BDO Unibank, Inc. (BDO), the Philippines’ largest bank, has announced that it will be selling special bonds called “Sustainability Bonds” worth at least PHP 5 billion, according to a disclosure filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 9, 2026.
What Are Sustainability Bonds?
Think of bonds like IOUs that big companies sell to people who want to invest money. When you buy a bond, you’re lending money to the company. In return, the company promises to pay you back later with extra money called “interest.” Sustainability Bonds are special because the money raised must be used for projects that help the environment or society.
BDO’s Bond-Selling Track Record
This is BDO’s sixth time selling Sustainability Bonds since 2022. What makes this even more interesting is that this is already their second Sustainability Bond this year – they just sold a much bigger one worth PHP 100 billion in January 2026. When you add everything up, BDO has now raised a total of PHP 386.7 billion through five previous Sustainability Bond sales since January 2022.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which is like the government’s watchdog for investments, has confirmed that BDO’s bond follows the rules set by ASEAN (a group of Southeast Asian countries) for Sustainability Bonds.
The Bond Details Explained Simply
Here’s how this bond works:
- Interest Rate: BDO will pay 6.26% per year to people who buy the bonds
- Duration: The bond will last for one-and-a-half years (1.5 years)
- Minimum Investment: You need at least PHP 500,000 to buy these bonds, and you can add more money in chunks of PHP 100,000
- When You Can Buy: From July 9 to July 21, 2026
- When It Starts: July 28, 2026
What Will BDO Do With the Money?
According to the disclosure, BDO will use the money they collect from selling these bonds for three main purposes:
- To finance or refinance “eligible assets” – these are specific projects or loans that fit BDO’s Sustainable Finance Framework (a set of guidelines about which projects count as sustainable)
- To support the bank’s lending activities – essentially, to have more money to lend to their customers
- To diversify their funding sources – this means getting money from different places instead of relying on just one source
About BDO Unibank
BDO Unibank is a “universal bank,” which means it offers many different types of banking services – from regular savings accounts to business loans, insurance, credit cards, and investment services. The bank operates as a one-stop shop for financial needs.
BDO is the biggest bank in the Philippines by several measures. According to their disclosure, as of March 31, 2026, BDO ranked as the largest bank in terms of total assets, loans, deposits, and trust funds under management. The bank has an extensive network with almost 2,000 branches across the country and more than 7,700 ATMs. They also have 15 international offices in places like Hong Kong, Singapore, and other locations in Asia, Europe, North America, and the Middle East.
Who’s Helping BDO Sell These Bonds?
ING Bank N.V., Manila Branch is serving as the Sole Arranger and Sustainability Coordinator for this bond sale. BDO and ING are working as Selling Agents (the ones who actually sell the bonds to investors), while BDO Capital & Investment Corporation is the Financial Advisor.
BDO has noted that they reserve the right to change the terms and timing of this bond issuance if they need to.
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.
