New Brand Finance data shows nine out of 11 Filipino banking brands record double-digit brand value growth
MANILA, 10 March 2026 – Nine out of 11 Philippine banking brands, or 82%, recorded double-digit brand value growth this year, according to the Banking 500 2026 journal by Brand Finance, the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. The broad-based gains highlight strengthening fundamentals across the Philippine banking industry in early 2026, even amid a more cautious global economic environment.
BDO (brand value down 4% to USD3.5 billion) ranks 105th globally and remains the highest ranked Philippine bank in the Banking 500 ranking. The bank retains a strong AAA brand strength rating, reflecting sustained customer familiarity and leadership in the domestic banking sector. The marginal decline reflects more cautious revenue forecast assumptions amid expectations of potential rate cuts by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, which could affect interest income across the sector.
Bank of the Philippine Islands (brand value up 37% to USD3.2 billion) rose 15 places to rank 113th globally, with its brand value growth supported by higher income from its core lending operations. The bank also ranks 21st globally for brand strength, recording a rise from its AAA- brand strength rating in 2025 to AAA+ this year, the highest accolade for brand strength awarded by Brand Finance.
AUB (brand value at USD226 million) make a notable debut as the 475th brand among the world’s 500 most valuable banking brands of 2026. The uplift was supported by improved revenue performance and loan expansion.
Land Bank of the Philippines (brand value up 29% to USD1.6 billion) ranks 182nd globally, rising 10 places in the ranking as growth in in lending and government-backed development financing continues to support the bank’s performance.
Metrobank (brand value up 19% to USD1.6 billion) ranks 184th globally. The bank reported record earnings in 2025, supported by asset growth and strong trading income.
UnionBank (brand value up 1% to USD750 million) ranks 269th globally and sustains an A brand strength rating. The bank's reported performance was supported by stronger second-half earnings and continued expansion of its customer base, adding over one million new customers.
Alex Haigh, Managing Director Asia Pacific, Brand Finance, commented:
“With nine out of 11 Philippine banking brands recording double-digit growth in brand value, this year’s results point to strengthening brand fundamentals across the market. BDO remains the country's most valuable banking brand, while Bank of the Philippine Islands' rise in global ranking and AUB's debut highlights how stronger financial performance and improved brand strength are contributing to brand value growth. Even in a more moderated growth environment, Philippine banking brands continue to enhance their global positioning."
Other Philippine banking brands featured in the Banking 500 2026 journal include:
1. Security Bank ranks 299th
2. Philippine National Bank ranks 308th
3. Chinabank ranks 364th
4. RCBC ranks 394th
5. EastWest Bank ranks 458th
Banking Industry Global Insights
Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organisations make strategic decisions.
Headquartered in London, Brand Finance operates in over 25 countries. Every year, Brand Finance conducts more than 6,000 brand valuations, supported by original market research, and publishes over 100 reports which rank brands across all sectors and countries.
Brand Finance also operates the Global Brand Equity Monitor, conducting original market research annually on 6,000 brands, surveying more than 175,000 respondents across 41 countries and 31 industry sectors. By combining perceptual data from the Global Brand Equity Monitor with data from its valuation database — the largest brand value database in the world — Brand Finance equips ambitious brand leaders with the data, analytics, and the strategic guidance they need to enhance brand and business value.
In addition to calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics, compliant with ISO 20671.
Brand Finance is a regulated accountancy firm and a committed leader in the standardisation of the brand valuation industry. Brand Finance was the first to be certified by independent auditors as compliant with both ISO 10668 and ISO 20671 and has received the official endorsement of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) in the United States.
Brand is defined as a marketing-related intangible asset including, but not limited to, names, terms, signs, symbols, logos, and designs, intended to identify goods, services, or entities, creating distinctive images and associations in the minds of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefits.
Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. Brand Finance evaluates brand strength in a process compliant with ISO 20671, looking at Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and the impact of those on Business Performance. The data used is derived from Brand Finance’s proprietary market research programme and from publicly available sources.
Each brand is assigned a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score out of 100, which feeds into the brand value calculation. Based on the score, each brand is assigned a corresponding Brand Rating up to AAA+ in a format similar to a credit rating.
Brand Finance calculates the values of brands in its rankings using the Royalty Relief approach – a brand valuation method compliant with the industry standards set in ISO 10668. It involves estimating the likely future revenues that are attributable to a brand by calculating a royalty rate that would be charged for its use, to arrive at a ‘brand value’ understood as a net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market.
The steps in this process are as follows:
1 Calculate brand strength using a balanced scorecard of metrics assessing Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and Business Performance. Brand strength is expressed as a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score on a scale of 0 to 100.
2 Determine royalty range for each industry, reflecting the importance of brand to purchasing decisions. In luxury, the maximum percentage is high, while in extractive industry, where goods are often commoditised, it is lower. This is done by reviewing comparable licensing agreements sourced from Brand Finance’s extensive database.
3 Calculate royalty rate. The BSI score is applied to the royalty range to arrive at a royalty rate. For example, if the royalty range in a sector is 0-5% and a brand has a BSI score of 80 out of 100, then an appropriate royalty rate for the use of this brand in the given sector will be 4%.
4 Determine brand-specific revenues by estimating a proportion of parent company revenues attributable to a brand.
5 Determine forecast revenues using a function of historic revenues, equity analyst forecasts, and economic growth rates.
6 Apply the royalty rate to the forecast revenues to derive brand revenues.
7 Discount post-tax brand revenues to a net present value which equals the brand value.
Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organisation.
The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance's proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.
