Major Accomplishments of the Chamber of Thrift Banks

  • Put together a Uniform Loan and Mortgage Agreement or ULAMA, a document that is now used by the industry for home buyers and mortgage lenders which sped up transactions, reduced legal risk, and promoted transparency. The Chamber of Thrift Banks (CTB) initiated and took the lead and collaborated with the Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on getting many parties to agree on a document acceptable to the industry.
  • Accreditation of Thrift Banks in the British Embassy’s Bank Certification Verification System (BCVS), a mechanism by which the Embassy can verify or validate via electronic mode the authenticity of the Bank Certification issued by the banks to their depositors for visa application purposes.
  • Accreditation of CTB member-banks in BAP Data Exchange’s Online Loandex System and Positive Data Sharing System
  • Grant of BSP authority for RBUs of TBs to invest in readily marketable foreign currency-denominated debt instruments
  • Grant of BSP authority for TBs to engage in FX swaps and forwards transactions to fund purchases of foreign currency denominated instruments
  • Successful conduct of CTB training program on Compliance Function in Banks (which benefited 56 participants from 29 member-banks) and Risk Management & Audit (which benefited 70 participants from 30 thrift-banks).

2009

  • Grant of BSP authority to issue Foreign L/Cs (for qualified TBs)
  • Liberalization of BSP Rediscounting Guidelines (deletion of JSS req)
  • Deletion of proposed increased assessment on banks in PDIC bill

2008

  • Played a key role in the passage of the Credit Information System Act (CISA)
  • Extension of the exemption of micro and small-enterprise loans from the required submission of ITR/AFS
  • Longer period for submission by banks to AMLC of Covered and Suspicious Transaction Reports
  • Reduction to one (from two) of AMLC ID requirement
  • Introduced legislation on Free Patent
  • Issuance by the Supreme Court of Administrative Matter No. 99-10-05 as a means of addressing industry’s concern on indiscriminate issuance of TROs

2007

  • Grant of BSP authority for TBs to engage in derivatives activities
  • FCDU authority to include investments in long-dated marketable securities
  • Reduction of the minimum capital requirement for TBs to operate an FCDU
  • Grant of authority for all TBs to engage in limited trust business

2006

  • Retention of GRT on banks’ income from lending activities at 5% and 1% (instead of the proposed 7% and 3%)
  • Advocated lifting by the BSP of moratorium on bank branching/liberalized branching policy
  • Exemption of loans to small enterprises from the required submission of ITR/AFS, giving them 2 years within which to comply
  • Joint venture arrangements with real estate developers to hasten disposal of ROPOAs

2005

  • Training program on Operational Risks to prepare member-banks for BASEL IIInternal credit risk rating system for thrift banks

2004

  • Access by member-banks to BAP’s Negative File Information System
  • Supported the increase in the maximum deposit insurance coverage from P100,000 to P250,000.

2003

  • Staggered booking of losses arising from the discounted sale of NPAs to an SPV
  • Sales of ROPOA covered by SCRs excluded from automatic classification as NPAs
  • Passage of RA No. 9238, exempting FIs’ transactions from VAT and reverting banks to GRT
  • Accreditation of qualified TBs as collection agents for the BIR
  • 12-point accreditation program for wholesale lending programs of various GFIs

2002

  • TBs’ Eligibility for rediscounting under BSP’s rediscounting facility for microfinance
  • ROPOAs made part of compliance to the required 75% loans to deposit ratio
  • Increase in loan value for home mortgages to 80% if loan is fully guaranteed by appropriate government agency
  • “Front-end system” connecting TBs to the PPS/RTGS at an affordable cost

2001

  • Drafted the Risk Manual for TBs (endorsed by BSP)
  • Redefinition of SMEs by increasing the ceiling for the definition of ‘medium’ enterprises from P60 M to P100 M
  • Lifting of a presidential directive suspending the granting of government guarantee on SME loans
  • Allowing the capitalization of capital gains tax and DST on ROPOAs without requiring BSP accredited independent external appraiser for ROPOAs not exceeding P1 million

2000

  • Restoring the level of thrift banks’ liquidity reserve requirements on deposits and deposit substitutes to its former level of 2% (instead of 4% and 5% per BSP Cir. 260 and 262)1999
  • Made possible TBs’ subscription to Pag-Ibig bonds as alternative compliance to agri-agra lending
  • Part of the BSP-Banking Industry Y2K Task Force

1998

  • Adoption of CTB Code of Ethics
  • Drafted the Compliance System for TBs (in collaboration with BSP)

1997

  • BSP authority for TBs to accept government deposits (BSP Circ. 110)
  • BSP-CTB collaboration on BSP’s three-volume manual of GL/SL Reporting Scheme for Thrift Banks.
  • BSP Rediscounting window for SMEs with higher limits in banks’ participation at lower interest rates
  • Retention of the sector’s exemption from the payment of GRT under the CTRP

1995

  • Passage of the Thrift Banks Act (R.A. 7906)
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