Founded in 1851, BPI is one of the Philippines’ oldest and largest banks and is a publicly listed company within the Ayala group, with Ayala Corporation as its largest shareholder. BPI ranked 10th in TIME and Statista’s 2026 Asia-Pacific’s Best Companies list, the highest placement among Philippine firms. Other Ayala group companies were also included in the ranking, including Ayala Corporation and Ayala Land. – Photo from Bank of the Philippine Islands website
Independent regional ranking cites employee satisfaction, financial performance and sustainability transparency; Bank of the Philippine Islands leads Philippine entrants.
MANILA — Thirty-six Philippine companies were included in the 2026 edition of Asia-Pacific’s Best Companies, a regional ranking published by TIME in collaboration with data analytics firm Statista. The highest-ranked Philippine entrant, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), placed 10th overall, according to TIME’s published results.
The list covers 500 companies across the Asia-Pacific region and is based on a statistical methodology evaluating firms on three pillars: employee satisfaction, financial performance and sustainability transparency. TIME said the ranking was developed with Statista using publicly available financial data, environmental, social and governance disclosures, and large-scale employee surveys conducted across multiple markets in the region.
Methodology and scope
In its published methodology, TIME said companies were assessed through a composite scoring model. The employee satisfaction component draws from survey responses gathered through international online panels. Financial performance considers revenue growth and other publicly reported financial metrics over a multi-year period. Sustainability transparency evaluates the extent and quality of ESG reporting using standardized indicators.
The ranking is not a regulatory determination, government certification or audit opinion. It is a comparative statistical assessment prepared by TIME and Statista and reflects the criteria and data sources described in their methodology.
Financial institutions dominate Top 10
The prominence of banks and financial services firms in the Top 10 signals the continued structural strength of capital markets across the Asia-Pacific region. Five of the ten highest-ranked companies operate primarily in banking or financial services, underscoring the sector’s central role in credit formation, liquidity management and corporate financing across both developed and emerging economies.
In a period marked by shifting trade flows, inflation adjustments and recalibrated supply chains, institutions with strong capital buffers, diversified revenue streams and established governance frameworks appear to have performed well under the ranking’s composite model. The weighting of employee satisfaction and sustainability transparency may also favor organizations with mature compliance systems and structured workforce engagement programs.
For the Philippines, BPI’s placement reflects not only individual corporate metrics under the ranking criteria but also the broader resilience of the domestic banking sector operating under prudential regulation from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
Philippine companies on the list
Aside from BPI, Philippine firms represented a cross-section of banking, conglomerates, utilities, property developers, telecommunications providers and consumer brands.
Among those listed were Ayala Corporation (35), BDO Unibank (47), Ayala Land (73), Security Bank (88) and SM Investments Corporation (101). Also included were Converge ICT Solutions (115), Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (137), Union Bank of the Philippines (140) and Ginebra San Miguel (150).
Consumer and industrial firms on the list included Jollibee Foods Corporation (152), Universal Robina Corporation (246), San Miguel Corporation (476) and International Container Terminal Services Inc. (340). Utilities and infrastructure-related companies included Manila Electric Company or Meralco (250) and Manila Water Company (264).
Telecommunications and energy firms cited were PLDT (371), Globe Telecom (448) and ACEN (410). Other Philippine companies in the ranking were Philippine National Bank (185), China Banking Corporation (273), Land Bank of the Philippines (375), Alliance Global Group (227), SM Prime Holdings (229), JG Summit Holdings (302), Filinvest Development Corporation (306), Megaworld Corporation (309), Bloomberry Resorts Corporation (320), Robinsons Retail Holdings (341), Cebu Pacific Air (350), Concepcion Industrial Corporation (404), Vista Land & Lifescapes (408), Puregold Price Club (452), Apex Mining Co. (479), Max’s Group (494) and Wilcon Depot (499).
In total, 36 Philippine companies were represented in the 2026 edition.
