OFBank now serves clients from 113 countries, territories
The Overseas Filipino Bank (OFBank) marked its first successful year as a branchless digital-only bank last June 29 by onboarding clients from a total of 113 countries and territories as of May 31, 2021.
These include the top 10 destinations for the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), namely Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Singapore, Hong Kong, Qatar, Kuwait, Taiwan, Italy, Bahrain, and Malaysia.
OFBank’s cash inflow also reached P1.51 billion, composed of P849.9 million and P657 million in domestic and remittance inflows, respectively.
Total outflows from withdrawals via over-the-counter (OTC), automated teller machines (ATMs) and electronic banking amounted to P1.25 billion, yielding the Bank an outstanding balance of P256.3 million as of end-May 2021.
A wholly-owned subsidiary of the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK), the OFBank also officially became the very first digital bank in the Philippines after securing a digital banking license from the Monetary Board (MB) of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on March 25, 2021.
“The transformation of OFBank as a branchless digital-only bank has allowed it to serve the diverse requirements of overseas Filipinos abroad and their families back home, providing them a convenient, reliable, and secure banking experience,” said OFBank Chair and LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo.
As a digital-only facility, the OFBank utilizes the Digital Onboarding System with Artificial Intelligence (DOBSAI) which allows OFWs and other Filipinos overseas and their beneficiaries to open a mobile banking deposit account online through supported mobile devices.
Digital services available to OFBank account holders include fund transfers, bill payments, and government bond purchases.
During the Bureau of the Treasury’s (BTr) Premyo Bonds 2 offering from November to December 2020, a total of 3,517 transactions amounting to P40.7 million were transacted through the bond purchase feature of the OFBank’s Mobile Banking App (MBA).
A total of 380 transactions worth P8.3 million were also coursed through the Bank’s mobile app for the BTR’s 25th Tranche of the Retail Treasury Bonds or RTB-25 issuance from February to March 2021.
As part of its financial literacy campaign, OFBank conducted 156 webinars and 336 pre-departure orientations for overseas and departing Filipinos between June 2020 and May 2021 to promote its products and services, and discuss the importance of saving, budgeting and investing, among others.
The seminars were facilitated in close coordination with the LANDBANK’s Overseas Remittance Group (LBP-ORG), Philippine embassies and consulates, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
“OFBank has become a trailblazer in the country’s banking industry with its innovative products and services. We strive to continuously upgrade our operations, systems, and processes to deliver accessible and responsive banking solutions for Filipinos worldwide,” said OFBank President and CEO Leila C. Martin.
OFBank is on track to enhance its mobile banking app with the inclusion of more payment merchants and the addition of a card-less withdrawal feature, among other enhancements.
