Consumer complaints on the rise

MANILA, Philippines — The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) received and processed a higher number of consumer complaints in 2025, as greater public awareness and wider use of digital platforms drove more people to seek help from regulators.

The BSP received and processed more than 120,000 new complaints through its Consumer Assistance Mechanism, a 72.6-percent increase from 70,112 a year earlier, according to its annual report.

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Complaint volumes have risen steadily in recent years, from 19,181 in 2021, the central bank said.

The BSP attributed the increase to greater public awareness of its complaint channels and wider adoption of digital platforms. It also pointed to increased media attention surrounding two laws aimed at protecting consumers: the Financial Consumer Protection Act and the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act, or Afasa.

Complaints that cannot be resolved through the BSP’s facilitative process are referred to mediation. Such referrals rose 48.9 percent to 1,057 in 2025 from 710 a year earlier.

The BSP handled 1,188 mediation cases last year, including 131 carried over from 2024. Of the 876 cases concluded, 409 resulted in successful settlements, while 144 failed to reach an agreement and 323 were terminated for other reasons.

Successful cases included those in which the parties reached a settlement or clarified the issues sufficiently during mediation to agree to end the proceedings.

Failed cases were those in which the parties could not reach an amicable settlement, while terminated cases included proceedings discontinued for other reasons, such as a party’s lack of interest or issues that could not be resolved through mediation.

Meanwhile, the mediation success rate declined to 74 percent in 2025, from 84.4 percent in 2024. The BSP said this drop may be attributed to stronger consumer awareness of alternative remedies, such as adjudication or court action.

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Subject to certain conditions, complainants may pursue adjudication. In 2025, 68 formal complaints were handled, including 12 carried over from 2024. Of these cases, 11 were decided, 20 were dismissed and 37 remained pending as of end-December 2025.

“These redress mechanisms supported fair, impartial and orderly resolution of consumer disputes,” the central bank said. INQ