Treasury bonds available to any investor with P5T

[Balita News Services]

CEBU CITY, JUNE 28 (PNA)--The Filipino masses are encouraged to
invest in government securities and help the country in its development
projects, a government official said.

This is the driving force behind the launching of the
Small-Denominated Treasury Bonds (STD) offered by the Department of
Finance (Dof) and the Bureau of Treasury, DOF assistant secretary
Roberto Tan said.

SDT-bonds have a five-year maturity period.

When the government issues Treasury bonds, it borrows money from
the public to fund its various projects.

For just P5,000, the interest rate is 13.625 percent per annum,
but the investor will be paid on a quaterly basis, Deputy Treasurer of
the Philippines Eduardo Mendiola said during a press briefing in the
city last Thursday.

Mendiola added that the SDT-bonds can be sold by the owner to a
secondary market through the regular Government Securities Dealers prior
to their listing on the Philipine Stock Exchange (PSE).

Once listed on the PSE or an alternative bond exchange, the
price of the SDT-bonds will be posted and investors won't have to call
to ask for the prices of their bonds, he said.

The SDT-bonds will be publicly offered from June 28-July 9. Any
individual with at least P5,000 can buy these through the participating
institutions, Corporate Access Holdings managing director Jacinto
Rosario said.

These are the BDO Capital and Investment Corp., Westmont
Investment Corp., All AsiaCapital and Trust Corp., Land Bank of the
Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines.

Jacinto advised interested investors to bring two valid. IDs
(with picture and signature) preferably TIN (tax identification number),
Social Security System, Government Service Insurance System or voter's
ID with the cash in the same amount of the SDT-bonds.

The SDT-bonds are part of the Small Investors Program instituted
by the Treasury under the Estrada administration.

Its main thrust is to make government securities affordable to
the small savers. (PNA) JV/EB/FCE/RE/ptr

PNA 06280904