MANILA – The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) has raised P500 billion from the 31st Retail Treasury Bonds (RTB-31) issuance, consisting of P425.51 billion in new money and proceeds from bond exchanges.

The BTr said in a statement Monday that P210 billion was awarded during the Aug. 5 auction, while P81.65 billion was raised through bond exchanges in the first four days of the offer period.

The five-year bond, carrying a coupon rate of 6 percent per annum, was offered from Aug. 5 to 15. Its issue and settlement date is set for Aug. 20, 2025, with maturity on Aug. 20, 2030.

Proceeds from the issuance will help fund government programs in education, health, infrastructure, and agriculture, among others.

To broaden retail participation, the BTr and its issue managers held regional roadshows in Baguio, Zambales, Pampanga, Laguna, Quezon, Naga, Tacloban, Cebu, Davao, and Butuan, and conducted financial literacy sessions for overseas Filipinos, local investors, schools, and cooperatives.

RTB-31 was made available for as low as P5,000 through banks and digital platforms, including the BTr’s online facility, Bonds.PH, the Overseas Filipino Bank and Land Bank mobile apps, PDAX, and for the first time, via GCash through the GBonds feature.

Meanwhile, the BTr fully awarded bids for Treasury bills in Monday’s auction, raising the full P25-billion program. The 91-, 182-, and 364-day T-bills fetched average rates of 5.234 percent, 5.435 percent, and 5.564 percent, respectively, from a total of P113.7 billion in tenders.

(PNA)