Eight Philippine banks were named to Forbes’ inaugural World’s Top Performing Banks 2026 list: Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), BDO Unibank, and Metrobank in Tier 3; China Banking Corporation and Philippine National Bank (PNB) in Tier 4; and Asia United Bank (AUB), Bank of Commerce, and Philippine Bank of Communications (PBCOM) in Tier 6. AUB’s result was the standout — it ranked No. 1 globally in the small-bank category, ahead of Moldova’s maib. The ranking was produced by Forbes with Statista and covers 500 banks across 89 countries.
For a banking sector often measured mainly against its Southeast Asian neighbours, this was a strong showing — and one worth understanding properly, because two different Forbes banking lists were published in 2026 and they are frequently confused with each other.
What Is Forbes’ World’s Top Performing Banks 2026 List?
Published on September 9, 2026, this is an inaugural ranking — the first time Forbes has produced it. It was developed in partnership with Statista, and unlike Forbes’ longer-running customer-satisfaction rankings, it is based entirely on objective financial data drawn from sources including the S&P Capital IQ platform, desk research, and data submitted directly by banks.
Banks were scored across four weighted pillars:
| Scoring Pillar | Weight |
|---|---|
| Profitability | 30% |
| Capital and funding resilience | 25% |
| Asset quality and efficiency | 25% |
| Growth and earnings quality | 20% |
Crucially, banks were not ranked against each other regardless of size. Before scoring, Forbes segmented eligible institutions into six tiers by total assets so that each bank was compared only against peers of a similar scale:
| Tier | Category | Total Assets |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Global banks | Over $500 billion |
| Tier 2 | Large banks | $100–500 billion |
| Tier 3 | Upper mid-size banks | $50–100 billion |
| Tier 4 | Mid-size banks | $20–50 billion |
| Tier 5 | Lower mid-size banks | $10–20 billion |
| Tier 6 | Small banks | $3–10 billion |
As with all Forbes lists, banks do not pay to be included.
Which Philippine Banks Made the 2026 List?
Philippine lenders appeared in three of the six tiers:
| Bank | Tier | Asset Range | Parent / Controlling Group | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BPI | Tier 3 | $50–100B | Ayala Corporation | 1851 |
| BDO Unibank | Tier 3 | $50–100B | SM Group (Sy family) | 1968 |
| Metrobank | Tier 3 | $50–100B | Ty family (GT Capital) | 1962 |
| China Bank | Tier 4 | $20–50B | SM Group–affiliated (Sy family) | 1920 |
| PNB | Tier 4 | $20–50B | Lucio Tan Group | 1916 |
| AUB | Tier 6 | $3–10B | Rebisco Group (Jacinto Ng family) | 1997 |
| Bank of Commerce | Tier 6 | $3–10B | San Miguel Corporation | 1963 |
| PBCOM | Tier 6 | $3–10B | Lucio Co Group (Puregold/Cosco) | 1939 |
Why AUB’s No. 1 Global Ranking Matters
Asia United Bank’s first-place finish in Tier 6 is the headline result for the Philippines. In a category covering banks with $3–10 billion in assets worldwide, AUB outscored every peer on the combined measure of profitability, capital resilience, asset quality, and earnings growth — finishing ahead of Moldova’s maib in second place.
What makes this notable is AUB’s relative youth. Founded in 1997 by Jacinto L. Ng and operating as the banking arm of the Rebisco Group, AUB is by far the newest institution among the eight Philippine banks on the list — younger than PNB by more than eight decades. It received its universal banking licence from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in 2013. A bank of that vintage topping a global performance category, rather than a legacy institution, says something about how efficiency and earnings quality — not scale or heritage — drove the scoring.
The Family Conglomerate Story Behind the List
One pattern is hard to miss reading down the Philippine entries: almost every bank on the list sits inside a larger family-controlled conglomerate. BDO and China Bank both connect to the Sy family’s SM Group. Metrobank belongs to the Ty family. PNB has been controlled by the Lucio Tan Group since its privatisation, with the group holding a large majority stake. PBCOM has grown since 2014 under Lucio Co, the Puregold and Cosco Capital founder, whose retail ecosystem the bank now serves. AUB operates under the Rebisco Group. BPI sits within Ayala Corporation, one of the country’s oldest conglomerates, and Bank of Commerce is San Miguel Corporation’s banking arm.
This conglomerate structure is a genuine feature of Philippine banking rather than a coincidence — and it cuts both ways. It gives banks access to a built-in corporate ecosystem of suppliers, affiliates, and customers, which supports deposit growth and lending volume. It has also drawn scrutiny from analysts and regulators over the years regarding interconnectedness between banks and the businesses that own them. For readers evaluating these institutions, both facts are worth holding at once.
Forbes’ Two 2026 Bank Lists Are Not the Same Thing
This is the most common point of confusion in coverage of Philippine banking this year, and getting it right matters.
| World’s Top Performing Banks 2026 | World’s Best Banks 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Published | September 2026 (inaugural) | April 2026 (8th annual) |
| Based on | Objective financial data (S&P Capital IQ, bank submissions) | Customer survey of 54,000+ people across 34 countries |
| Measures | Profitability, capital, asset quality, growth | Trust, customer service, digital experience, terms, financial advice |
| Scope | 500 banks, 89 countries | 410 banks, 34 countries |
| Top PH entry | AUB (No. 1 globally, small-bank tier) | MariBank Philippines |
| PH list | BPI, BDO, Metrobank, China Bank, PNB, AUB, Bank of Commerce, PBCOM | MariBank, GoTyme, BPI, UnionBank, Maya, Metrobank, LANDBANK, PNB |
The difference explains why the two Philippine lists look so different. The Best Banks list is a popularity and experience measure — which is why digital-first neobanks MariBank, GoTyme, and Maya took three of the top five spots, reflecting how quickly app-based banking has been adopted locally. The Top Performing Banks list is a balance-sheet measure, which is why it’s dominated by established universal banks with decades of financial history.
Only three banks — BPI, Metrobank, and PNB — appear on both lists, which is arguably the more interesting signal: these are the institutions that scored well with customers and on financial fundamentals in the same year.
What This Means for Philippine Banking in 2026
Taken together, the two rankings sketch a banking sector moving in two directions at once. Traditional universal banks continue to post the financial performance that earns global recognition, while digital-first challengers are winning the customer experience battle. Forbes noted that trustworthiness — defined as financial stability — remained the single most important factor in customer choice globally, followed by digital capability and customer service. That combination suggests the gap between the two lists may narrow over time, as incumbents improve their digital offerings and neobanks build the balance sheets to compete on financial metrics.
For now, the Philippines has eight banks recognised for financial performance on a global stage, a No. 1 global category ranking, and a digital banking sector expanding fast enough to reshape what customers expect. That’s a stronger position than the country’s banking sector has typically held in international rankings.
This article summarises published rankings from Forbes and Statista for informational purposes. Rankings reflect a specific evaluation period and should not be treated as financial or investment advice. Always consult a licensed financial adviser before making banking or investment decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Philippine banks made Forbes’ 2026 World’s Top Performing Banks list?
Eight banks: Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), BDO Unibank, Metrobank, China Banking Corporation, Philippine National Bank (PNB), Asia United Bank (AUB), Bank of Commerce, and Philippine Bank of Communications (PBCOM).
Which Philippine bank ranked highest globally?
Asia United Bank (AUB) ranked No. 1 worldwide in Tier 6, the small-bank category covering institutions with $3–10 billion in total assets, ahead of Moldova’s maib in second place.
How does Forbes rank the World’s Top Performing Banks?
Forbes, working with Statista, scored banks on four pillars: profitability (30%), capital and funding resilience (25%), asset quality and efficiency (25%), and growth and earnings quality (20%). Banks were first grouped into six asset-size tiers so they competed only against similarly sized peers.
Is this the same as Forbes’ World’s Best Banks list?
No. The World’s Top Performing Banks list is based on objective financial data and launched in September 2026. The World’s Best Banks list, published in April 2026, is based on a survey of more than 54,000 customers and measures trust, service, and digital experience. The Philippine results differ significantly between the two.
Why did no Philippine bank appear in Tier 1 or Tier 2?
Tier 1 covers banks with over $500 billion in assets and Tier 2 covers $100–500 billion. The largest Philippine banks fall below that threshold — BDO, BPI, and Metrobank are in the $50–100 billion Tier 3 range, which is where they were assessed.
Which Philippine bank is the oldest on the list?
Philippine National Bank, founded in 1916, is the oldest of the eight, followed by China Bank (1920) and PBCOM (1939). BPI, founded in 1851, is the oldest Philippine bank overall and appears on the list as well.
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