Development Bank of the Philippines wins three ADFIAP awards for education, inclusion and local projects
State-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) won three awards at the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP) Development Awards 2026 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. DBP took top honours in the CSR category for its INSPIRE education programme and earned meri
State-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) bagged three awards from the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP) at its annual Development Awards 2026 held in Colombo, Sri Lanka. DBP President and Chief Executive Officer Michael O. de Jesus said the bank won the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) category for its flagship DBP Integrated Scholastic Program for Inclusive and Sustainable Education (DBP INSPIRE) and earned two merit awards for financial inclusion and countryside development initiatives.
“We are deeply honoured for these recognitions which serve as an affirmation of DBP’s efforts to advance national development and inspire us to remain steadfast in our mandate of supporting initiatives that promote inclusive and sustainable growth in the country,” de Jesus said. DBP is the 10th largest bank in the Philippines by assets and provides credit support to four strategic sectors: infrastructure and logistics; micro, small and medium enterprises; environment; and social services and community development.
De Jesus said DBP INSPIRE was cited as the top CSR programme by ADFIAP for pioneering a ladderised framework that integrates continuous education for students across primary, secondary and tertiary levels. The programme offers scholarship grants covering endowment for tuition fees and other school-related expenses to indigent high school graduates who wish to pursue higher education, and extends support to primary and secondary public school students through outreach programmes such as the Brigada Eskwela and Adopt-a-School Program of the Department of Education. “With total allocation of P510-million for five years, DBP INSPIRE represents a significant investment of the Bank and more importantly, addresses the call of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to ramp up government support to the education sector,” he added.
DBP also earned a Merit Award in the Local Economic Development category for its credit assistance to the local government of Calumpit, Bulacan for the improvement of its public market, financed under the bank’s Assistance for Economic and Social Development for Local Government Units (ASENSO) programme. De Jesus said the project benefited more than 120,000 residents in the area and from neighbouring municipalities.
De Jesus said ADFIAP cited DBP’s financial inclusion initiatives, particularly the opening of branch-lite units in Talakag, Bukidnon and Viga, Catanduanes, which helped bring essential financial services to far-flung areas and unbanked communities in Luzon and Mindanao. “Rest assured that DBP will continue to serve as a catalyst for growth and support initiatives that redound to the benefit of our ultimate stakeholder — the Filipino people,” he said.
ADFIAP is a regional body founded in Manila in 1976, consisting of development banks and financial institutions operating in Asia-Pacific. Its annual awards programme recognises outstanding projects of members that advance sustainable economic, environmental and social development.
