BDO partners with Japan's Aozora Bank for investment banking

BDO Unibank Inc. has partnered with Japanese commercial bank Aozora Bank Ltd. for the benefit of clients eyeing the Philippines as a potential investment spot.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Tuesday, BDO said the business collaboration will cover, among others, merger and acquisition advisory and investment banking services.

The tie-up was formalized with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the banks on May 23.

"Aozara handpicked BDO given the bank's strong foothold in the Philippine market. This strength would be helpful to Aozora's clients whom plan to invest and find potential partners in the country," BDO noted.

The collaboration can give BDO broad coverage in major prefectures such as Tokyo, Kanagawa, Osaka, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka with the most number of Japanese investments in the Philippines, said BDO vice president and head of international desks Edward G. Wenceslao.

Aozora has 20 branches across Japan and five overseas offices. It provides advisory services to assist corporate, financial institutions and retail clients.

Since 2013, BDO inked into various MOUs with eight Japanese Regional Banks (JRBs) to assist JRBs' clients who want to do business in the Philippines, the bank said. 

It added that the bank has fully staffed Japan desk with Japanese-speaking personnel to market and service Japanese companies operating in the country as well as service the retail requirements of Japanese customers.  — John Ted Cordero/VVP, GMA News