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Philippine banks’ NPL ratio eases in November
The Freeman
|January 20, 2026
The Philippine banking system’s gross nonperforming loan (NPL) ratio eased at end-November, preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.
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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.
This story is from the January 20, 2026 edition of The Freeman.
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