State-owned Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) wrapped up 2021 by further expanding touchpoints in key strategic areas nationwide, as part of its thrust of promoting greater financial inclusion and providing a more delightful banking experience to customers.
LANDBANK’s total branch network reached 489 branches and branch-lite units across all 81 provinces nationwide as of 31 December 2021. The Bank also has the second largest automated teller machine (ATM) network in the country with 2,513 ATMs, complemented by 222 cash deposit machines (CDMs) for safe and convenient cash withdrawals and deposits.
“Amid the increasing usage of online banking under the new normal, LANDBANK branches and other physical touchpoints remain equally important in servicing our customers. With our aggressive network expansion, we also ensure that health protocols are strictly followed in all our facilities for the safety of our clients and employees,” said LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo.
Last year, LANDBANK, the only Bank present in all provinces in the country, opened a total of 15 branches and branch-lite units, composed of seven branches, one branch-lite, five agri-hubs and two mobile branches.
A total of seven new LANDBANK branches were inaugurated in Bunawan, Agusan del Sur; Paranas, Samar; Real, Quezon; La Carlota City, Negros Occidental; Poro, Cebu; and M’lang and Libungan in Cotabato, as well as a LANDBANK branch-lite unit in Sta. Ana, Cagayan.
Five LANDBANK Agri-Hubs were opened in Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur; Rizal, Nueva Ecija; Bago City, Negros Occidental; Baggao, Cagayan; and Candaba, Pampanga, to bring financial and technical services closer to farmers and other agriculture stakeholders.
Located strategically in the top rice-producing provinces in the country, the LANDBANK Agri-Hubs provide banking services such as account opening, withdrawals, and check encashments; lending services such as the processing of loan applications; and agrarian services such as processing of Agrarian Reform (AR) bonds and handling of agrarian-related concerns from landowners, bondholders, and agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs).
The Bank also added three Lending Centers in Tandag, Surigao del Sur; Kalibo, Aklan; and La Trinidad, Benguet, for a total of 58 Lending Centers nationwide.
LANDBANK Lending Centers provide accessible financial services and affordable credit assistance to various sectors, notably local government units (LGUs), small and medium enterprises (SMEs), ARBs, and small farmers and fishers for agriculture production, equipment acquisition, and working capital.
To reach more unbanked and underserved communities, LANDBANK also rolled out two units of mobile branches housed in six-wheeler trucks. These units are to be deployed in areas with disrupted banking services and for emergency disbursements or cash subsidy payouts under the social amelioration programs of government agency partners.
