Best PH bank to maintain while in AU

manofsteel · November 2014

I tried to search for similar thread but found only best banks in Au.

I would like to know if anybody here is maintaining an acct in Ph to do your AU-to-PH transactions for savings, investments, bills payments, remittance, et al.

Ang Metrobank kase once you forget your online pin, you will be able to reset only by flying to ph and going to your bank's branch. Kase they only issue pin-mailer (medyo jologs pa rin)

BDO naman offers resetting of passwords online, provided you registered a valid mobile number (overseas number or ph roaming numbers are allowed). However, they give low interest rates, and charges higher fees on some services. And ranks the highest for loans interest rate (e.g. for your real estate investments)

I'm not sure about BPI.

PNB naman daw is OFW-friendly, not sure about this yet

Ano ba experience nyo maintaining a bank in Ph while andyan kayo sa Au?
Can anyody suggest based on the following?
- Online banking relaiability and stability
- Best to remit and save money from small part of your Au earnings
- Expat-friendly, meaning hassle-free (or should I say hassle-less) banking for your banking transactions in PH while you're in Au

Thanks!

JCsantos · November 2014

for me anything that has online facility ... my wife uses metrobank and BPI for seven years now .. nag ka aberya yata yung BPI ng konti kasi naging dormant account

rareking · November 2014

Hi @manofsteel - isa pa sigurong tanong to add is to what purpose ba na kailangang magmaintain ng bank in PH - padala ba ng pera sa pamilya? Kasi kung savings lang naman, palagay ko dyan na lang sa Au kasi mas malaki yata tubo dyan (to be confirmed by our bankers in the forum). Merong mga programs ang banks dyan for higher interests, bonus etc.

Kung padala ng pera sa pamilya then I think there is a seaparate topic for this, dito din sa forum.

Nagopen ako BPI account sa pinas pero as back-up lang not really planning to make it a critical account moving forward. Pero based on my research da best daw sa lahat ng banks sa pinas yung HSBC, yung nga lang ang taas ng maintaining balance sa atin - di kinaya ng powers ko kaya BPI na lang binuksan ko ng bakasyon sa pinas.

At di na rin ganun kadaming branches ang HSBC sa pinas unlike before.

manofsteel · November 2014

@rareking thanks!

kadalasan kase gamit Ph account is padala ng money sa pinas para help sa family and for paying bills and investments.
Like for my case when i was in Sg, i used to remit money for mortgage payments as well as for family needs. I abandoned my Metrobank kse after forgetting my pin eh di na ko makatransact online and they don't have facility to have it reset without flying back. I opened BDO kse yun isang remittance company mas mabilis naireremit using bdo. Pero may sablay din minsan online banking facility nila.

mas ok pa rin na bukod sa maganda online banking facility eh yun minimum ang fees charges sa services, and better interest rates. Or walang ganun bank dito sa pinas? haha. *sigh*

Xiaomau82 · November 2014

sa min BDO kasi ung mga payables sa pinas sa BDO bills payment nakaregister so mas madali. online system not too reliable though pero wala nmn choice. lets just hope maging highly competitive din mga banks sa tin.

RED · November 2014

la pa ako experience pagdating sa AU to PH transaction pero as an ofw here in malaysia baka makatulong din tong mga comments ko.

BDO
1. madami yung bills na nakaregister sa kanila, although wala naman ako binabayaran bills except sa PH credit card ko, may mga times na need ko gamitin to pay for other people.
2. Downside ng BDO yung 1 time password nila thru text pero in my case free ang text sa malaysia, di ko alam kung free pa din pag sa AU. Pero pwede din naman magresort lagi sa secret question para maaccess ang account.
3. Useful din sakin to kasi karamihan ng family ko e naka BDO, so madali ako makatransfer ng pera sa kanila pag may mga bilin ako na ipabili.

BPI
1. Useful sakin for BPI trade. Seamless ang paglipat lipat ko ng pera from remittance to BPI to trade account.
2. BPI is the only bank na alam kong may auto debit sa SSS. Although required po ito ng PH government sa mga banks na may autodebit sa SSS, yung ibang bank di nila alam. Pero baka ngayon naman e alam na nila, 2 years ago na kasi nung inapply ko to.
3. BPI walang 1 time password so mas madali siya maaccess kahit wala ka signal

4. Yung experience ko sa investment mas madali din sa BPI basta nakaopen ka na once like bonds or mutual funds. Pad di pa nakaopen once, need ng pirma sa branch. So pede ka magopen once kung willing ka invest sa kanila then pwede mo hugutin nalang after minimum holding period then anytime pede mo ulit yun lagyan.

In my case, pagpunta ko AU, eto pa din ang imemaintain ko na accounts because of the reasons above ~O)

Hope this helps.

kremitz · November 2014

Meron ba dito metrobank ang nimaintain? I have bdo and bpi pero parang pwede online payment ng pagibig thru metrobank kaya baka mag open kami account with metrobank. But i will still maintain my bpi. Yung bdo baka iclose ko na. Other bills ko like insurance usually pwede naman ata sa lahat halos ng banks

TasBurrfoot · November 2014

Meron ba dito metrobank ang nimaintain? I have bdo and bpi pero parang pwede online payment ng pagibig thru metrobank kaya baka mag open kami account with metrobank. But i will still maintain my bpi. Yung bdo baka iclose ko na. Other bills ko like insurance usually pwede naman ata sa lahat halos ng banks

what do you need the insurance for?

mahal ang insurance sa Philippines; better to get it here.

manofsteel · November 2014

Hi @RED, thanks for your helpful info. Mukhang BPI and BDO nga okay i-maintain.

May nabasa ako sa ibang forums na okay din daw online banking facility ng chinabank, I may have to research further on this.

Regarding dun sa point #3 mo sa BDO, nakakapag add ka ba ng payee (other acct to transfer money to) while abroad?
Kase lam ko need pa iactivate thru BDO ATMs upon receiving activation code when you add a payee. I checked with BDO staff about this, na pano pag nasa ibang bansa ako, di nya masagot tanong ko :-/

manofsteel · November 2014

@kremitz sorry pero jologs ang metrobank. I have my acct opened far north, some services they require me to go to my branch. Pati online facility nila medyo unreliable.

I only use BDO for bills and remittance, although lately parang madalas mag offline, as in lahat offline from atms to internet banking and pos. I'm starting to think its becoming Banco De Offline.

I also have PNB, but they ridiculously charge every deposit you make in other branches.

Cguro i'll try to open BPI before ako umalis d2.

kremitz · November 2014

@tasburrfoot ay yung sa sunlife po

kremitz · November 2014

@manofsteel thanks po. Naku napapaisip n tuloy ako sa metrobank hehe

RED · November 2014

Hi @RED, thanks for your helpful info. Mukhang BPI and BDO nga okay i-maintain.

May nabasa ako sa ibang forums na okay din daw online banking facility ng chinabank, I may have to research further on this.

Regarding dun sa point #3 mo sa BDO, nakakapag add ka ba ng payee (other acct to transfer money to) while abroad?
Kase lam ko need pa iactivate thru BDO ATMs upon receiving activation code when you add a payee. I checked with BDO staff about this, na pano pag nasa ibang bansa ako, di nya masagot tanong ko :-/

natawa ako sa banco de offline.

) Di ko pa natry magadd ng other account while abroad e. Nung nagadd kasi ako ng mga other account 4 years ago pa which is kailangan mo pa pumunta sa branch para gawin ito (di pa din high-tech

), di ko lang alam ngayon. Dati kasi lahat ng family members at girlfriend ko inadd ko na hehe.