LANDBANK boosts support in rice-producing provinces with agri-hubs

Bongabong Mayor Elegio A. Malaluan (middle) and LANDBANK Executive Vice Presidents Liduvino S. Geron (2nd from right) and Ma. Celeste A. Burgos (rightmost) lead the inauguration of the LANDBANK Bongabong Agri-Hub on 08 March 2024. Joining them are Victoria Mayor Joselito C. Malabanan (4th from right) and Oriental Mindoro Board Member Atty. Jomarc Philip E. Dimapilis (leftmost).

State-run Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) recently inaugurated agri-hubs in Oriental Mindoro and Misamis Occidental, in its continued bid to boost the rice production and economic activities in these provinces.

LANDBANK has been establishing agri-hubs in the country’s top rice-producing provinces to bring various financial services under one roof. These include banking services such as account opening, withdrawals, and check encashments; lending services such as the processing of loan applications; and agrarian services such as the processing of Agrarian Reform (AR) bonds and handling of agrarian-related concerns.

“The strategic presence of LANDBANK agri-hubs in the country’s top rice-producing provinces ensures that we meet the developing needs of rice farmers and other agricultural players. We aim to make financial services more accessible and contribute to boosting domestic rice production,” said LANDBANK President and CEO Lynette V. Ortiz.

The LANDBANK Bongabong Agri-Hub located in Barangay Poblacion, Bongabong in Oriental Mindoro, brings financial services closer to the 36 barangays of the town and the three nearby barangays of the Municipality of Bansud.

The touchpoint benefits over 12,200 farmers and fishers; 5,300 DSWD beneficiaries; local government workers; and private clients, who no longer need to travel to LANDBANK branches and lending center in Pinamalayan, Roxas, and Calapan City, respectively, for 30 minutes to two hours.

Bongabong Mayor Elegio A. Malaluan, together with LANDBANK Executive Vice Presidents Liduvino S. Geron and Ma. Celeste A. Burgos, led the inauguration of the Bongabong Agri-Hub on 08 March 2024. They were joined by Victoria Mayor Joselito C. Malabanan and Oriental Mindoro Board Member Atty. Jomarc Philip E. Dimapilis.

LANDBANK also inaugurated the Plaridel Agri-Hub in Barangay Panalsalan, Plaridel in Misamis Occidental to service the 61 combined barangays of the municipalities of Plaridel and Lopez Jaena, including over 23,000 farmers and fishers.

Considered as the very first commercial bank in the town, the LANDBANK Plaridel Agri-Hub allows customers to conveniently perform their transactions without having to travel to Oroquieta City for over 30 minutes and to Dipolog City for more than one hour, to reach a LANDBANK branch and lending center, respectively.

Plaridel Mayor Gadwin E. Handumon joined LANDBANK Executive Vice Presidents Geron and Burgos during the inauguration rites for the Plaridel Agri-Hub on 16 February 2024.

The newly inaugurated LANDBANK Agri-Hubs are equipped with an automated teller machine (ATM) for fast, safe, and convenient cash withdrawals, and features a Digital Corner where clients can open a deposit account in 15 minutes or less using the LANDBANK Digital Onboarding System (DOBS).

The two facilities complement the other 14 LANDBANK Agri-Hubs strategically located in the top-rice-producing provinces of the country. LANDBANK’s network of 607 branches and branch-lite units are designed to reach and service the requirements of its diverse customer base, including unbanked and underserved areas.