CONSUMER complaints filed with the central bank surged by 72.6-percent in 2025 on the back of ‘greater’ public awareness and ‘wider’ adoption of digital platforms, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
According to the central bank, its consumer assistance unit received and processed over 120,000 new complaints, paling in comparison to the 70,112 complaints lodged with the BSP in 2024. The volume of complaints has risen steadily over the years, from 19,181 in 2021, the BSP added.
As explained in the BSP’s 2025 Annual Report, complaints that are not resolved through its consumer assistance mechanism are elevated to mediation.
The report noted that referrals for mediation rose by 48.9 percent from 710 in 2024 to 1,057 in 2025. The BSP handled 1,188 mediation cases, including 131 carried over from the previous year, the report read.
Of the 876 concluded cases, 409 were successful, 144 failed, and 323 were terminated for ‘various reasons.’
The central bank explained that ‘successful’ cases refer to those where both parties entered into a settlement agreement, or where matters were sufficiently clarified during mediation, and both parties agreed to terminate the proceedings as successful.
Meanwhile, ‘failed’ cases refer to those where the parties were unable to reach an amicable settlement.
As for the cases considered ‘terminated,’ those are discontinued for other reasons, such as a party’s lack of interest in pursuing the mediation or the existence of factual or legal issues that cannot be resolved though mediation, among others, the central bank noted.
The BSP pointed out, however, that the mediation success rate declined from 84.4 percent in 2024 to 74 percent in 2025.
Success rate, according to BSP, is equivalent to ‘successful’ mediations over total of ‘successful’ and ‘failed’ mediations.
‘This drop may be attributed to stronger consumer awareness of alternative remedies, such as adjudication or court action,’ the central bank explained.
The BSP handled 68 formal complaints, including 12 carried over from 2024. Of these cases, 11 were decided, 20 were dismissed, and 37 remained pending as of December 31, 2025.
‘These redress mechanisms supported fair, impartial, and orderly resolution of consumer disputes, 83 consistent with the BSP’s mandate under the FCPA,’ the BSP said.
According to the central bank, the upward trend reflects ‘greater public awareness of the BSP’s CAM channels, wider adoption of digital platforms, and increased media attention on the FCPA [Financial Consumer Protection Act] and the Afasa [Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act].’