Allied Bank acquires 150 ATMs

The Allied Banking Corp. (Allied Bank), one of the commercial banks controlled by taipan Lucio Tan, will be expanding its automatic teller machine (ATM) network to 226 to attain a high level of accessability to the banking public.

"Allied Bank is one of BancNet member-banks that has shown a high level of availability and reliability," Peter N. Yap, Allied Bank senior vice president and head of retail banking, said.

It is also completing its program of rationalization and relocation of its 283 branches nationwide to achieve the same goal by next year.

At the end of 2004, Allied Banking Corp. (Allied Bank) has 164 ATMs. This year, it acquired 150 brand new ATMs from leading provider Siemens of Germany.

"We are upgrading the entire ATM network of newer and state-of-the-art acquirer services machines that can not only receive payments of bills, but transfer funds, basic withdrawals, reload prepaid phones, inquire account balances, and other services required by the banking public," added Antonio H. Santos, Allied Bank senior assistance vice president.

The new ATMs will find its way to some branches and most will be in offsite locations. Offsite areas include shopping malls (MM and AOMM), schools (mainoly AOMM), gas stations, corporate centers, commercial and residential buildings, and subdivisions.

Old units will be replaced to meet the growing requirements of the market that continues to become complex.

Access and upgrading will be the guiding light for the bank in terms of accessability for the public, the bank SAVP pointed out.

Meanwhile, all its branches are experiencing facelifting while others are being relocated in more strategic areas nationwide. Incidentally, it has a branch each in Guam and Bahrain, and two foreign exchange centers in Boracay.

Others will be refitted to unfold business centers.

"We want to treat our branches like they were our clients," Santos said. "If the branches are happy and good looking with smiles, then maybe the real bank clients will feel welcome and bank with us."

While the cost of the ATM and branch network was undisclosed, there is a high probability it can from the successful launch of its $50 million Tier 2 capital raising activity last year.

The $50 million (roughly P2.8 billion) private placement handled by foreign bank ING quietly tapped investors in the last quarter of 2004.

In an earlier interview, Allied Bank president and chief executive officer Reynaldo A. Maclang said the proceeds of the capital-raising exercise would go to capital expenditures including branch and ATM expansion and upgrading.

"We need to strengthen our position in the industry, and expand our services," Maclang said. "We are not looking for any acquisition for the moment."