Bankard first semester net income up 117% as it celebrates 25 years of the Bankard brand

July 14, 1999 PSE CIRCULAR FOR BROKERS NO. 1730-99 Bankard first semester net income up 117% as it celebrates 25 years of the Bankard brand Bankard, Inc. reports unprecedented growth in net income during the first semester of 1999. This semester's net income of P33.1 million reflected an effective increase of 117% over last year's figure of P15.2 million for the same period. dctai Bankard continues to exhibit impressive development in corporate earnings over the last few years. In 1997, Bankard posted a net annual income of P81 million, while for the year 1998, it generated P93.7 million. This year's first semester unparalleled growth was largely brought about by the continuing reduction of the company's non-performing loans (NPL's), reduction in funding costs, and strong brand equity in the market. Bankard, Inc. was publicly listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange in March 1995, and has been actively traded since then. It is the first credit card company to be listed in the Philippines, and remains to be the only publicly listed credit card company in the Asia-Pacific region. As Bankard, Inc. celebrates 25 years of the Bankard brand, the company will continue to pursue advanced-technology card products via chip technology and e-commerce. Bankard One, Bankard MFI and Bankard E-Cash will be aggressively supported by loyalty rewards under the Smart Money Program. Applications in public pay phones and the country's mass transit systems are also being planned. With the relaunching of Bankard Visa, Bankard now has the widest range of cards in the country. Bankard, Inc. also expects its service quality to take a quantum leap via the Sema Group of Hong Kong, an integrated-backroom-solutions provider for card companies worldwide, and Fair Isaac, an international developer of advanced credit-scoring technology. Through the years, the Bankard brand has remained unique due to its unmatched track record of leadership in product innovation. As a pacesetter, it has compiled many "firsts" over its competitors. Among these are: Bankard Smart Money Program , the first loyalty program using the electronic cash card; BankardPhone World Access , the first card offered to cardholders allowing them to make local and international calls at significantly reduced rates; Bankard Airmiles , an in-house air-mileage program which lets cardholders travel for free at huge price-offs to a number of choice destinations in the world; Bankard One , the world's first installment smart card; Bankard E-Cash , the country's first reloadable electronic cash cards; Bankard Card Protection Plus (BCPP ), the unique lost-card protection program which includes travel and purchase damage protection; Bankard TicketCharge , which offers ticket reservations through phone for ballet and theater productions; Bankard Credit Shield , the first service to offer credit card protection to cardholders in case of temporary or permanent unemployment; Bankard InterActive , the first telephone interactive service and automated voice response system of its kind in the credit card industry to serve cardholders requests and inquiries 24 hours a day; and Bankard Publications , which include AHEAD , a world-class cardmember magazine distributed for FREE to opinion leaders here and abroad, and Bankard Webzine , the country's first on-line magazine published for cardholders that also accepts on-line customer service e-mail and features a card application service. Bankard's unmatched offering of unique benefits is in line with its commitment to put Bankard cardmembers ahead of the rest. Bankard, Inc. issues Bankard MFI, Bankard One, Bankard MasterCard, PCIBank MasterCard, Bankard Visa, and Bankard E-Cash: LLjur