Equitable PCI Bank

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Equitable PCI Bank, Inc.
Public (PSE: EPCI)
Industry Finance and Insurance
Founded 1938 as PCIBank
1950 as EBC
1999 as Equitable PCI Bank
Defunct 2007
Headquarters Makati, Philippines
Key people
 Go Kim Pah, Founder, Equitable Banking Corporation
Antonio L. Go, Former Chairman
Rene J. Buenaventura, Former President and CEO
Eugenio Lopez Jr., Chairman PCIBank
John Gokongwei Jr., Vice Chairman PCIBank
Rafael B. Buenaventura, President and CEO PCIBank
Products Financial Services
P2.65 billion PHP (2005) [1]
Number of employees
 unknown
Website www.equitablepcib.com

Equitable PCI Bank, Inc. (PSE: EPCI) was one of the largest banks in the Philippines, being the third-largest bank in terms of assets. Equitable PCI Bank was the largest bank before it was overtaken by Metrobank in 1995. It is the result of the merger of Equitable Banking Corporation and Philippine Commercial International Bank, or PCIBank. It was known for a wide range of services from savings to insurance and, through its wholly owned subsidiary Equitable CardNetwork, was the largest Philippine credit card issuer. The bank merged with Banco de Oro Universal Bank in early 2007, and is now branded as "BDO" as its new identity as part of the new Banco de Oro Unibank, Inc.

Equitable PCI Bank history

The shares of the Lopez and Gokongwei Families were sold to the SSS and GSIS which acquired 78% of PCI Bank shares that were bought by the Go-Led Equitable Banking Corporation and they merged in 1999 and was approved by the Bangko Sentral and other agencies that had created the Third Largest Philippine Bank with Equitable as the survivor of the merger and the name Equitable PCI Bank was adopted. With Head offices at The former PCI Bank Towers I&II that were renamed to the Equitable PCI Bank Towers I&II and the Equitable Banking Corporation Binondo Center and at the Equitable Banking Corporation Tower also in Makati. The Bank also played in a very important role in the impeachment trial of the former president Joseph Estrada of which the bank produced Fifteen Witnesses (along with nine banks namely Citibank, Philippine Savings Bank, Bank of the Philippine Islands, Security Bank, Land Bank of the Philippines, Urban Bank, Export and Industry Bank, Asia United Bank and Keppel Bank) to prove that the 'Jose Velarde' account was owned the President Estrada (which also investment on the merger of the Equitable Banking Corporation and then the Lopez-Gokongwei led Philippine Commercial International Bank).

On August 5, 2005, the SM Group of Companies and Banco de Oro Universal Bank announced that they have purchased a 24.76% stake of Equitable PCI from the Go family(Equitable Banking Corporation), the family that founded the bank, along with a 10% stake in Equitable CardNetwork. Subsequent acquisitions by Banco de Oro enabled it to gain a 34% share in the bank.

On January 6, 2006, Banco de Oro Universal Bank submitted a merger offer to the bank - with Banco de Oro as the surviving entity. Under the proposed offer, Banco de Oro will swap 1.6 of its shares for every 1 share of Equitable-PCI (Merger occurred but BDO Shareholders were to swap 1.8 BDO shares for every EPCI Share). As a second option, Banco de Oro also offered to base the swap ratio on the book values of both banks to be assessed by an independent accounting firm using International Accounting Standards. With the success of this merger, Banco de Oro became the second largest bank with assets of P613 billion, just next to current industry leader, Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company with assets of more than P641.5 billion. The merger demoted the Bank of the Philippine Islands down to third place with P582 billion in assets. BDO has since surpassed Metrobank in asset, loan and deposit sizes to become the largest lender in the Philippines.

Equitable Bank history

On June 17, 1950, Equitable Banking Corporation was founded by Go Kim Pah as the first commercial bank in the Philippines licensed by the newly formed Central Bank of the Philippines (now Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas). Other commercial banks like Bank of the Philippine Islands were formed and licensed during the Spanish or American regimes. However, it was not until 1955 that Equitable opened its first branch in Divisoria.

In 1958, Equitable established the only direct telex service between the Philippines and Japan at the time, with initial messages exchanged between Equitable and Chase Manhattan Bank of Tokyo.

On August 15, 1963, Equitable established its first branch outside the Philippines in Hong Kong and only International Branch, the first time a Philippine bank opened a branch in the city. Two years later, on March 26, 1965, Equitable opened its first provincial branch in Cebu City. By 1972, Equitable emerged as the country's premier bank.

In 1989, Equitable turned its credit card department into a wholly owned subsidiary, Equitable CardNetwork. With three other banks, namely Far East Bank and Trust Company (since merged with BPI), Philippine National Bank and United Coconut Planters Bank, it formed Megalink, then the Philippines' largest ATM network.

On July 27, 1996, Equitable Savings Bank was established as Equitable's savings bank arm. Equitable listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange on April 3, 1997, and in 1999.

In 1977, the bank received its foreign currency license from the BSP and in 1980, issued its first credit cards under the VISA (credit card) and Visa brand. In 1987, Equitable became a universal bank and was appointed the clearing house of the Makati Stock Exchange, now the Philippine Stock Exchange.

PCIBank history

PCIBank was established on July 8, 1938 as the Philippine Bank of Commerce by sugar farmers from the Visayas region then it was the first Filipino-owned private commercial bank in the country. Then in the 1960s Benpres Holding Corp (now Lopez Holdings Corporation) bought out the majority stake in the PBC and they renamed it to the Philippine Commercial and Industry Bank (PCIBank). Then in the 1980s the Gokongwei Group headed by taipan John Gokongwei entered the Joint Venture buying about 33% of PCIBank shares then he appointed Rafael Buenaventura to head PCIBank as President and CEO. Also in the 1980s proved hard for the Lopezes because all of their businesses were seized by President Marcos. To this day The Romualdez-Lopez Dispute case still remains at court. Also in the 1980s when Gokongwei entered PCIBank he also owned Far East Bank and Trust Co and talks of a merger surfaced which would have created the largest bank in the Philippines.

PCIBank formed BancNet along with Security Bank, Chinabank, RCBC, Allied Bank (merged with PNB), Metrobank, International Corporate Bank (now part of UnionBank) and Citytrust Savings Bank formed BancNet. BancNet was also the brainchild of one of PCIBank's senior officers Mr. Ramon Arceo, Jr., the Senior Vice President (now works as UCPB's President). And due to pressures from President Erap estrada the Lopez and Gokongwei Families sold their shares to the SSS and GSIS and they were auctioned and the victors Equitable Banking Corp a well known crony of the Pres. Estrada had them merged with Equitable as survivor of the merger. PCIBank also had 3 companies listed at the Philippine Stock Exchange namely PCIBank itself (PSE:PCI), Bankard; Now an affiliate of RCBC (PSE:BKD) and PCI Leasing and Finance (PSE:PCIL) now named BDO Leasing and Finance (PSE:BLFI).

Ownership

Before Merging with Banco de Oro

After SM Investments Corporation buys the Majority Stake

Competition

Equitable PCI Bank's main competitors included Metrobank, Bank of the Philippine Islands, Landbank and PNB.

Firsts

  • A member both of the two leading ATM Networks in the Philippines; Equitable Bank's Megalink of which it is a founding member and PCIBank's BancNet of which it is the BancNet Operator along with Metrobank and RCBC.

See also

External links

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