DBP earns regional recognition for education, lending and banking access
The Philippine state-owned bank received three awards in Colombo, including the top corporate social responsibility honour for its education programme.
Education support and projects serving local communities brought the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) three honours at the ADFIAP Development Awards 2026 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Michael de Jesus, the bank’s president and chief executive officer, said DBP won the Corporate Social Responsibility category and two merit awards.
The education award went to DBP Integrated Scholastic Program for Inclusive and Sustainable Education, known as DBP INSPIRE. De Jesus said the programme has an allocation of ₱510 million for five years and connects assistance for students at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Scholarships help indigent high school graduates pursue higher education by covering tuition and other school-related costs.
DBP INSPIRE also supports students in public primary and secondary schools through outreach activities, including the Department of Education’s Brigada Eskwela and Adopt-a-School Program, he said.
A merit award for local economic development recognised financing provided to Calumpit’s local government in Bulacan to improve its public market. According to the bank, the project benefited more than 120,000 residents of Calumpit and nearby municipalities.
The financial inclusion merit award covered DBP’s branch-lite openings in Talakag, Bukidnon and Viga, Catanduanes. De Jesus said these units helped extend financial services to remote areas and communities without banking access in Luzon and Mindanao. The annual awards are run by the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific.
