BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno was recently named Global Central Banker of the Year 2022 by an international magazine.
The Banker, an international monthly banking, finance, and business magazine owned by the Financial Times, recognized Diokno as the best central banker in the world in recognition of his efforts to help stimulate economic recovery and growth for the Philippines amid the unprecedented Covid-19 crisis.
The magazine’s Central Banker of the Year awards celebrate officials who have best managed to stimulate growth and stabilize their economies.
Diokno’s recognition as the best central banker in the world by The Banker is the first for the Philippines.
The following are the regional central bankers of the year 2022, according to The Banker: Central Reserve Bank of Peru Chairman Julio Velarde for the Americas, Banque de France Governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau for Europe, Central Bank of Bahrain Governor Rasheed M Al-Maraj for the Middle East, and Bank of Tanzania Governor Florens Luoga for Africa.
In a statement following the announcement, the Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) congratulated Diokno for a “well-deserved” recognition.
“Governor Diokno’s steadfast leadership motivated the banking industry to revolutionize its services, systems and operations to better serve the banking public in the midst of the global pandemic. Through his thoughtful foresight, the banking sector was able to successfully navigate and surpass the adverse impact of the crisis, allowing the country to achieve positive growth in 2021 despite the continuing threat of the Covid-19 health crisis,” the BAP said.
“The BAP is strongly encouraged by the BSP Governor’s openness and guidance as the industry jointly pursues various initiatives that promote inclusive and sustainable development. We are confident that the Bangko Sentral will continue to develop policies that will lead to a stronger and long-term economic recovery for the Philippines,” it added.