by Ekrem Duman | Aug 26, 2026 | Banking & Finance, Philippines Company Stories
⚡ TL;DRThe Philippine Stock Exchange traces to 1927, is dominated by a handful of family conglomerates, and suffers from a structural problem: small free floats produce thin liquidity, thin liquidity deters institutional investors, and their absence keeps...
by Ekrem Duman | Aug 26, 2026 | Banking & Finance, Philippines Company Stories
⚡ TL;DRMillions of Filipinos work overseas and send money home, producing a flow equal to roughly a tenth of national income — larger than most export categories, more stable than foreign investment, and the foundation of Philippine consumption, housing...
by Ekrem Duman | Aug 26, 2026 | Banking & Finance, Philippines Company Stories
⚡ TL;DRMetrobank was founded in 1962 by George Ty to serve Filipino-Chinese trading and manufacturing businesses that established banks would not lend to, on underwriting based on community knowledge and personal reputation rather than financial statements. It...
by Ekrem Duman | Aug 26, 2026 | Banking & Finance, Philippines Company Stories
⚡ TL;DRBank of the Philippine Islands was founded in 1851, issued the country’s currency before a central bank existed, and is the oldest bank in Southeast Asia. Owned within the Ayala group, it has a corporate franchise and depositor trust accumulated...
by Ekrem Duman | Aug 26, 2026 | Banking & Finance, Philippines Company Stories
⚡ TL;DRBDO became the largest bank in the Philippines not by growing organically but by buying more than a dozen subscale institutions over two decades and integrating them onto one platform. Its distribution advantage came from the controlling family’s...
