The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) granted clearance for the conduct of the Senior Bank Loan Officers’ Survey (SLOS) of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). The SLOS is a quarterly survey that aims to track trends in the supply of, and demand for, bank loans to enterprises and households to help guide the BSP in its assessment of financial market conditions in its review of the monetary policy stance. 

Specifically, this study aims to:
     a. Monitor and analyze the loan officers’ perception of credit standards and loan demand.
     b. Provide additional insights on the supply of, and demand for, bank loans to businesses and households. 
     c. Assess the robustness of credit demand, prevailing conditions in asset markets, and the overall strength of bank lending as a transmission channel
        of monetary policy.
     d. Analyze factors relevant to the banks’ lending activities and projecting credit outlook for firms and households.

Major data items to be collected in the survey are as follows:
     a. Change in overall credit standards for loans to enterprises and households, and commercial real estate loans. 
     b. Change in overall loan demand from enterprises and households, and commercial real estate loans. 
     c. Change in specific credit standards, i.e., loan margins, collateral requirements, loan covenants, size of credit lines, length of loan maturities, and
        interest rate floors. 
     d. Factors affecting the change in credit standards and loan demand.

The survey will employ a self-administered questionnaire, which will be sent via email to 60 banks nationwide. These banks consist of 40 universal and commercial banks (UKBs) and 20 thrift banks (TBs). The survey results of the reference quarter are scheduled to be published during the last week of the first month of the upcoming quarter.

The survey was reviewed and cleared for conduct under the Statistical Survey Review and Clearance System (SSRCS), a mechanism being implemented by the PSA by virtue of Rule 28 of Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 10625 to:
     a. Ensure sound design for data collection
     b. Minimize the burden placed upon respondents
     c. Effect economy in statistical data collection
     d. Eliminate unnecessary duplication of statistical data collection efforts
     e. Achieve better coordination of government statistical activities.

In line with this, the PSA enjoins all sampled UKBs and TBs to support and participate in the said survey by providing the truthful information.

For further information on SSRCS, please contact the Statistical Standards Division of the Standards Service with telephone numbers (02) 8376-1928 and (02) 8376-1931, and email address ssd.staff@psa.gov.ph.




CLAIRE DENNIS S. MAPA, PhD
Undersecretary
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General