By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) President and Chief Executive Officer Cezar Consing, during a media roundtable discussion yesterday, said the company is looking to strengthen its presence in Negros, noting 80 percent of its clientele is located in Bacolod City.

He noted, there is a growing demand for financial services from the real estate and business process outsourcing industries in the region, which he said the company would like to “encourage and finance” that type of growth.

“These two industries have helped redefine the local economic landscape and will generate more jobs for Negrenses,” Consing said. “Right now, we are going where we think there is most use of our services.”

At present, there are 19 BPI branches in Negros, with 11 located in Metro Bacolod, and four more branches scheduled to open in 2018.

He also said that there are more than 200,000 clients in Negros.

Consing added, BPI launched their Business Bank last year, which focuses on helping business grow through BPI BizLink services and cash management solutions, which allows for salary payments to employees, bills payments, government payments, check disbursements, balance transfers, and account balance and transaction inquiries./DGB, WDJ