- Filipinos saving for retirement through the Personal Equity and Retirement Account (PERA) now have another option with time deposits, after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) approved their use as PERA investments.
- PERA is a voluntary retirement savings program created under Republic Act No. 9505 that allows Filipinos to build a separate retirement fund on top of government pensions or employer-provided retirement plans.
- Contributors can invest up to ₱200,000 a year, while overseas Filipinos can contribute up to ₱400,000, with the program offering tax incentives for qualified investments.
Filipinos saving for retirement through the Personal Equity and Retirement Account (PERA) now have another option with time deposits, after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) approved their use as PERA investments.
PERA is a voluntary retirement savings program created under Republic Act No. 9505 that allows Filipinos to build a separate retirement fund on top of government pensions or employer-provided retirement plans.
Contributors can invest up to ₱200,000 a year, while overseas Filipinos can contribute up to ₱400,000, with the program offering tax incentives for qualified investments.
Under the new rules, PERA time deposits must have a minimum maturity of 30 days. Once they mature, the money stays within the PERA account instead of being treated as a withdrawal.
Contributors can then roll over the funds, transfer them, or reinvest them in another accredited PERA investment, depending on their instructions or existing arrangement.
Time deposits now join other PERA investment options, including unit investment trust funds, stocks, real estate investment trusts, and government securities.
The development comes as more Filipinos use PERA to build retirement savings. BSP data showed PERA contributions jumped 45% to ₱757.55 million in the first half of 2026 from a year earlier.