BDO’s 1H 2026 Profits Barely Grew. Its Spending on Workers, Security, Janitorial and Messenger Services—and Taxes—Did.
The Philippine banking giant’s core interest earnings increased in the first half of 2026. Much of that additional value, however, flowed to employees, service providers and the government rather than landing on the bottom line. At first glance, BDO Unibank’s first-half results appeared uneventful. The country’s largest bank reported ₱40.85 billion in net profit for the six months ended June 30, barely changed from ₱40.76 billion a year earlier. Earnings attributable to shareholders of the parent bank increased just 0.3 percent, while basic earnings per share edged up by one cent, to ₱7.56. But beneath that nearly static bottom line, a more dynamic redistribution of economic value was taking place. BDO’s net interest income—the difference between what it earned from loans and investments and what it paid to depositors and other creditors—rose 10.6 percent, to ₱108.51 billion. Even after the bank set aside substantially more money for possible credit losses, net interest inc...