It was a record-breaking year at the Asian Banking and Finance Awards with over 250 trophies given away, including six won by BDO Unibank Inc., the country’s largest bank.

BDO won in three major categories – Wholesale Banking, Retail Banking and the newly-added Corporate & Investment Banking Award.

In the Wholesale Banking category, BDO won the Philippine Domestic Trade Finance Bank of the Year and the Philippine Domestic Cash Management Bank of the Year. 

In winning the Philippine Domestic Trade Finance Bank of the year, BDO was commended for having five strategic centers located in key areas in the country, which enables to provide customized trade solutions to clients.

“It has processed nearly $6 billion trade transactions in 2017, accounting for about fourth of the industry’s trade business. For this commitment to enabling trade, BDO Unibank is rightfully recognized as Philippine Domestic Trade Finance Bank of the Year,” the award-giving body said.

For the cash management category, BDO was lauded for its wide branch and ATM network, which to date total over 1,000 and 3,800, respectively. Through this vast network, the Bank is able to provide innovative end-to-end financial solutions to corporate clients.

In retail banking, BDO through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm BDO Foundation, bagged the  CSR of the Year – Gold  Award for its efforts to empower people with disabilities (PWDs) through the development of a community for disabled individuals. BDO Foundation built a 225 square meter multi-purpose hall near the resettlement homes to give PWDs and their families a place for livelihood as well as recreation.

Meantime, the Bank through wholly-owned BDO Capital & Investment Corporation also won a string of awards at the newly-created category: Corporate & Investment Banking Awards. BDO Capital won the Equity Deal of the Year (Philippines ), Corporate & Investment Bank of the Year (Philippines) and the Syndicated Loan of the Year (Philippines).

“BDO Capital proposed an innovative structure that addressed Del Monte Pacific Limited’s $360 million perpetual preference share tranche. By providing a new instrument in the form of US-denominated perpetual preference shares, the bank provided the template that led regulatory bodies SEC and PSE to develop rules for dollar-denominated securities,” Asian Banking and Finance said in handing out the Equity Deal of the Year – Philippines Award.

BDO Capital, meanwhile, won the Syndicated Loan of the Year award for its role in $800 million notes facility of GNPower Mariveles Coal Power Plant. “For their integral role in moving the debt capital market forward, BDO Capital & Investment Corp. is rightfully recognized as Syndicated Loan of the Year – Philippines”.

Last but not the least, BDO Capital bagged the Corporate and Investment Bank of the Year – Philippines award for being a “one-stop investment house covering extensive aspects of deals from origination, structuring, and execution funding through its affiliates, secondary market trading, and insurance services.”

More than 200 banks and insurance companies from nearly 40 countries were recognized at this year’s Awards which was held at the Shangri-La Singapore on July 13.

Representing BDO during the award ceremonies were BDO Capital president Eduardo V. Francisco (left) and BDO EVP and head of Institutional Banking Group Walter Wassmer (right).