Metrobank group leads capital market awards

The George Ty-family led Metrobank group dominated the 9th annual Philippine Dealing System Holdings Corp. (PDS) awards by winning the 2013 Cesar E.A. Virata Award for the “Best Securities House” for both the bank and investment house categories.

Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co. won the plum award for the bank category while First Metro Investment Corp. got the top prize for the investment house category for a third year in a row.

Metrobank president Fabian Dee and FMIC president Roberto Dispo received their respective awards from Virata himself.

It was Metrobank’s first time to win the Cesar E.A. Virata award for the banking category. On the other hand, FMIC has won the top award for the investment category in each years since this category was created three years ago.

The top PDS awards were named in honor of Virata, former prime minister, finance chief and veteran banker who was a key proponent of the establishment of the fixed-income trading platform in the country. The PDS annual awards recognize “top financial institutions that exhibit outstanding performance, leadership, innovation and continued pursuit in contributing to a robust domestic capital market.”

“It is with great honor and humility that we accept the Cesar E.A. Virata Award for Best Securities House 2013-bank category,” Dee said. “Metrobank acknowledges the hard work that the Philippine government, through the Bureau of the Treasury and the BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas), has put in, to create a more robust Philippine domestic capital market. The award we receive tonight signifies Metrobank’s continuing commitment to help in this effort.”

Metrobank also received other top awards, including “Top Dealing Participant for Corporate Securities,” “Top Brokering Participant for Retail Transactions,” citation for “Best Execution through Active Use of Fixed-Income Broker Internet Order System,” “Top 5 PDDTS/PvP (real-time gross settlements system) Participant” and “Top 5 Fixed Income Dealing Participant.”

The highest recognition of the PDS Awards is the Cesar E.A. Virata Award.

Metrobank is one of the country’s leading universal banks. It has an extensive consolidated network of about 830 branches and 1,800 automated teller machines (ATMs) nationwide and 33 foreign branches, subsidiaries and representative offices. Doris C. Dumlao