DBP

Rebuilding Lives through Inclusive Finance

For over seven decades, the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) has stood as a cornerstone of national progress, transforming development finance into a force for equity and empowerment. DBP serves as the financial executing agency of the Department of Agriculture’s (DA’s) Agri-Puhunan at Pantawid Program (APPP) that provides affordable credit, input funding, free crop insurance, and market access. The Program delivers end-to-end support to farmers and rural cooperatives through a pioneering Interventions Monitoring Card (IMC) that serves as ID cum cash card, facilitating a digital closed-loop system that ensures transparency and measurable results for last-mile communities. The IMC allows farmers to receive and use government aid seamlessly, ensuring that every peso is utilized for production and livelihood.

By combining digital innovation with on-ground partnerships, DBP has successfully financed more than 6,000 rice farmers across multiple provinces since its launch in September 2024, covering over 12,000 hectares of farmland. The Program continues to expand with an ambitious goal of supporting 1.3 million hectares nationwide. Through strong collaboration with the DA, Agricultural Credit policy Council (ACPC), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), National Food Authority (NFA), Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), Planters Products Inc. (PPI), and DBP FinTech partner, DBP has created a secure, efficient ecosystem that enhances transparency and productivity in the agriculture sector. More than a loan program, APPP represents a bridge between rural resilience and digital modernization proving that technology, when guided by empathy, can transform livelihoods.

Fostering Peace through Environmental Stewardship

DBP's commitment to sustainability goes beyond banking. Its visionary DBP Forest Program (DFP) has championed environmental protection since its launch in 2005, long before sustainability became a global priority. In 2024, it reached a new level of impact with the 100-hectare reforestation project in Zamboanga Sibugay, Mindanao, in collaboration with the Mindanao State University (MSU)-Buug and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). By seamlessly combining reforestation, livelihood creation, and peacebuilding, the project transforms a once conflict-stricken area into a flourishing agroforestry site. The true innovation lies in strengthening social cohesion through economic empowerment, employing former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants and equipping them with essential agricultural and environmental management skills. This effort creates sustainable livelihoods while restoring degraded lands, strengthening social cohesion and peacebuilding. 

Planting at least 24,000 high quality trees (fruit bearing trees, endemic forest trees, and bamboo), the project is estimated to sequester more than 2,000 mt CO₂ annually at maturity, roughly equal to annual emissions of about 435 passenger vehicles, adding environmental impact to its socio-economic benefits.

The integration of education, biodiversity preservation, and livelihood generation exemplifies DBP’s approach to holistic development. The program aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on Climate Action, Life on Land, and Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions demonstrating how sustainability can build not just ecosystems, but lasting peace.

A Vision of Growth that Serves People and the Planet

DBP’s broader sustainability framework reflects its deep belief that progress must always serve people and protect the planet. Its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles guide decision-making across all programs, ensuring that growth remains inclusive, accountable, and resilient. Through its financial literacy campaigns, small enterprise support, and digital transformation efforts, DBP continues to lead as both financier and catalyst for positive change.

The bank’s holistic approach from financing farms to reforesting lands reflects its core mission: to uplift Filipino communities through meaningful partnerships and purposeful innovation. As a proud recipient of the Top Community Centric Companies in Asia recognition, DBP embodies the spirit of nation-building that transcends banking. It reminds us that development is not measured by profits or infrastructure alone, but by the lives it transforms, the communities it empowers, and the harmony it restores between people and nature.

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