Product excellence and service far above par

MANILA, Philippines - As Metrobank celebrates nearly half a century of banking leadership, its products and services continue to answer the growing and evolving needs of its clients and customers.

With its deep understanding of providing its clients the best of what technology can offer so that they can efficiently manage their time and resources, Metro-bank has always been at the forefront, looking for better technology and the best applications for the benefit of its clients.

ebanking at its best

With the advent of the electronic age, individual can now virtually do anything at the touch of a button. Nowadays, banking with Metrobank is no longer confined to a face-to-face transaction with a bank teller during regular banking hours. Clients can now transact and do their banking needs virtually anytime and anywhere, whether at work or in the comfort of their own homes. The emergence of the Internet and its prevalent use at home and in the workplace opened up another portal of opportunity for Metro-bank. By taking advantage of this opportunity, the bank developed an Internet-based product aptly called metrobankdirect which offers solutions for bills payment, car and home loans, credit cards and personal loans on top of basic banking transactions like funds transfer, account inquiry and bills payment.

Shortly after the introduction of Metrobank’s ATM services, the bank launched its phone banking service. Using a touch tone phone, this facility allows clients to make account inquiries, pay bills, transfer funds to another Metro-bank account, request for bank statement and many more.

As the number of Filipinos owning a mobile phone rise dramatically over the past years, it became imperative for the bank to tailor-fit a service designed for mobile phone users. In 2001, Metrobank rolled out its mobile phone banking service which doubles the convenience of phonebanking as it allows clients to conduct their banking transactions through their mobile phones.

Ahead in retail banking

When it comes to retail banking, Metrobank remains on top with products and services that cater to the specific needs of its customers, be it a home loan, a child’s first savings account or the ubiquitous ATMs.

From simple cash withdrawal and account inquiry facility, Metrobank’s automated teller machines (ATMs) has evolved to become what it is today, a vital tool for more diverse transactions for bills payment such as credit cards, loans, insurance, pre-need plans; automatic debit facility where an ATM cardholder can enjoy cashless shopping at any Bancnet-accredited merchandise nationwide; and international cash withdrawal where a Metrobank ATM cardholder can withdraw any local currency at over a million ATM stations worldwide. 

For parents, who want to inculcate fiscal discipline and the significance of saving in their children, Metrobank is offering the Fun Savers Club for children 17 years old and below. This particular product, which is available in peso and US dollar denomination, was conceptualized to help parents promote good money sense among children and encourage savings consciousness.

MetroHome, on the other hand, is the home financing program of Metrobank. This product caters exactly to those who wish to purchase a condominium unit, a residential lot and construct the house at the same time or simply construct the house on a lot already owned. For those with existing house or unit, MetroHome can also help a homeowner in the renovation or remodeling of his space, offering up to 20 years in repayment terms.

MetroHome offers flexible repayment terms of up to 25 years for construction and acquisition of residential real estate properties. Lot acquisition on the other hand would qualify for a term of up to 10 years. Loan repayment is on equal amortization covering principal and interest.

“In line with the Metrobank trust of being the trusted banking partner, Metrobank addresses the concerns on affordability and rate security. Our rates are low and stable primarily because of our size and funding sources. Our terms and conditions are transparent because we value our solid relationship with our customers,’’ said Winnie Oliveros, head of Metrobank Consumer Lending.

Cash management  for corporate clients

Understanding the need of companies to keep up with the demands of their businesses, Metrobank also developed a suite of banking products for its corporate clients via MetroCash Manager. Through this particular product, Metrobank was able to offer its corporate clients customized financial solutions based on their unique requirements.

MetroCash Manager offers a full range of financial solutions for corporate clients’ better management of cash flow, operational efficiency, added security and convenience. This includes basic banking services like online account statements, bills payment, and fund transfer; payment and collection solutions like auto credit and deposit pick-up; and government e-services like BIR tax and SSS payments.

OFWs' choice

With the growing number of Filipinos working abroad, local banks are constantly positioning themselves to get the biggest chunk of the foreign exchange remittance business. As of the first seven months of this year, remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) breached the $10 billion mark to hit $10.68 billion or a 7.1 percent rise from a year ago level. In July alone, remittances rose by 8.2 percent to hit $1.6 billion. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) attributed the robust growth in remittances to the continued strong demand for professional and skilled workers and increased access of OFWs and their families to formal money transfer channels provided by local banks.

In an effort to serve and reach more OFWs worldwide, Metro-bank continues to extend its network overseas. With Metrobank’s remittance products and services, workers abroad can choose from various ways to remit money to the country. By choosing Remit to Metrobank Account, an overseas Pinoy worker may remit directly to his beneficiary’s Metrobank account and the funds gets credited in seconds. If through Remit to Metrobank World Cash Card (a Metrobank World Cash Card is also an ATM card), a beneficiary can claim the remittance instantly at over 900 Metrobank ATMs, or over 4,000 Bancnet, Megalink and Expressnet Terminals nationwide. The cash card may also be used at over a million Cirrus-Maestro ATMs nationwide. A beneficiary may claim the remittance at any of 560 Metrobank branches and other payout partners nationwide.

An OFW may also opt for a door to door delivery where a Metrobank carrier will deliver the remittance right at the beneficiary’s doorstep within 24 hours for Metro Manila and within 48 hours for provincial addresses. If the beneficiary is not a Metrobank customer, an OFW may also remit to other bank’s account. In this case, funds are credited to the beneficiary’s (Philippine) bank account within 24 hours.

Recently, Metrobank expanded its remittance network through its partnership with M.Lhuillier Financial Services. Beneficiaries of OFWs remitting to the bank’s subsidiary, Metro Remittance Center Inc in Canada, may now claim their funds over the counter at any of over 1,000 M.Lhuillier outlets nationwide.

Award winning performance in Trust Banking

Because of Metrobank’s expertise in asset management and its commitment to provide the best investment solutions for the client, the bank continues to reap rewards for its performance in asset/funds management. The bank’s latest recognition was based on the 99th Watson Wyatt Survey on Investment Performance (SIP), where Metrobank was ranked number one for Retirement Funds in the Philippines under the All Trusted Funds Category. Another recent citation is the Gold Trusted Brand Award under the Investment Fund Company Category from the Reader’s Digest. Metrobank also received the award for Most Astute Investor in Asian Currency Bonds in the Philippines from The Asset Benchmark Research, the business intelligence arm of regional financial publication, The Asset.

 ‘’The recognition serve as a validation of our commitment to being the trusted partner in asset management,’’said Metrobank executive vice president and Trust Banking Group head, Josefina E. Sulit. “The citations also reflect our proactive focus on risk and returns and our adherence to quality and consistency amidst changes in market conditions,’’ she added.