PNB receives highest Megalink network performance award

The Philippine National Bank (PNB) received the Highest Network Performance Award for 2003 from Megalink, a consortium of 17 commercial banks with a combined network of 1,500 ATMs nationwide, during its 14th anniversary celebration held last March 24.

PNB EVP and retail banking sector head Ismael R. Sandig received the award for PNB from Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Alberto Reyes, Megalink chairman Raul de Mesa, president of Bank of Commerce, Megalink president Lorenzo V. Tan, president and CEO of PNB, and Megalink general manager Criselda B. Santillan, during the anniversary cocktails attended by chief executives and senior officers of the consortium’s member banks.

PNB was cited by Megalink as having registered the highest ratings in host availability at 99.82 percent representing unplanned ATM host downtime of only 16 hours or an average of 2.6 minutes per day for the whole year; the highest rating for controllable approval rate of 99.84 percent indicating that only 16 out of 10,000 transactions made by PNB cardholders on other banks’ ATMs were rejected due to reasons within the bank’s control; and second to the highest rating for reply rate at 99.61percent indicating that only 39 out of every 10,000 transactions made by PNB cardholders on other banks’ ATMs did not receive a reply from the PNB bank host.

According to Tan, "The bank’s network-topping achievements were driven by focused efforts to sustain the bank’s consistently high performance ratings, introduction of new ATM-based products and services and improvement of ATM facilities, all aimed to provide total convenience for its customers."

Sandig added, "Among PNB’s special projects implemented last year was program to uplift the ATM network through the acquisition of 120 new and state-of-the-art ATMs, the construction of new ATM vestibules in vibrant colors and brilliant lighting designs and enhancement of ATM screen format and content to project a reinvigorated and service-oriented PNB."