RCBC automates loan approvals

December 6, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Yuchengco-led Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) is pushing deeper into digital transformation as it launches an enterprise-wide automated credit decisioning engine designed to speed up consumer loan processing and strengthen risk evaluation.

RCBC chief risk officer Bennett Santiago said the system streamlines the bank’s lending workflow by automating credit assessments, easing manual reviews, and sharply reducing turnaround time for approvals.

“This initiative enhances operational efficiency, minimizes reliance on manual intervention and strengthens the bank’s capacity to support its broader growth and digital transformation strategy and more importantly, provides faster access to dream cars and houses to credit-worthy customers,” Santiago said.

Developed in-house by RCBC’s data science team, the artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning models powering the engine apply data-driven insights to improve predictive decision-making and risk management.

RCBC chief data scientist Pamela Cabudoy said the integration of Agentic AI further elevates the customer journey.

“Agentic AI helps us leverage AI and automation technologies to enable our customers to reach their dreams of having their own car or home. It means giving our customer timely interactions and superior experience when they choose us as their financial partner,” she said.

 Prior to the rollout, loan applications typically required multiple layers of validation and manual checks, contributing to longer processing times.

 RCBC said its tech-to-touch approach now allows customers to benefit from faster and more robust evaluations, reducing uncertainty and improving the borrowing experience.

 The automated decisioning engine supports the bank’s objective of providing same day approvals for preferred segments, enabling quicker access to funds and giving declined applicants faster feedback for reconsideration or negotiation.

It also incorporates alternative data sources, allowing RCBC to lend to borrowers with limited credit history such as first-time borrowers, young professionals, and self-employed individuals.

RCBC said automation is helping improve operational efficiency, enhance identification of high-risk accounts, and reduce bad debt levels.

“By reducing operational bottlenecks and supporting faster decision-making, our AI-powered decision engine strengthens the bank’s capacity to serve more clients thus improving their experience when banking with us,” Santiago said.

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