MANILA, Philippines - The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) was named Best Trade Finance Bank in the Philippines in the prestigious annual Trade Finance Awards for Excellence 2013, the longest running awards program related to the trade finance market. Winners are selected by a combination of votes cast by clients and leading figures within the industry, and by a panel made up of Trade Finance Magazine’s editorial team. Criteria in selecting the winners included relationship management, competitive pricing, customization of solutions/innovation, emerging market knowledge, global trade network, online trade finance capabilities, risk management and mitigation. BPI vice president and Transaction Banking Division head Nieves Basa said that the award is a testament of the bank’s commitment to operational efficiency and excellent customer service, and echoed by our customers in the poll results. BPI has been recognized year on year by international publications and organizations as best trade bank in the country. Among these are Euromoney, The Asset, Finance Asia, Global Finance, The Asian Banker, Asian Banking and Finance, Alpha Southeast Asia, and Global Trade Review. It has also been consistently cited as one of the best banks in the region for its good governance, product and technological innovation, business sustainability initiatives and sound banking practices.