Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) has garnered a total of 28 local and international awards as of September, the highest since 2012, to coincide with the bank’s 61 years of operations in the country this year.

The awards recognize the bank’s innovative digital solutions, sustainability efforts and financial inclusion programs on the heels of the pandemic.

RCBC’s digital transformation accelerated in 2019 with enterprise-wide efforts. It centered on achieving the best customer experience including transforming channels and products, reengineering business processes, building stronger payment ecosystems and improving workforce productivity.

These efforts started gaining traction in 2020 when the pandemic struck and is now getting the nod from some of the most prestigious institutions in the global financial and banking industry such as Global Banking and Finance Review, Asian Banking and Finance, The Asset, International Business Magazine, Asia Corporate Excellence and Sustainability, AsiaMoney among others.

The bank bagged several awards for this year’s Best Digital Bank, recognizing innovations rolled out at the height of the lockdown which proved to be helpful not only to its clients but to the entire nation.

It also received a number of Retail Bank of the Year awards which recognize RCBC’s digital transformation in its branch network that seeks to enhance customer experience while speeding up transactions with minimal physical contact.

RCBC’s digitized cash management solutions also received recognition, bagging this year’s Best Cash Management Bank award for enabling its corporate clients to continue operations despite lockdown restrictions.

Digitization also played an important role on the lending side. The bank was recognized as the Best SME Banking Brand for its continued support for the SME sector by enabling faster credit availment. This feat was achieved through reengineering and streamlining business processes that involved automation in its processes.

Amid the pandemic, the bank increased credit support on select industries and corporate clients despite an environment fraught with great uncertainty and uneasy conservatism. This earned the bank the Best Corporate Bank award.

The universal bank was also recognized as one of the Top Community Centric Companies in Asia by Asia Corporate Excellence and Sustainability Awards (ACES) for its holistic approach to sustainability in the bank’s governance and business activities.

It is a sole lender to a number of landmark transactions including the 330-megawatt solar power project of Ayala-led AC Energy in partnership with the BIM Group in Vietnam which is envisioned to be one of the largest solar power projects in South East Asia, and the Quang Binh Windfarm with an installed capacity of 210 megawatts (MW) upon completion and featuring turbines with hub-heights of 145 meter. Both projects were facilitated, with RCBC Capital as the lead arranger.

The latter project was recognized as this year’s Renewable Energy Deal of the Year Award – Wind by The Asset Infrastructure Awards.

Philippine Star