PNB profit up 20% to P25.3 billion

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Bank (PNB) posted a 20 percent increase in earnings in 2025, driven by strong loan expansion, improving asset quality and higher fee-based revenues, as the bank strengthened its balance sheet and accelerated digital initiatives.

In a regulatory filing, the Lucio Tan-led bank said its consolidated net income reached P25.3 billion last year, lifting return on equity to 11.1 percent, 70 basis points higher than a year ago.

The earnings growth was supported by what the bank described as solid performance across its core businesses, disciplined cost management and operational efficiency.

“The bank’s 2025 overall performance marked another milestone for PNB,” PNB president and CEO Edwin Bautista said.

“After completing the modernization of our core banking system and automated teller machine switch, we significantly enhanced our customer acquisition efforts and expanded our ability to capitalize on market opportunities,” Bautista said.

PNB’s loan portfolio expanded by 15 percent year on year, with consumer lending leading growth at 27 percent, while corporate and commercial loans increased by 13 percent.

The bank said healthy asset yields and a low funding cost base helped sustain a net interest margin of 4.51 percent.

Deposits also grew steadily to P1.06 trillion, up by nine percent from end-2024, indicating continued liquidity support for lending activities.