The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) approved the conduct of the Senior Bank Loan Officers’ Survey (SLOS) of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)
on 29 April 2019.

Since 2009, the SLOS provides information aimed at better understanding a bank’s lending behavior. Other objectives of the survey are as follows:

• To assess the robustness of demand conditions in asset markets; as well as the strength of bank lending as transmission of channel of monetary policy
• To monitor the supply and demand for bank loans to enterprises, households and commercial real estates.

The major data items to be collected in the survey include the following:

• Changes in overall credit standards for loans to enterprises, households and commercial real estates
• Factors affecting change in credits standards
• Changes in loan demand
• Factors affecting change in loan demand

A total of 66 banks divided into 42 universal and commercial banks (UKBs) and 24 thrift banks (TBs) nationwide will be covered quarterly through a self-administered questionnaire which will be distributed via electronic mail by the BSP. Quarterly results of the SLOS are scheduled to be released on the third week of the first month of every quarter (i.e., 18 July 2019 for reference quarter Q2 of 2019).

The following were the results of the 4th quarter of 2018 SLOS:

• Most of the respondent banks reported broadly unchanged credit standards for loans to enterprises (71.1%), households (78.6 %) and real estate (76.7%).
• Majority of the respondent banks indicated stable overall demand for loans from both enterprises and households.
• For the 1st quarter of 2019, most of the respondents expect that the overall loan demand from enterprises and households will remain basically unchanged.

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 (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) No. 10625 to:

• ensure sound design for data collection;
• minimize the burden placed upon respondents;
• effect economy in statistical data collection;
• eliminate unnecessary duplication of statistical data collection efforts; and
• achieve better coordination of government statistical activities.

In line with this, the PSA enjoins UKBs and TBs to support the said survey.

For further information on SSRCS, please contact the Statistical Standards Division (SSD) of the Standards Service (SS) with telephone numbers
(02) 376-1928 and (02) 376-1931, and email address: ssd.staff@psa.gov.ph or ssdss.staff@gmail.com.

JOSIE B. PEREZ
Assistant Secretary
Officer-in-Charge

See more at the Statistical Survey Review and Clearance System (SSRCS) landing page.