About 87.7% of Philippine banks plan to maintain their overall lending standards in the first quarter of 2026, up from 85% in the previous quarter, according to data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
Meanwhile, 10.5% of banks expect to tighten their credit policies, while 1.8% anticipate relaxing them. The findings are based on a survey of senior loan officers from 58 universal and commercial banks, thrift banks, and rural banks.
Among lenders that plan to adjust their standards, more institutions intend to tighten requirements for both household and corporate loans than to ease them.
The central bank noted in its 30 January 2026 report that any forthcoming adjustments in credit standards are likely to lean toward stricter, rather than more relaxed, lending conditions.
Roughly 12.8% of banks expect to impose tighter standards on household loans, compared with 7.7% that foresee easing requirements.
For business lending, a net 8.8% of banks anticipate stricter loan standards rather than more lenient terms.
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