Financial system resources hit P35.8 trillion

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

January 25, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The total resources of the country’s financial system rose to P35.76 trillion as of end-November last year, reflecting sustained deposit growth, steady credit demand and continued confidence in the banking system.

Preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed that banks and non-bank financial institutions booked a 7.1-percent growth in assets from P33.38 trillion in the same period in 2024.

Financial system resources cover funds and balance sheet items such as deposits, capital, loans, bonds, equities and other debt securities held by banks and BSP-supervised non-bank institutions.

These resources are often used as a broad gauge of liquidity, savings behavior and the overall depth of the financial system.

Jonathan Ravelas, senior adviser at Reyes Tacandong & Co., said the sustained expansion reflects confidence in the financial system.

“Households are saving more, firms are slowly borrowing again, and banks are deploying capital into higher-yielding securities. It’s a sign the financial system remains liquid and resilient,” Ravelas said.

During the 11-month period, the growth in resources was mainly driven by the 7.7 percent expansion in the assets of the banking industry to P29.66 trillion from P27.55 trillion a year prior.

Big banks continued to dominate the sector, accounting for about 93 percent of the banking industry’s total resources, which stood at P27.57 trillion as of end-November. This is also 6.9 percent higher than the P25.78 trillion seen in the comparable year-ago period.

Thrift banks also posted strong growth, with assets jumping by 23.5 percent to P1.42 trillion from P1.15 trillion. These mid-sized banks accounted for about 4.8 percent of total banking resources.

Meanwhile, assets of rural and cooperative banks edged up by 1.5 percent to P505.9 billion from P498.4 billion a year earlier, representing around 1.7 percent of the industry’s total resources.

Digital banks sustained rapid expansion, posting a 38.6 percent increase in assets to P165.9 billion as of end-November from P119.7 billion in the same period in 2024, highlighting continued adoption of app-based financial services.

Non-banks likewise saw their resources grow by 4.6 percent to P6.1 trillion from P5.83 trillion a year ago. Non-bank institutions include BSP-supervised investment houses, financing and investment companies, securities dealers and brokers, pawnshops and lending investors.

Philippine Institute for Development Studies senior research fellow John Paolo Rivera said the increase mirrors structural shifts in balance sheets rather than aggressive risk-taking.