Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., commonly known as Metrobank, has announced it is selling special bonds to raise money for projects that help the environment and communities. According to their press release dated March 16, 2026, the bank is looking to raise at least PHP 5 billion through these bonds.

What Are These Bonds?

Think of bonds as a way for a bank to borrow money from investors (people or companies with extra money). In return, the bank promises to pay back the money later plus some extra money called interest – kind of like when you lend a toy to a friend and they give you back the toy plus some candy as a thank you.

These particular bonds are called “Series F ASEAN Sustainability Peso-denominated Bonds.” The special thing about them is that the money raised will be used for good causes – projects that help protect nature (green projects) or help people and communities (social projects).

Important Details About the Bond Offer

Here are the key facts from Metrobank’s announcement:

• Interest Rate: 5.4727% per year – this is how much extra money investors will earn
• How Long: 1.5 years (one and a half years) – this is when Metrobank will pay back the money
• When You Can Buy: March 17-30, 2026
• When Bonds Start: April 14, 2026, when they’ll be listed on the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. (PDEx)
• Minimum Investment: PHP 500,000 to start, then you can add more in chunks of PHP 100,000

Why Is Metrobank Doing This?

According to the press release, Metrobank wants to diversify its funding sources – which means getting money from different places instead of just one source. This is like not putting all your eggs in one basket.

The bank plans to use the money raised to support its lending operations, which means giving loans to people and businesses. More importantly, following their Sustainable Finance Framework, they intend to use the proceeds to finance or refinance projects that have positive environmental and social impacts.

About Metrobank

Metrobank is the second largest universal bank in the Philippines. As stated in their press release, the bank has:

• Over 960 branches across the country
• More than 2,200 ATMs
• 28 foreign branches and offices in other countries
• Total assets of PHP 3.88 trillion as of end-2025

The bank also reported strong financial health indicators:

• Total Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of 16.8% as of end-2025
• Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio of 16.1% as of end-2025

These numbers show that the bank has enough money reserves to stay safe and stable – like having a big emergency fund.

Who Is Helping with This Bond Offer?

Metrobank is working with three financial companies to manage this bond sale:

• First Metro Investment Corporation
• ING Bank N.V., Manila Branch
• Standard Chartered Bank

These companies are acting as Joint Lead Managers and Joint Bookrunners, which means they help organize the sale and find buyers for the bonds. ING Bank will also serve as Sustainability Coordinator to ensure the money goes to the right green and social projects.

Part of a Bigger Plan

According to the disclosure, this bond offering is part of a much larger program approved by Metrobank’s Board of Directors on December 15, 2021. That program allows the bank to issue bonds and commercial papers worth up to PHP 200 billion in total.

The press release notes that these bonds are exempt from registration under Section 9.1(E) of the Securities Regulation Code and have not been registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Investors who want to learn more can visit any Metrobank branch or contact the selling agents for additional information.

This article is based on the company’s official press release and disclosures filed with the Philippine Stock Exchange’s Electronic Disclosure Generation Technology (PSE EDGE) system. For the complete and official version of the announcement, readers may visit the PSE EDGE website and search for the company’s filing directly.