one-year stint with the Federation of Agrarian Reform Communities further taught him basic knowledge and skills on effective farming and efficient marketing strategies. Equipped with farm resource and basic entrepreneurial experience, Ruben hoped to further grow their family’s livelihood. Through LANDBANK-assisted Baug CARP Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BCBMPC) in Magallanes, Agusan del Norte, Ruben was able to buy seedlings and farm-inputs from a P15,000-loan from the coop. Over the next few years, he went to BCBMPC for more capital, including a P50,000 loan, to help him buy another half-hectare of land. He has also since then diversified into raising tilapia and various livestock. Before venturing into diversified and organic farming, his family’s income was so small. Ruben recalls how they used to live in a wood and nipa house with no concrete floor. His farm also used to be overrun with tall grass and the land so infertile. Today, his integrated farm is planted with a variety of vegetables, fruits, and root crops. He also raises native chicken, turkey, goats, and cows; and he produces tilapia, dalag, and other native freshwater fish. He remains methodical as he implements organic farming – with the manure of his livestock and left-over vegetables allowed to naturally decompose for use as fertilizer; while the urine from his goats are for later use as plant insect repellent and fungicide. In 2018, Ruben availed of the ACEF loan from LANDBANK, hoping to further expand his farm. Less than four months after the release of the loan, Ruben and his family launched The Ragas Farm where visitors are allowed to pick their choice of fruits and vegetables and buy them at significantly cheaper prices than retail market price. Aside from working capital for vegetable production, LANDBANK also provided Ruben with a term loan for the improvement of his farm which includes the building of a training hall and a drilled well for their farm irrigation. Through his methodical farming and the financial support provided by LANDBANK through the ACEF Fund, The Ragas Farm is now a major producer of farm-fresh vegetables. It is also fast becoming a major agri-tourism site – attracting visitors from different municipalities and serving as a venue for technology trainings for various small farmers. Ruben is now also an educator and life coach sought after by institutions to conduct lessons and seminars for aspiring agri-entrepreneurs. For his accomplishments in farming and inspiring drive to succeed, Ruben was awarded by LANDBANK as “Ulirang Magsasaka” in the 2015 Gawad sa Pinakatanging Kooperatiba.
READ MORELANDBANK Directors Nancy Irlanda Tanjuatco (2nd from left) and Jesus V. Hinlo Jr. (4th from left), together with Philippine Ambassador to Germany Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega (center) receive the “Karlsruhe Outstanding Sustainable Finance Project Award” from Karlsruhe City Mayor Dr. Frank Mentrup (leftmost) and European Organisation for Sustainable Development CEO/event co-organizer Arshad Rab (rightmost). The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) was recently conferred with the “Karlsruhe Outstanding Sustainable Finance Project Award” during the Global Sustainable Finance Conference 2019 in Karlsruhe City, Germany in July 2019, in recognition of its successful implementation of the Carbon Finance Support Facility (CFSF) which involves the installation of landfill gas collection and combustion systems for electricity generation in two of the country’s largest landfills. The waste-to-energy projects successfully implemented under the CFSF involve the methane gas power plant projects at the Quezon City and Rizal Province sanitary landfills, operated by Pangea Green Energy Philippines, Inc. (PGEP) and Montalban Methane Power Corporation (MMPC), respectively. These projects have power generation capacities of 2.5 MW and 8.19 MW, respectively, and are expected to contribute reduction of about 1M tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, or equivalent to 430,000 barrels of crude oil consumption, for the years 2014-2020. “The Carbon Finance Support Facility is part of LANDBANK’s response to the global call for immediate and appropriate action to mitigate climate change. We look forward to supporting more waste-to-energy projects, as we hope to encourage more local enterprises to lead socially-responsible and environmentally-conscious operations,” said LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo. Both projects were registered by LANDBANK as eligible projects under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The CDM allows emission-reduction projects in developing countries to earn certified emission reduction (CER) credits, each equivalent to one ton of CO2. These CERs can be traded and sold, and used by industrialized countries to meet a part of their emission reduction targets under the UNFCCC’s Kyoto Protocol. The CDM is a trailblazer, being the first global environmental investment and credit scheme of its kind, and with the CERs as a standardized emissions offset instrument.
READ MORELANDBANK employees distributes cash grants to UCT beneficiaries in Misamis Oriental. The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) recently released cash pay-outs under the Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the amount of P12.9 million to 5,386 beneficiaries in separate events in the Province of Misamis Oriental. The first cash pay-out was held last August 10, 2019 in the Municipality of Initao, Misamis Oriental for 2,006 “Social Pension” and 1,328 “Listahanan” UCT beneficiaries from 11 barangays, namely, Aluna, Andales, Calacapan, Gimangpang, Kanitoan, Pagahan, Poblacion, San Pedro, Sinalac, Tawantawan, and Tubigan. This was followed by two more cash pay-out events held on August 13 to 14, and August 20 for 1,436 “Social Pension” and 616 “Listahanan” UCT beneficiaries from 10 barangays in the Municipality of Naawan, Misamis Oriental composed of Barangays Don Pedro, Linangkayan, Lubilan, Mapulog, Maputi, Mat-i, Patag, Poblacion, Tagbalogo, and Tuboran. The beneficiaries, who each received P2,400.00 in cash, were mostly farmers and fishers, and senior citizens. The UCT Program is the tax subsidy provided under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law to help the marginalized who will not directly benefit from the lowering of personal income tax but will be affected by the moderate increase in prices due to the higher oil excise tax, introduction of the sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax and the expansion of the value-added tax (VAT) base. It is considered to be the biggest tax reform mitigation program under the TRAIN Law which seeks to provide 10 million beneficiaries with cash subsidies amounting to P200 a month for 2018 and P300 a month for 2019 and 2020. As part of its support to the development programs of the national government, LANDBANK has been designated as the conduit for the pay-outs to the UCT Program beneficiaries - of which a considerable number are farmers and fishers.
READ MOREPresident Rodrigo Roa Duterte led the distribution of land titles, joined by DAR Secretary John Castriciones and LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo. Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo joined President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary John Castriciones in distributing Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs) and Emancipation Patents (EPs) to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) at the DAR Central Office in Quezon City, last August 27, 2019. The said distribution is part of the 31st anniversary celebration of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, a long-term land reform program managed by DAR which aims to grant landless farmers and farm workers ownership of agricultural lands. A total of 40,242 CLOAs and 6,267 EPs, covering a combined land area of 70,249 hectares were turned over by LANDBANK to DAR, which were distributed to ARBs from Regions III (Central Luzon), IV-A (CALABARZON), and IV-B (MIMAROPA). According to Castriciones, DAR is also expediting land acquisition and land distribution in response to President Duterte’s directive to accelerate the implementation of CARP. LANDBANK continues to intensify its support to ARBs as a financial intermediary of CARP; having turned over to DAR a total of 208,895 CLOAs and EPs covering a total land area of 354,783 hectares.
READ MORELANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo (seated, 2nd from left) and Agriculture Acting Secretary William D. Dar (seated, 3rd from left) sign a MOA with LBP Lending Program Management Group Head/FVP Emellie Tamayo (seated, leftmost) and Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) Executive Director Jocelyn Alma Badiola (seated, rightmost), witnessed by Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones (standing, 4th from left), with (standing, from left) Deputy Treasurer Atty. Erwin Sta. Ana, LBP Directors Jesus Hinlo Jr., Jaime Miralles, and Virgilio Robes Jr., Agriculture Undersecretary Atty. Francisco Villano Jr., and ACPC Deputy Executive Director Ramon Yedra (standing, rightmost). The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) and the Department of Agriculture (DA), through the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), signed on August 28, 2019 a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that would provide financial assistance to small farmers affected by the implementation of Republic Act No. 11203 also known as the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL). Acting Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar and LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo led the signing of the agreement to implement the Expanded Survival and Recovery Assistance Program (SURE Aid) for Rice Farmers, which will provide an immediate one-time loan assistance of P15,000, payable in 8 years, to rice farmers who are tilling one hectare of land and below, and whose incomes were affected by the drop of prices of palay this year. “We are trying to appraise the very predicament of the rice farmers affected by a complex set of issues, including the Rice Tariffication Law. But because of the falling prices of palay, we thought it necessary to look at every opportunity that is available for us. There are many more measures and this is one of them. We would like to get more ideas – measures that we need to implement right away,” said Secretary Dar, who is also Chairman of ACPC, an attached agency of DA. Under the agreement, LANDBANK will implement the SURE Aid Program by releasing the loans either through direct lending to farmers or through service conduits. For its part, DA-ACPC will set aside P1.5 billion for the Program and provide the Bank with the validated list of farmers eligible for the loan assistance, as well as the list of DA-identified service conduits. “We are very excited to be part of this very important Program that will cushion the initial impact of the lowering of the farm gate prices of palay because of the new rice tariffication regime. Please be assured that LANDBANK is fully on-board to work with you in making greater things happen for our farmers and fishers,” said President Borromeo. She also thanked Secretary Dar for his “very swift and solid move,” which she said was a clear sign of many great things to come in the agriculture sector. The MOA signing was witnessed by members of the LANDBANK Board of Directors led by Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones, Atty. Jesus Hinlo Jr., Jaime Miralles, and Virgilio Robes Jr. They were joined by Agriculture Undersecretary Atty. Francisco Villano Jr., ACPC Executive Director Jocelyn Alma Badiola, ACPC Deputy Executive Director Ramon Yedra, Deputy Treasurer Atty. Erwin Sta. Ana, and LANDBANK Lending Program Management Group Head/FVP Emellie Tamayo.
READ MORELANDBANK First Vice President Randolph Montesa receives the “Asian Bank of the Year” award on behalf of the Bank from Dilip DS, Infinia Services and Solutions Business Director for South East Asia at the SMART Awards Asia 2016 gala ceremony in Singapore. LANDBANK was recognized for its financial inclusion efforts and support for farmers, agri- and aqua-businesses, and MSMEs. LANDBANK was named “Asian Bank of the Year” at the SMART Awards Asia 2016 for its financial inclusion efforts and support for farmers, agri- and aqua-businesses, and micro, small and medium enterprises. The awards ceremony took place during the gala dinner held as part of the Cards and Payments Asia 2016 conference in Singapore. LANDBANK First Vice President and Head of Cards and e-Banking Group Randolph Montesa received the award on behalf of the Bank. He also represented LANDBANK as a speaker in the conference, where he talked about “Promoting Financial Inclusion and Poverty Reduction through G2P (government-to-person) Electronic Payments.” SMART Awards Asia honors companies and individuals who have transformed their respective industries and provided real value back to their customers. The LANDBANK Mobile Loan Saver (LMLS) was also a finalist for the Best Mobile Banking Application.
READ MOREThe LANDBANK 2015 wall and desk calendars titled “The Beauty that Lies Within: A Look at Philippine Caves” received the Award of Merit at the Philippine Quill Awards 2015 conferred by the International Association of Business Communicators. The 2015 calendars won under the Communication Skills Division, Publications Category. The Philippine Quill is one of the country’s most prestigious awards for business communicators. This is the third award for the LANDBANK 2015 calendars. It won for Printwell, Inc., the 2015 wall calendar print service provider, the Print Excellence 2014 Award from Printing Industries Association of the Philippines, Inc. It also won for Studio 5 Designs, Inc., the creative service provider, the Award of Merit for design from Graphis Publications, an international award giving body that recognizes the best in design, advertising, photography and illustration.
READ MOREBSP Governor Amando M. Tetangco, Jr. (2nd from the left) and BAIPHIL President Liza L. Ortiz (2nd from the right), confer award to LANDBANK as Best Corporate Social Responsibility Project for Gawad Patnubay. LANDBANK Operations Sector Head/SVP Alan V. Bornas (center) received the award. Others in photo are BAIPHIL Chairperson of Special Projects Committee and Associate Life Member Maria Elena M. Ruiz (far left), and Chief Adviser of the Board Atty. Rhoneil S. Fajardo (far right). LANDBANK’s Gawad Patnubay Scholarship Program was adjudged as the Champion in the 2017 Best Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Project Award of the Bankers Institute of the Philippines, Inc. (BAIPHIL). This is the second award for the program after being named Outstanding Development Project – CSR Category by the Association of Development Financing Institution in Asia and Pacific (ADFIAP) in 2014. The Gawad Patnubay Scholarship Program, managed by LANDBANK’s Corporate Affairs Department, is a unique two-pronged scholarship program with an E2E Internship component for children of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) taking up agriculture-related courses. The program covers the formal education or the four-year degree program in partnership with International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and, informal education or skill-based training program in partnership with Pilipinas Association of Rural Families for Education and Development (PARFED). The E2E component is an internship program composed of a 10-week intensive internship where graduates will spend three weeks of lectures, seminars, and professional and personality development activities at the LANDBANK Head Office in Manila, and seven weeks of field work in LANDBANK or in different partner-institutions, such as the Philippine Rice Research Institution (PhilRice), Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), and HARBEST Agribusiness Corporation (HARBEST), etc., with the objective of securing agriculture-related jobs at the end of the program. LANDBANK established a unique funding scheme for the program wherein LANDBANK employees voluntarily donate a minimum of one hour’s worth of their salary during the last working day of the year. To date, a total of P14 million has been donated by LANDBANK employees nationwide. Since its inception in 2013, the Gawad Patnubay Scholarship Program has accepted 127 2nd to 4th year college students for both the formal and informal education programs, covering full subsidy for tuition fee, including monthly stipend, book allowance, thesis writing and uniform costs. A total of 22 scholars from the two batches of the formal education program have graduated and are now employed in LANDBANK and in other partner government and private institutions. With its initial success, the Gawad Patnubay Scholarship Program will be expanded to 17 more universities across the country starting this academic year 2017-2018, in line with its goal to encourage and equip more aspiring future agriculturists that can contribute in developing the agriculture sector of the country. LANDBANK Operations Sector Head and Senior Vice President Alan V. Bornas received the award on behalf of LANDBANK last March 11, during the closing ceremonies of BAIPHIL’s 29th National Convention in Tagaytay City. “This award is another affirmation of the positive impact of the Gawad Patnubay Scholarship Program, not only to the beneficiaries, but also to the effort to revive student interest in agriculture,” says Bornas.
READ MOREEffective October 6, 2019, LANDBANK’s new contact numbers will be: Customer Care Hotline: (02)8-405-7000 Trunkline Numbers: (02)8 -522-0000 and (02)8-551-2200 Our PLDT toll-free number will remain the same at: 1-800-10-405-7000 This is in compliance with the National Telecommunications Commission’s Memorandum Order 10-10-2017 directing all telcos to migrate telephone numbers to eight (8) digits from seven (7).
READ MOREFinancial Inclusion Forum in Aloguinsan, Cebu. (left photo, from L-R) Mayor Cesare Ignatius G. Moreno and LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo with farmer-availers of the ACEF loan program, namely: Apdebafi Paraiso, Jocelyn Lapiña, and Juanito and Vicente Secretaria. They are joined by LANDBANK Executive Vice President for Branch Banking Sector Joselito P. Gutierrez. (top right photo) LANDBANK’s Agent Banking Partner in Aloguinsan is LAMAC Multi-Purpose Cooperative, represented by General Manager Ma. Elena Limocon. The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) continued the fourth year of its Financial Inclusion (FI) Forum in Aloguinsan, Cebu, in an event which gathered more than 500 attendees, majority of whom are farmers. Aloguinsan is a 4th class municipality in the western part of the province, where agriculture and fishing are major sources of livelihood. Prior to Aloguinsan, the previous three legs of this year’s series of FI Forums were held in the following underserved municipalities: Sto. Niño, Cagayan; Rizal, Palawan; and Libacao, Aklan. FI Forums will also be conducted in Mayantoc, Tarlac; Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte; Claveria, Misamis Oriental, and Polillo Islands, Quezon. The half-day forum dubbed “Ipon at Kabuhayan para sa ating Kababayan” featured modules on financial literacy and LANDBANK’s products and services, particularly its lending programs for farmers. Among the programs presented during the forum were the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) and Accessible Funds For Delivery to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (AFFORD-ARBs). Farmers who availed the ACEF loan were recognized during the event, namely Apdebafi Paraiso, Jocelyn Lapiña, and Juanito and Vicente Secretaria. “This is part of LANDBANK’s efforts in bringing our products and services closer to the countryside. With this campaign, we hope to uplift the lives of our fellow Filipinos, especially farmers and fishers, by helping them improve their income through the proper management of finances,” said LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo. Launched in 2016, the FI Forum is an initiative of the Bank in line with its financial inclusion thrust of serving unbanked communities across the country. Since its launch, LANDBANK has helped bring over 10,000 underserved Filipinos under the umbrella of formal financial services from 28 municipalities. Also present in the event with LANDBANK President Borromeo were Aloguinsan Mayor Cesare E. Moreno, LANDBANK Executive Vice President for Branch Banking Sector Joselito P. Gutierrez, and other Bank officials. LAMAC Multi-Purpose Cooperative During the event, LANDBANK also formally launched its first Agent Banking partner in Aloguinsan under its Agent Banking Program. LANDBANK’s Agent Banking Program is targeted to further expand its reach in remote and unbanked areas without the Bank’s presence, through partnerships with client cooperatives, associations, SMEs, and private entities. Through the Program, LAMAC MPC can serve the public’s basic banking transactions such as Point-of-Sale (POS) Cash-Out, prepaid card sale, card reload/card refund/withdrawal, balance inquiry, and bills payment.
READ MOREAs of Fri, April 25, 2025
| Buying | Selling | |
|---|---|---|
| USD | 56.25 | 56.75 |
| JPY | 0.388752 | 0.403776 |
| EUR | 63.163815 | 65.607824 |
| GBP | 73.988728 | 76.851588 |
| HKD | 7.223177 | 7.761414 |
As of Thu, April 24, 2025
| UITF | NAVPU |
|---|---|
| Cash Management Fund | 1.557366 |
| Money Market Fund | 1.310646 |
| PERA Money Market Fund | 1.023632 |
| Medium-Term Bond Fund | 2.470334 |
| Bond Fund | 2.024273 |
| PERA Bond Fund | 1.198883 |
| Balanced Fund | 2.585336 |
| Growth Fund | 2.562157 |
| Alpha Equity Fund | 2.96484 |
| Blue Chip Equity Fund | 0.954534 |
| Equity Fund | 0.773163 |
| High Dividend Equity Fund | 1.002938 |
| US$ Money Market Fund | 1.431822 |
| Global $ Fund | 1.518293 |
| Money Market Plus Fund | 1.223015 |
