The Asian Institute of Management’s (AIM) Gov. Jose B. Fernandez Center for Sustainable Finance (JBF Center) participated in the Fair Finance Philippines’ Bank Policy Assessment 2022 Launch, which was held virtually on March 22, 2024, via Zoom. Representatives from regulators, financial institutions, academia, and civil society organizations attended the event. 

During the launch, JBF Center's Executive Director, Professor Felipe O. Calderon, CPA, CMA, PhD, shared his expertise in a presentation titled "Learnings and Experiences: Initiatives to Promote Sustainable Finance in the Banking Industry." In his presentation, Prof. Calderon emphasized the crucial role of banks in driving sustainability and shared the evolving regulatory policies concerning sustainable finance implementation. He also showcased sustainable finance initiatives undertaken by both international and local banks. 

Other notable speakers who attended the event were Atty. Mack Hale Bunagan, Program Lead of Fair Finance Philippines (FFPh); Marla Garin-Alvarez, Vice President and Head of Sustainability Office of BDO Unibank, Inc.; and Rhodora Brazil de Vera, Deputy Director, Supervisory Policy and Research Department of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. 

Since 2020, Fair Finance Philippines has been conducting annual assessments of major Philippine banks’ environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policies. These evaluations highlight how these policies can encourage banks to contribute to creating a more sustainable future. In its 2022 report, FFPh examined the lending and investment policies of BDO, BPI, Landbank, Metrobank, and RCBC against global benchmarks using the Fair Finance Guide Methodology. Read the full report to explore FFPh’s findings and insights into its assessment of the major Philippine banks’ commitments to responsible banking: https://bit.ly/2022BankPolicyAssessment.