Philippine banks continued to fall short of the mandated threshold for agriculture and agrarian reform lending despite the 18.9 percent increase in the first quarter, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.
The BSP reported the banking system was able to set aside a total of P711 billion of total loanable funds for agriculture and agrarian reform credit under Republic Act 10000 or the Agri-Agra Reform Credit Act of 2009 from January to March, higher than the P597.94 billion disbursed in the period last year.
The total loanable funds of the banking industry increased by 15.3 percent to P4.96 trillion as of end-March from P4.3 trillion in end-March last year.
Despite the increase, the combined allocation of loanable funds for agriculture and agrarian reform of 14.33 percent in the first quarter was way below the minimum threshold set by the law.
RA 10000 retained the mandatory credit allocation in Presidential Decree 717 where 25 percent of the banks’ total loanable funds are to be set aside for agriculture and fisheries in general, of which at least 10 percent should be made available for agrarian reform beneficiaries.
Philippine banks continued to fall short of the mandated threshold for agriculture and agrarian reform lending despite the 18.9 percent increase in the first quarter, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.
The BSP reported the banking system was able to set aside a total of P711 billion of total loanable funds for agriculture and agrarian reform credit under Republic Act 10000 or the Agri-Agra Reform Credit Act of 2009 from January to March, higher than the P597.94 billion disbursed in the period last year.
The total loanable funds of the banking industry increased by 15.3 percent to P4.96 trillion as of end-March from P4.3 trillion in end-March last year.
Despite the increase, the combined allocation of loanable funds for agriculture and agrarian reform of 14.33 percent in the first quarter was way below the minimum threshold set by the law.
RA 10000 retained the mandatory credit allocation in Presidential Decree 717 where 25 percent of the banks’ total loanable funds are to be set aside for agriculture and fisheries in general, of which at least 10 percent should be made available for agrarian reform beneficiaries.
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