Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank) chairman Antonio S. Abacan Jr. was named The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) for 2008 for Banking and Finance.
Also the vice chairman of the Metrobank Group of Companies, Abacan has led a distinguished career in banking that spans 40 years. A Banking & Finance graduate of the Mapua Institute of Technology, Abacan is a banking professional who rose from the ranks to his current post.
Under his leadership, Metrobank successfully became the country’s largest Philippine financial institution. He was instrumental in many of the bank’s business successes and expansion programs.
Together with Group chairman and founder George S.K. Ty, Abacan spearheaded the bank’s aggressive network expansion locally and overseas, setting down roots where no Philippine bank has ventured before.
For the domestic market, the phenomenal increase in Metrobank branches to cover the entire Philippine archipelago during the 1990’s have led other and much older banks to follow suit. Metrobank also successfully expanded overseas in the US, Europe, Canada, and most of Asia. Metrobank holds the distinction of being the first Philippine bank to open a branch in mainland China.
According to the 2008 TOFIL swards committee, “What continues to be his (Abacan’s) most important accomplishment is his ability to relate to people, and being the catalyst in making individuals realize their potential.”
Abacan joins four other awardees for this year’s search, namely: Sr. Mary Placid Abejo for Arts and Culture (Music), Dr. Rustica Carpio for Humanities, Dr. Rafael Guerrero for Science and Techology, and Dr. Federico M. Macaranas for Community and Humanitarian Service.
The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) Award is a project of the Jaycee Senate Philippines and the Insular Life Assurance Co. It was conceived in 1988 to institutionalize public recognition of men and women, who have distinguished themselves in their professions and lent significant service to their communities.