DBP to streamline lending programs

State-run Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) would streamline its menu of lending programs and reallocate its resources towards initiatives that would further strengthen its positioning as the country’s infrastructure bank, a top official said.

DBP President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel G. Herbosa said the Bank is reviewing its lending portfolio to concentrate on initiatives that would provide optimal developmental impact to its key client groups while ensuring profitability and sustainability for DBP amidst a slowdown in the economy.

“We are rationalizing our lending programs to maximize available resources to our priority sectors as we assist them in coping with the challenges of a vastly-changing socio-economic landscape,” Herbosa said.

DBP is the eighth largest bank in the country in terms of assets and has been designated as the country’s infrastructure bank by the national government. As of end-March this year, the bank has released a total of P371 billion in loans.

At present, DBP has a number of loan programs that cater to four strategic sectors of the economy — infrastructure and logistics; micro, small and medium enterprises; environment; social services and community development — with infrastructure and logistics accounting for 40 percent of the bank’s total loan portfolio.

Herbosa said DBP needs to update the features of some of its lending programs in order to be more responsive to the needs of the market as the bank gears up for a more expanded role under the various economic stimulus bills lodged in Congress.

He said the bank will work with its institutional partners in ensuring that resources for the critical sectors of the economy are maximized and there would be no redundancies in terms of program offerings vis-à-vis its fellow government financial institutions.

“It is imperative for all financial institutions, such as the DBP, to productively use its available resources to benefit more stakeholders as we gradually emerge from this pandemic,” Herbosa said.

p: wjg