MANILA -- Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) capped-off 2021 with the inauguration of its two Agri-Hubs located in Candaba, Pampanga, and Echague, Isabela, as part of the Bank’s commitment to bring financial services closer to more farmers and fishers in the country’s top rice-producing provinces.

The LANDBANK Candaba Agri-Hub is expected to provide banking, lending and agrarian services to local development players, including 22,011 farmers from Candaba’s 33 barangays including the adjacent towns of San Luis, Sta. Ana, and Arayat.

As part of the Bank’s continuing thrust of expanding touchpoints in key strategic areas nationwide, the newest Agri-Hub will also complement seven existing LANDBANK Branches and 50 ATMs in Pampanga.

Candaba Mayor Rene E. Maglanque, Vice Mayor Michael Dan V. Sagum, and LANDBANK Central Luzon Branches Group Head, Senior Vice President Sylvia C. Lim led the inauguration of the LANDBANK Candaba Agri-Hub on 28 December 2021.

“I know that the construction and opening of LANDBANK Candaba Agri-Hub will attract more investors to our Municipality because we now have a credible bank. We are now one step closer to the realization of our development plans because of LANDBANK,” said Mayor Maglanque.

Located at the LGU Government Center, Candaba-Sta. Ana Road, Pasig, Candaba, Pampanga, the LANDBANK Candaba Agri-Hub is the seventh to open nationwide.

Meanwhile, the LANDBANK Echague Agri-Hub is the first Agri-Hub in the province of Isabela and eighth in the country, located at Echague-Poblacion Road, San Fabian, Echague, Isabela.

Initially opened on 29 December 2020, the LANDBANK Echague Agri-Hub provides financial and technical services, with a stronger focus on supporting more than 4,000 farmers and fisherfolk in the Municipality of Echague and other nearby municipalities.

Aside from agriculture stakeholders, the Echague Agri-Hub also services various national and local government offices, private establishments, as well as micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the area.

The LANDBANK Echague Agri-Hub was officially inaugurated on 29 December 2021 led by LANDBANK North Luzon Branches Group Head, Senior Vice President Ma. Belma T. Turla with support from local Sangguniang Bayan Members.

LANDBANK Agri-Hubs offer 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).

The newly opened touchpoints raise the total Agri-Hubs in the country to eight, with the six other LANDBANK Agri-Hubs situated in Calabanga, Camarines Sur; Barotac Viejo, Iloilo; Sual, Pangasinan; Echague, Isabela; Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur; and Rizal, Nueva Ecija.

LANDBANK has grown its physical network to 412 branches and 71 branch-lite units as of end-2021—the only Bank with presence in all 81 provinces in the country.

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)