RIZAL, Nueva Ecija -- In line with its commitment to serve more farmers and fishers, the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) opened its newest Agri-Hub in the Municipality of Rizal, Nueva Ecija—the first one in Central Luzon.

The LANDBANK Rizal NE Agri-Hub is expected to provide financial and technical services to the Bank’s customers, including the more than 3,000 farmers and fishers from the municipalities of Rizal and Pantabangan.

Located strategically in the top rice-producing provinces in the country, LANDBANK Agri-Hubs are designed to deliver accessible and reliable financial services to farmers nationwide. This forms part of the Bank’s thrust of responding to the developing needs of the agriculture sector, especially under the new normal.

The LANDBANK Rizal NE Agri-Hub offers banking services such as account opening, withdrawals, and check encashments; lending services such as the processing of loan applications; and agrarian services such as processing of Agrarian Reform (AR) bonds and handling of agrarian-related concerns from landowners, bondholders, and agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs).

Aside from agriculture stakeholders, the Rizal NE Agri-Hub will also service various national and local government offices, private establishments, as well as micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the area. It will also offer access to various digital banking platforms, including the Digital Onboarding System (DOBS) which simplifies the account opening process for new clients to only 10 to 15 minutes.

Rizal Administrator Rafaelito V. Andres and LANDBANK Central Luzon Branches Group Head, Senior Vice President Sylvia C. Lim, led the inauguration of the LANDBANK Rizal NE Agri-Hub, alongside Pantabangan Mayor Roberto T. Agdipa and Rizal Vice Mayor Bonifacio D. Soliven on 29 November 2021.

Located at Pinagpanaan-Pantabangan Junction, Poblacion Sur, Rizal, Nueva Ecija, the LANDBANK Rizal Agri-Hub is headed by Bessie Grace M. Lazaro under the supervision of San Jose NE Branch Head, Manager Eva B. Gomez.

The Rizal NE Agri-Hub is the 6th to open nationwide, bringing LANDBANK’s physical network to 412 branches and 69 branch-lite units, with presence in all 81 provinces in the country.

The five other LANDBANK Agri-Hubs are situated in Calabanga, Camarines Sur; Barotac Viejo, Iloilo; Sual, Pangasinan; Echague, Isabela and Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur.

LANDBANK targets to open four more Agri-Hubs within the year, located in Bago City, Negros Occidental; Ubay, Bohol; Baggao, Cagayan; and Candaba, Pampanga.

LANDBANK continues to expand its physical touchpoints to better serve the banking needs of customers across the country, especially in unbanked and underserved areas. (LANDBANK)