Digital banks dominate Forbes’ best Philippines banks

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April 17, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Eight Philippine banks have been included in the latest Forbes World’s Best Banks 2026 list, with digital lender MariBank Philippines emerging as the top-ranked institution in the country, underscoring the growing shift toward app-based banking among Filipino consumers.

Joining MariBank in the Philippine rankings are GoTyme Bank, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), UnionBank of the Philippines, Maya Bank, Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank), Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank) and Philippine National Bank (PNB), based on data from the global survey.

The results highlight the strong showing of digital banks, with three neobanks — MariBank, GoTyme and Maya — landing within the top five, signaling changing customer preferences toward convenience, accessibility and mobile-first financial services.

The ranking was based on a survey of more than 54,000 respondents across 34 countries conducted by Statista in partnership with Forbes. Participants evaluated banks where they hold or previously held accounts, or those known through family or friends, from October to November 2025.

Respondents rated banks across five key criteria; trustworthiness, terms and conditions, customer service, digital services and quality of financial advice. These were then weighted to determine overall scores.

Forbes said trust remains the most critical factor for customers globally, followed by digital capabilities and customer service, reflecting the continued importance of reliability even as banking becomes more technology-driven.

“The rise in digital-only banks… continues to reshape the banking industry,” Forbes said, noting that more customers are turning to online platforms for financial transactions while still valuing access to traditional banking services.

The survey results were consolidated into a scoring system that gave the highest weight to feedback from current customers, while responses from former users and indirect familiarity carried lower weight. The methodology also incorporated prior-year data to account for consistency in performance over time.

Globally, the 2026 list covers 410 banks, with the number of institutions per country varying depending on the size of its banking sector.

The inclusion of several digital banks among the Philippines’ top performers reflects broader industry trends, where fintech-driven players continue to gain traction alongside established lenders, particularly in retail and everyday banking services.