BSP Publishes Several Regulatory Updates in April 2021

The following are the key highlights of these regulatory updates:

• Guidelines on reputational risk management, which sets out the supervisory expectations for supervised financial institutions on the identification, assessment, and management of reputational risks that are commensurate to their size, nature, and complexity of operations, overall risk profile, and systemic importance. New sections on reputational risk management have been added to Manual of Regulations for  banks. This circular shall take effect fifteen days following its publication either in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. Institutions have one year to fully comply with these guidelines.
• Circular on amendments to the provisions of the Manual of Regulations for Non-Bank Financial Institutions to enhance corporate governance guidelines for Non-Stock Savings and Loan Associations. This circular shall take effect fifteen days after its publication either in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
• Circular on amendments to the guidelines on recovery plan of a domestic systemically important bank (D-SIB) as provided in the Manual of Regulations for Banks, particularly on requiring D-SIBs to submit separately their Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process (ICAAP) document and recovery plan. D-SIBs are expected to ensure the processes and information contained in these documents are consistent, coherent and up to date. This circular shall take effect fifteen days following its publication either in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
• Circular on amendments to the provisions of Manual of Regulations for Banks and the Manual of Regulations for non-bank financial institutions. These amendments are related to operational risk management and internal control measures. This circular shall take effect fifteen calendar days following its publication either in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
• Memorandum on amendments to BSP regulations on the credit-related regulatory relief measures for those affected by COVID-19 pandemic as an interim measure, pending the full operationalization of the Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer Act in 2021. The amendments relate to the exclusion of eligible loans from the past due and non-performing loan (NPL) classification as well as the relief measure on increase in the single borrower’s limit.

Related Links

• Press Release on Reputational Risk Management Guidelines
• Circular on Reputational Risk Management Guidelines
• Circular on Corporate Governance Guidelines
• Circular on Recovery Plan Guidelines
• Circular on Operational Risk Management and Internal Control Measures
• Memorandum on COVID-19 Relief Measures
• Press Release on Financial Sector Forum
• Manual of Regulations for Banks (PDF)
• Manual of Regulations for Non Banks (PDF)

Keywords: Asia Pacific, Philippines, Banking, Securities, Fintech, Operational Risk, Reputational Risk, Resolution Framework, Manual of Regulations, Credit Risk, COVID-19, ICAAP, Resolution Plan, Corporate Governance, D-SIBs, NBFI, Basel, BSP