Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), the oldest bank in the Philippines and Southeast Asia at 174 years old, announced that it earned P16.9 billion in the first three months of 2026, according to their press release dated April 20, 2026.
What Does This Mean in Simple Terms?
Think of BPI like a big piggy bank for grown-ups and businesses. When the bank makes a profit (or “net income”), it means they earned more money than they spent. BPI’s profit of P16.9 billion is slightly bigger – about 1.7% more – than what they made during the same time last year (January to March 2025), when they earned P16.6 billion.
Compared to the last three months of 2025 (October to December), their profit grew even faster – up by 4.9%.
Why Did BPI Make More Money?
According to the press release, BPI made more money because:
- More people borrowed money – Their loan portfolio (all the money people and businesses borrowed from them) grew bigger
- Better interest margins – The difference between what they earn from loans and what they pay depositors got wider
- More service fees – They collected more fees from services like credit cards
How Well is the Bank Performing?
BPI measures its performance using two important scores:
- Return on Equity (ROE): 14.3% – This shows how well the bank is using its owners’ money to make profit
- Return on Assets (ROA): 1.9% – This shows how efficiently the bank is using everything it owns to make money
Breaking Down BPI’s Earnings
BPI’s total revenues (all the money coming in) reached P50.9 billion in the first quarter, which is 13.9% more than the same period last year. This came from two main sources:
Net Interest Income: This is the money banks make from the difference between what they charge borrowers and what they pay depositors. This grew by 13.7% because BPI had 11.9% more money working for them (earning assets), and their net interest margin improved to 4.57% (up 7 basis points).
Non-Interest Income: This is money from fees and other services, which reached P11.8 billion, up 14.5%. This came from credit card fees, foreign exchange services, trading, and business deals.
What About Expenses?
Running a big bank costs money. BPI spent P23.5 billion on operating expenses, which is 15.8% more than last year. They spent more on technology, employees, and handling more transactions. For every P100 the bank earned, they spent P46.20 to run the business (this is called the cost-to-income ratio of 46.2%).
The bank also set aside P5.5 billion as provisions – this is like a safety fund in case some borrowers can’t pay back their loans.
How Big is BPI Now?
According to the press release:
- Total Assets: P3.7 trillion – This is everything the bank owns, up 13.0% from last year
- Total Loans: P2.6 trillion – Money lent out to customers, up 13.5% from last year
- Total Deposits: P2.8 trillion – Money customers keep in the bank, up 10.4% from last year
- Total Equity: P479.5 billion – The bank’s net worth, up 6.9% from last year
Different Types of Loans Growing
BPI lends money to different types of customers:
- Business Banking loans grew the fastest at 96.3% – almost double from last year
- Credit Cards grew 33.3%
- Personal Loans grew 26.9%
- Institutional loans (big companies) grew 8.9%
The bank’s loan-to-deposit ratio is 91.95%, which means for every P100 deposited, the bank lends out about P92.
How Safe is the Bank?
Banks need to keep enough money as a safety cushion. BPI’s safety measures include:
- NPL Ratio: 2.42% – Only 2.42% of their loans are “non-performing” (borrowers having trouble paying back)
- NPL Coverage Ratio: 87.15% – The bank has set aside enough money to cover 87.15% of these problem loans
- Common Equity Tier 1 Ratio: 13.94% – Well above what regulators require
- Capital Adequacy Ratio: 14.8% – Also well above regulatory requirements
Recent Recognition
The press release also mentioned that in March 2026, BPI received notable recognition. TIME and Statista ranked BPI 10th out of 500 companies on their Asia-Pacific’s Best Companies of 2026 list, making it the top Philippine company on the list. The bank also ranked 7th and was the only bank in the Top 20 companies recognized as a Great Place to Work® in the Philippines.
About BPI
BPI is licensed as a universal bank by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (the Philippines’ central bank) and offers various financial services including deposits, payments, loans, wealth management, insurance, investment banking, and foreign exchange. The bank has investment-grade ratings of BBB+ from S&P and Baa2 from Moody’s.
Source Note: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.
