Double Win for EastWest at The Asian Banker Philippine Excellence Awards 2025

Double victory for EastWest!

At the Asian Banker Philippine Excellence Awards 2025, EastWest Banking Corporation earned Best Foreign Exchange Service and Best Digital Ecosystem & Platform—a testament to its commitment to innovation, inclusion, and customer-first solutions. 

From competitive FX rates and seamless e-Forex transactions to EasyWay, Komo, ESTA, and EastWest Pay, the Bank continues to build a future-ready ecosystem designed for every Filipino, at every stage of their financial journey.

East West Banking Corporation (EastWest) earned two top honors at The Asian Banker Philippine Excellence Awards 2025, winning Best Foreign Exchange Service and Best Digital Ecosystem & Platform. These show EastWest’s drive to deliver high-value, customer-focused, and innovative banking solutions for Filipinos at every life stage.

These awards capture the heart of EastWest’s mission to make banking easier and more inclusive. Whether through competitive and transparent foreign exchange services or a digital ecosystem designed for all, the Bank continues to build solutions that meet the unique needs of every customer at every stage of their financial journey. This is the EasyWay to Bank.

From L–R: EastWest Chief Digital Officer, Harvey Libarnes; Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, Issa Yap; Metro Manila Sales Officer, Trina Marie Burgos; and Head of Financial Markets and Wealth Management Cluster, Raffy Algarra, Jr., who represented the Bank at The Asian Banker Philippine Awards held on 14 August 2025 in Manila.

Best Foreign Exchange Service

EastWest’s win for Best Foreign Exchange Service reflects its competitive rates, convenient FX conversion, and strong focus on client value. With a buy-sell spread significantly lower than competitors’, the Bank delivers exchange rates better than the market average which helps customers maximize their currency conversions.

Despite economic headwinds in recent years, EastWest maintained steady growth in FX transactions, customer base, and trade volume, achieving record-high performance in 2024.

To further elevate the customer experience, the Bank has rolled out operational and digitization initiatives:

• Launched e-Forex on EasyWay in 2024 for convenient online forex conversion of USD/PHP for individual clients.
• Introduced e-Signature and e-Document submission which streamlined documentation and improving client convenience.
• Expansion plans for 2025 include FX third currencies for individual and corporate clients.

 

Best Digital Ecosystem & Platform

The Best Digital Ecosystem & Platform award honors EastWest’s segment-focused, human-centered approach to digital banking. It offers inclusive, secure, and innovative solutions tailored to the needs of every Filipino. This ecosystem includes:

EasyWay - a digital platform offering multi-currency capabilities, consolidated views, wealth tools, and in-app customer service.

Komo – a fully digital account with competitive interest rates, low-cost transfers, and personal and salary loans.

ESTA – the country’s first AI-powered credit card servicing chatbot on Facebook Messenger, enabling instant transaction updates, credit limit adjustments, and installment conversions.

EastWest Pay – the first Visa-certified tap-to-pay mobile app for NFC-enabled Android devices in the Philippines.

In 1H 2025, EastWest’s digital penetration among existing clients rose to over 44%. EasyWay welcomed hundreds of thousands of clients, and Komo empowered an equally strong community of users, including public school teachers. Across all platforms, the Bank implemented AI-driven fraud detection, biometric authentication, and proactive security controls, ensuring that customers enjoy both ease and peace of mind.

By designing these platforms from the ground up for specific customer groups, EastWest has gone beyond offering digital products to deliver a connected, future-ready banking experience that grows and adapts with its customers.

Moving Forward

EastWest’s recent wins strengthen its standing as a trusted, forward-looking leader in Philippine banking. The Bank continues to advance its services through digital innovation, competitive offerings, and customer-focused strategies that bring convenience, security, and meaningful financial empowerment.