BTr offers low risk hi-interest 

Premyo Bonds, to win condo 

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Dec 7 (PIA)—How far can your P500 go? 

Not much. A bag of groceries, few cups of brewed coffee. And with less than 1% interest per annum in a savings account, at most, a month. 

But with the rare offer of the Bureau of Treasury through its Premyo Bonds, your P500 can win you a million, a condo unit or a house and lot. 

At least, according to BTr’s provincial chief Hermilina Bulasa, your P500 can get you 3% interest after investing it for a full year. 

Speaking at the Kapihan sa PIA on studio at the DyTR, Bulasa, who came with the agency’s information officer Chloe Redeja explained that the Premyo Bonds are part of the Government’s savings mobilization program designed to make government securities available to small investors, in its efforts for financial inclusion. 

Issued by the Republic of the Philippines through the BTr, Premyo Bonds, unlike your usual cash in the bank, can not be withdrawn until it matures in December of 2020. 

Direct, unconditional and general obligations of the Republic of the Philippines, Premyo Bonds are low-risk and high yielding easily affordable investment, where the investor is assured a very high 3% interest as against commercial bank’s less than 1% annual interest rate, Bulasa said. 

Great. But what is the catch? 

The catch is that the public offer period is only from November 25 to December 13. 

Purchased Premyo Bonds which are issued in the minimum amount of P500 or more in the denominations of 500 earns an e-raffle ticket or P10 million with 20,000 raffle entries would be eligible for the National Registry of Script-less Securities (NRoSS) and are automatically included in the rewards draw, added Redeja. 

From among the investors, the government would pick one winner for P1 million per quarter, ten winners of P100,000 per quarter and 50 winners of P20,000 per quarter. 

According to the BTr, non-cash reward is real property in a form of a condo unit, or house and lot to be given by participating institutions for the quarterly winners. 

For interested investors of the Premyo Bonds, they may go to any of the government’s participating selling agents, banks mostly. 

Investors without any peso accounts need to open one, while those with existing peso accounts have to open with the Selling agent where the principal payments and interest are made. 

Then the investor fills in the documentary requirements in buying the Premyo Bonds, and these will be registered under the BTrs NRoSS, the investor getting a registry account opening conformation, conformation of sale, summary of transactions and statement of account. 

As the government intends to also promote financial literacy, Premyo Bonds commit the investment which can not be withdrawn, until it matures a year later. 

With this, investors will have to force themselves to spend wiser knowing that the investment can not be redeemed until it matures, one very common weakness with depositors keeping automated teller machine (ATM) accounts, Redeja added. 

Over this, BTr Bohol is also urging Boholanos especially those who are getting bigger cash flow this Christmas season to think hard about spending in unnecessary purchases, while the government is still putting up the Premyo Bonds on public offer. 

Investors wanting to know the list of selling agents can log on to www.treasury.gov.ph, and decide upon which agent they will buy their bonds. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol) 

PREMYO BONDS OR REBOND? That is the question. While the government has made available a financial assistance program that pays out outstanding loans, the excess amount government employees are getting as Christmas bonuses can go to Premyo Bonds or to rebond. The choice, indicates one’s financial literacy. Here BTr information Office Chloe Redeja and Bohol Chief Hermilina Mylene Bulasa explained the Premyo Bonds during the recent Kapihan sa PIA. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)