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Banks' NPL ratio eases in November
Business World Philippines
|January 19, 2026
THE PHILIPPINE BANKING system's gross nonperforming loan (NPL) ratio eased at endNovember, preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.
Philippine banks' gross NPL ratio dipped to 3.32% as of November 2025 from 3.33% the prior month and from the 3.54% seen in the same month in 2024.
This was the lowest bad loan ratio since end-September or when it settled at 3.31%.
Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said recent rate cuts helped encourage loan repayments, easing banks' NPL ratio at end-November.
The key policy rate now stands at a three-year low of 4.5% as the central bank has delivered a total of 200 basis points (bps) in cuts since August 2024.
The BSP also lowered large banks' reserve requirement ratio (RRR) to 5%, which Mr. Ricafort said increased the banking system's liquidity and lenders' loanable funds.
"All of these reduced borrowing costs and improved the ability to pay by various borrowers, thereby leading to (a) slightly lower (and) better NPL ratio," he said in a Viber message.
This story is from the January 19, 2026 edition of Business World Philippines.
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