I thought I would only have a Canadian bank account and wait till I go home before I can open a bank account in the Philippines.
Then I received a message from a reader on Facebook that she read my blog post on how to open a Philippine bank account in Canada.
I was ecstatic to know that she took the time to write back and confirmed that she was able to open a Philippine National Bank account in Calgary. (You can also open a PNB account in other branches in Canada.)
Her experience gave me no choice but to do the same. Guess what, I also successfully opened a PNB account.
That’s two proof already. You can be the next depositor by following the steps later on.
Before you do, ever thought why I chose PNB? Simply because it’s the closest bank in my place; I want to consider other banks but there’s none.
So kudos to PNB for reaching out to OFWs worldwide.
6 Steps to Open a Philippine National Bank Account in Calgary
Within three days, depending on availability, anyone can accomplish the steps.
You have the option to either open a PNB checking or savings account, or both at the same time.
A Filipino who became a Canadian citizen is also qualified to apply for a PNB account (not a joint account). It’s a tip shared by a reader; refer to the comment for more details.
- Gather all the requirement.
- Get an application form at R & G Filipino Store, one of the Filipino convenience stores in Calgary. You can contact this mobile number (587) 969-8762 which is given to me when I called the corporate office in Ontario. The toll-free number left me no excuse not to call; I’m glad I called.
- Fill up the form and attach one 1×1 photograph at the right top corner.
- Contact the PNB staff in Calgary to find out when is the best time to submit the application form.
- Submit the application form and pay the fee (C$38.00) and initial deposit (PhP6,000.00 for a PNB checking account) through debit. Total fee is C$182.00 which depends on the current exchange rate.
- Wait for the call or email of the PNB Vancouver branch for the account number and passbook or ATM card for more than a month.
Note from PNB for the member: “PDIC and BancNet Maximum Deposit Insurance for each depositor is P500,000.”
I decided to only open a checking account although the deposit wouldn’t earn any interest unless it’s a savings account. That’s something I wouldn’t be concerned right now.
Maybe in the future if I have a huge amount to deposit; even then, I rather invest it on low-cost index fund like ETFs in Canada.
As of this writing Philippines has only one ETF: First Metro Philippine Equity Exchange Traded Fund Inc (FMETF). I wonder why.
Remember: Take note of the PNB Savings Account fees and charges to avoid paying unnecessarily like I did. FYI: I’m not proud of it.
Requirements for PNB Checking and Savings Account
- Two 1×1 photographs
- Application form
- Fee for opening an account is C$38.00 (charge through debit)
- Initial deposit of Php6,000.00 (charge through debit)
- Photocopy of 2 IDs (driver’s license, Philippine passport, PR card etc)
If you’re in downtown Calgary, you can have four 1×1 photos for C$19.95 at Photo Base in Scotia Centre.
Why Did I Open a PNB Account
Hindi pa ba obvious? I want to save and do more with a Philippine checking account just as with my Canadian chequing account.
“Are you paying somebody in the Philippines through check?”
This is the question that baffled me the most because a Canadian chequing account allows me to do just about anything.
- Shop online
- Send money to the Philippines
- Pay via Interac
- Invest in ETF
I hardly use the cheque. I probably did once or twice. By the way, the Canadian bank cheque is free for the first few sets and depending on the bank.
The only thing I can probably use a Philippine bank check for is by paying the Pag-IBIG mortgage. Other than that, the check will definitely end up on a file.
Stash away never to be remembered unless I have the need to use it.
Tip: Open a Metrobank Account in Canada
Final Thoughts
I was persistent to open a Philippine bank account to take advantage of the high exchange rate and start saving in peso.
For future blog post I can write about the advantages and disadvantages of having a PNB checking account. Mas marami sana ang benepisyp kaysa sa sakit ng ulo.
For now, I’ll wait and focus on buying a house in the Philippines. But you can fill me now of feedback if you’re a PNB client in the comment.
What Philippine bank account you managed to open abroad?
Hi. Did you open both checking and savings account sa PNB? Dito kasi it says checking then sa isang blog ‘PNB Debit/Savings Account Fees and Charges’ ang nakalagay ay Savings.
Hi Erin. I opened a PNB savings account in Calgary since checking account is not advisable. It’s different in opening a bank account in Canada where chequing account is the first to be opened; savings account is optional.
I was able to open an account. Canadian citizen na ko and hindi ako nag dual so I was worried at first. So pwede mag open kahit Canadian ka na; ang hindi lng daw pwede is Joint Account. However, until now wala pa yung ATM. I opened the account first week of January. How long did it take you to get it? Naka receive na ko ng email na open na yung account just waiting for the ATM and as per last update baka by April pa daw so at least 3 months ang wait time hopefully shorter.
Thank you for the information Malu. I’ll update the post. I think it took me two months before I received the ATM where I personally apply. The ATM wasn’t send through my mail address which I also prefer. I don’t want it to get loss since there are instances when people steal mail from the mailbox and not just parcel from Amazon. You can send text message to the representative for an update. Did you go to the same location mentioned in the post?
No.The person who’s in charge of our region (Alberta) lives nearby so he agreed to meet up somewhere. I met with him and 2 other applicants. One applicant was there to pick up his ATM. He and the other applicant needed theirs for Pag-IBIG. I needed mine because I was issued a cheque in the Philippines. I tried to deposit mine on my Canadian Bank but BDO in the Philippines returned it stating that as per Bangko Sentral they are no longer converting Philippine cheques to foreign currency (good topic on your next blog 🙂 ). I should just have followed your blog and opened this account earlier. Now my cheque is stale and I had to ask Loyola to reissue it (still waiting for them to reissue) Got charged by RBC for processing it even if it was never cashed and had to pay Loyola to reissue. Such a waste of money. Thanks for your blog! Anyone who has a Philippine cheque but no Philippine bank account do this! Never attempt to deposit it to your Canadian Bank it will save you all the hassle and a lot of money.
Thanks for more detailed tips Malu. I hope that things will work out fine in the end. And thanks for suggesting a topic and giving information about it. It’s on my to-write list for March . . . this year. So watch out for that and feel free to share tips or ask questions here anytime.
Hi ask lang po? Wala po office yung representative? Makikipag meet up lang po siya somewhere? Thanks
So far wala pa ding office. The meeting place is usually in remittance center with convenience stores.
As always, the article is very informative. I will do this too. Thanks a lot and keep it up!
Keep us updated!
PJ naka open kana ba ng PNB mo?
Do you have to be a Filipino citizen to open a bank account from Canada? What about former Filipinos who are now Canadian? Do they require Filipino citizenship?
You have to be a Filipino citizen Mari-Len. It’s one of the things that Filipinos should consider as to why a dual citizenship is necessary.