Philippine Banks Routing Numbers and Swift Codes?

One thing that helped me was asking the recipient to get the exact incoming-wire instructions directly from their Philippine bank.

The sender's bank might ask for a field called "routing number," but that doesn't automatically mean the Philippine beneficiary has an ABA routing number.

For example, UnionBank's own transfer guidance explains that domestic routing codes can be required for certain countries and that the required code depends on the payment route.

So I'd separate the information into:

• Bank name – receiving Philippine bank
• Account number – recipient's actual account
• SWIFT/BIC – international bank identifier
• Branch information – if requested
• Domestic clearing/bank code – only if the particular transfer channel requires it

Don't substitute one code for another just because the numbers look similar.

The code depends on what you're actually trying to do.

A SWIFT code/BIC identifies the bank for international transfers. A domestic bank or clearing code is a different thing.

I previously sent money to a Philippine account and the receiving bank asked for the beneficiary's complete name, account number, branch/bank information and SWIFT details. The requirements weren't identical to what I had seen for US domestic transfers.

Also be careful with old lists of SWIFT codes. Banks can change their arrangements, and some banks have gone through mergers or system changes.

For example, UnionBank currently tells customers receiving SWIFT remittances to use UBPHPHMMXXX following its account migration.

So I wouldn't rely on a generic "Philippines routing number list" without checking the receiving bank's current instructions.

I had a similar issue when sending money from the US to a Philippine account. The terminology used by the sending bank caused most of the confusion.

For international wires, the important thing is usually the SWIFT/BIC of the receiving Philippine bank, together with the beneficiary's account information. Philippine banks aren't generally assigned a U.S.-style ABA routing number simply because they're located in the Philippines.

I haven't used BPI specifically, but BPI's own remittance information says its SWIFT code is BOPIPHMM, with the 11-character form BOPIPHMMXXX also accepted for incoming SWIFT transactions. BPI also says that its international correspondent-bank transfers don't require a routing number, sort code, IBAN, or ABA number.

If your Canadian bank's form has a mandatory "routing number" field, I'd contact the bank before entering a random Philippine bank code.

The sender's bank may be using a generic international-transfer form where that field isn't necessarily applicable to the Philippines.

I wouldn't rely only on websites listing “Philippine routing numbers.” Different banking identifiers are used for different purposes.

Ask the recipient's Philippine bank for its incoming international wire instructions. They should confirm the SWIFT/BIC code, account details and whether an intermediary bank is required. Requirements can vary between banks.

The routing number and SWIFT code are different things. An ABA routing number is mainly used for U.S. domestic banking, while SWIFT/BIC is commonly used for international transfers.

When I made a transfer, the Philippine bank provided the SWIFT code and additional receiving instructions. I would verify the code with the bank before sending the money.