After coming back home to the Philippines, I decided to open a bank account with Banco de Oro (BDO). I chose BDO because it has several branches and, in fact, there is one five minutes away from where I live. I first opened a Peso (PHP) account followed by a US dollar account a few months later. Since opening those accounts, my average combined balance did not exceed the equivalent of $3,000.

About 10 months after I opened the account, I was surprised to receive a ready-to-activate BDO credit card by courier. I did not apply for any such credit card. I had no intention of applying for any credit card since I am not currently working and these credit card applications require some form of employment certificate. I also still have active US credit cards that I can use.

Continue reading Philippine Banking Culture Shock: Unsolicited Ready-to-Activate Credit Cards →