BDO raises P100 billion via sustainability bonds

BDO UNIBANK, Inc. has raised P100 billion from its fifth issuance of ASEAN Sustainability Bonds following strong investor demand.

This is 20 times its original P5-billion offer, it said in a disclosure to the stock exchange.

“This issuance saw robust participation from retail and institutional investors, prompting the early close of the offer period on Jan. 16,” it said.

BDO on Monday issued, settled, and listed the bonds on the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp.

“The net proceeds are intended to support the bank’s lending activities and diversify funding sources and to finance and/or refinance eligible assets as defined in the bank’s Sustainable Finance Framework,” it said.

The papers have a tenor of three years and carry a coupon rate of 5.7125% per annum.

With this issuance, BDO has now raised an aggregate of P386.7 billion since January 2022 via its five issuances of ASEAN Sustainability Bonds.

Standard Chartered Bank was the sole arranger for the transaction and was also a selling agent along with BDO. BDO Capital and Investment Corp. was the financial advisor.

BDO last tapped the domestic market in July 2025 via its fourth ASEAN Sustainability Bond issuance, raising P115 billion via 1.5-year papers, above the initial P5-billion plan and marking the largest peso bond issuance in the country to date.

The bank’s attributable net income rose 6.1% year on year to P22.47 billion in the third quarter of 2025 on the sustained expansion of its core businesses.

This brought its nine-month earnings to P63.09 billion, 4.07% higher than a year earlier.

BDO’s shares closed at P138.20 apiece on Monday, rising by 20 centavos or 0.14% from Friday’s finish. — Aaron Michael C. Sy