CitySavings Boosts Digital Initiatives in Response to Pandemic

City Savings Bank, Inc. (CitySavings) continues to create innovative solutions for customers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The Bank focuses on addressing the urgent need of customers for financial services through its relevant products and digital channels.

“CitySavings has always been very customer-centric and I believe that customer-centricity is essential as one digitally transforms. This is vital in realizing CitySavings’ vision to be the leading mass market bank in the Philippines,” said Lorenzo Ocampo, President and CEO of City Savings Bank.

CitySavings started the rollout of its own Visa Debit Card last year as a safer and more convenient channel to transact online. To date, more than 75,000 of the Bank’s clients have switched to the new Visa Debit card. All savings account holders are expected to be fully re-carded by October 2021.

Talk to Maria, CitySavings’ official chatbot provides a quick and easy way for new clients to apply for a loan online from the comfort of their own home. Maria, who acts like a 24/7 sales associate, has the ability to provide information on product and service-related inquiries, bank advisories as well as ATM and branch locations.

The Bank also recognizes the huge demand for motorcycle loans needed for socially distanced, convenient, and affordable transportation. It recently launched its 0% interest installment product for education and medical frontliners which allows them to avail of pre-loved motorcycle units at zero interest payable in 12, 18, and 24 months.

In response to the Department of Education’s (DepEd) call for support from stakeholders, the Bank has pivoted most of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs to make them relevant and accessible online. CitySavings continues to enhance its capability-building programs to support educators in transitioning to blended teaching and learning modalities. The Bank currently provides tools and courses to upgrade educators’ online teaching skills through Project Agile: Learning Series for Teachers and HEROES 2021 (Help Educators Rise to Online Education SY 2020-2021) in partnership with Thames International School, EduRescue Philippines, and Akadasia Singapore. To date, over 200,000 educators have benefitted from these intensive online training programs.

The Bank is also focused on providing other learning opportunities for educators specifically on financial health as well as physical and mental well-being. One of its core programs, Project Peraparasyon, is instrumental in strengthening the Bank’s advocacy on financial literacy to educators and non-teaching personnel across the country. The program highlights the simple steps on saving, building an investment, and managing debt as keys to practical wealth management.

CitySavings partnered with MentalHealthPH and introduced Project #BetterMe, a mental wellness program for our frontliners in education. This initiative aims to help teachers develop self-care strategies and provide practical ways to take better care of their mental well-being amidst the challenges they face in the new normal.

Despite the challenges brought by the pandemic, CitySavings stays true to its promise of straightforward banking through innovative products for its clients and sustainable CSR programs for its communities.