The Trust and Investments Group (TIG) of BDO Unibank was named the Asset Management Company of the Year in the Philippines for the fourth straight year (2018-2021) by The Asset, at the recently held “Triple A Sustainable Investing Awards for Institutional Investor, ETF, and Asset Servicing Providers 2021”.

“Industry players accelerated the adoption of technology and relied on agility, risk management and engagement with investors to pull through such a tough year. For some of the most outstanding asset managers in Asia, ensuring effective communication is crucial even when a lot of the daily work has been moved online and to a work-from-home environment,” The Asset said in a statement.

It added, “This requires them to move fast in enhancing their digitalization capabilities and engaging with partners, especially investors, amid the market slump. The Asset was glad to know that many asset managers managed to convey the right information in a timely manner to their investors, thereby preventing sell-offs in the market.”

BDO TIG, which also won the award back in 2016, said the recognition is a testament to its commitment to service the clients even during the health crisis.

“Our ability to adapt to the ever-changing environment through the use of new channels and the creation of new processes for the new normal allowed us to service our clients despite the limited mobility due to the pandemic. The most important matter on hand was to keep BDO TIG visible to assure our clients that we are in full control of their investments,” said BDO TIG SVP and Head Rafael Ayuste Jr.

At the end of 2020, BDO’s consolidated trust assets under management (AUM) amounted to Php1.63 trillion, up 22% from the previous level of P1.34 trillion. Of this AUM, Php1.12 billion is managed by BDO TIG, while the remaining Php505 billion is managed by another BDO subsidiary, BDO Private Bank.

At the height of the pandemic, BDO TIG was able to quickly innovate and adapt to deal with the crisis and its adverse impacts through the implementation of new initiatives allowing for the:

• Efficient execution of daily operations while mindful of employees’ and clients’ safety and well-being
• Direct and targeted communication to clients informing them of market developments and allowing them to grab investment opportunities despite the volatile environment
• Continuous servicing of clients through the BDO Invest Hotline and BDO Invest Online channels, providing them a safe option to still do their investment transactions while most BDO branches were closed during the lockdown