Chinabank again secures Five-Golden Arrow Award for governance excellence

CBC Lead Independent Director & Corporate Governance Committee Chairperson Claire Ann Yap proudly holding the bank’s trophy, with ICD officials (from left): Trustee & Honorary FellowAmb. Jose Cuisia Jr., Chairperson Benedicta Du-Baladad, and President Tomasa Lipana.

Chinabank has solidified its status as one of the best-governed companies in the country, winning for the fourth time the Five-Golden Arrow Award—the highest recognition conferred by the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) for governance excellence in the Philippines.

“At Chinabank, robust corporate governance is grounded in our core values of integrity and high-performance standards. Most importantly, it is how we earn and stay worthy of the trust of those we serve,” said Lead Independent Director & Corporate Governance Committee Chairperson Claire Ann Yap at the 2026 Golden Arrow Awards ceremony on October 23 at the Makati Shangri-la.

From left: Independent Director Genaro Lapez, Corporate Governance & Central Compliance Division Head Katrina Walit,
Lead Independent Director & Corporate Governance Committee Head Claire Ann Yap, Compliance Officer Thea Angelie Angara,
and Enterprise Services Segment Head Jose German Licup.

The bank's achievement underscores a pervasive culture of transparency, accountability, and strong shareholder protection across the SM Group. ICD also recognized SM Investments Corporation and SM Prime Holdings, Inc. with Five Golden Arrows; BDO Unibank, Inc. and Belle Corporation with Four Golden Arrows; and Pacific Online Systems Corporation and APC Group, Inc. with Two Golden Arrows. CBC affiliate Manulife-China Bank Life Assurance Corporation (MCBL) was also awarded with Two Golden Arrows.

As the domestic ranking body for the ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard (ACGS), the ICD uses this rigorous regional framework as the basis for the awardees. CBC has consistently scored high in the ACGS assessments, reflecting its deep institutional commitment to transparency and beyond compliance approach to governance.

This latest milestone confirms CBC's standing as one of the most stable and expertly managed financial institutions in the ASEAN region. It follows the bank's recent double victory at the 2026 Asia Corporate Excellence & Sustainability (ACES) Awards, where it was named both Industry Champion of the Year and an Inspiring Workplace in Asia.