FOR households, the cost of a complete solar installation can be substantial. BDO’s sustainability initiatives include financing for solar-panel acquisition and installation under its Home Loan, allowing homeowners to spread the cost of the investment over time. The facility can finance up to 80 percent of an appraised property’s value, with terms of up to 25 years.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF BDO
For most Filipinos, the war in the Middle East may have seemed like a distant geopolitical crisis.
Then it started showing up at the gas pump.
On 24 March, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a state of national energy emergency, citing the conflict in the Middle East, disruptions to global supply chains and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz as threats to the country’s energy supply.
The measure was intended to address concerns over the availability and price of energy.
The episode offered a reminder that energy security is not simply a matter for policymakers. Changes in global fuel markets can eventually affect household budgets, business costs and the price of keeping the lights on.
That has given solar power a somewhat different proposition.
From lower bills to resilience
Solar has long been promoted as a way to reduce electricity costs and emissions. But recent events have added another consideration: resilience.
A rooftop system will not make a home or business completely independent of the grid. Still, generating part of one’s electricity locally can reduce exposure to conventional energy costs while making use of a resource available in abundance in the Philippines.
The challenge is often the initial investment. For households, the cost of a complete solar installation can be substantial. BDO’s sustainability initiatives include financing for solar-panel acquisition and installation under its Home Loan, allowing homeowners to spread the cost of the investment over time. The facility can finance up to 80 percent of an appraised property’s value, with terms of up to 25 years.
For businesses, the calculation is different. A factory, warehouse or commercial establishment may require a substantially larger system, turning solar into a capital investment rather than simply a household improvement.
That makes access to financing part of the broader transition.
Making the investment work
The growing interest in solar is also changing the financial conversation around renewable energy. Rather than treating installation as a one-time expense, households and businesses can look at it as a long-term asset whose costs and potential savings are spread across several years.
BDO’s Multipurpose Loan, for example, recognizes solar-panel installation as a sustainability-related use. Qualified borrowers can use eligible real estate as collateral, with Term Loan amounts ranging from P1 million to P50 million, or up to 70 percent of the property’s appraised value, subject to evaluation. Terms can extend to 10 years. Businesses with recurring financing requirements can also use the Ready Check facility.
For qualifying online applications booked through 28 February 2027, BDO is offering rates below its standard Multipurpose Loan board rates. Sustainability-related uses such as solar installation can also qualify for enhanced waivers of appraisal and registration fees of up to P40,000.
For households looking at smaller installations, BDO’s sustainability report notes partnerships with solar providers offering qualified credit-card customers 0 percent installment plans of up to 12 months.
The significance goes beyond one bank’s financing options. As solar becomes more accessible, the decision to adopt it increasingly involves not just technology but how households and businesses manage the investment over time.
