Byline: FIL C. SIONIL

Amidst the challenging business environment, Equitable-PCI Bank (EPCI Bank) is looking at improving its foothold in the domestic banking industry through aggressive marketing.

EPCI Bank president and Chief Executive Officer Rene J. Buenaventura said the

"We expect our businesses to perform well given our growing customer base and our determined focus despite the challenging operating environment," said Buenaventura.

To date, EPCI Bank posted a 16 percent growth in its peso low-cost deposits, one of the fastest in the industry. The objective, Buenaventura said, is to leverage on this base to grow its business.

"We are clearly realizing the benefits of the sustained improvement in our operating fundamentals, from stronger fund generation to better asset quality management to tighter cost controls," explained Buenaventura.

To achieve further significant progress, EPCI Bank is targetting three key segments of the populace, namely, the affluent, the emerging affluent, and the mass market.

The EPCI Bank management appeared to be inching its way towards attaining its objective, virtually putting behind the intra-corporate battle it faced just middle of this year.

A proof of this was having been chosen as "The Best Domestic Bank in the Philippines for 2005" in The Asset Triple A Country Awards by The Asset, a regional finance publication.

The Asset Triple A Country Awards is being conducted annually in recognition of performance excellence in the financial services industry over the past 12 months. Quantitative and qualitative factors are considered in earning a point-score called The Asset Scoring Quotient (TASQ).

Whenever possible, TASQ is further supplemented by conducting follow-up interviews and participation in presentations organized by financial institutions and their clients.

This is the second year in a row that Equitable PCI Bank has won this most coveted domestic banking award for the Philippines and is a testament to the substantial progress the bank has achieved during the past 12 months to September 2005.

"It was good execution all around," Buenaventura traced the reason for the citation.

Equitable PCI Bank marks its 55th year this 2005. It is presently the countryas third largest banking group enjoying top tier standing in corporate and commercial banking, treasury, trust banking, credit and payment cards, remittances, leasing, and investment banking. It has over 400 branches and more than 500 FASTeller ATMs nationwide, with access to 5,500 BancNet, MegaLink, and ExpressNet ATMs.