Insider Spotlight
The Manila-based hub supports ING’s retail and wholesale banking operations in more than 40 countries, operating systems that underpin digital channels, payments, lending, investments, and institutional banking services.
Its technology workforce of more than 1,800 professionals is projected to expand by 20 percent in the next 12 to 24 months, while maintaining an attrition rate of around 5 percent—well below the industry average for tech talent.
Why it matters
As global banks accelerate digital transformation, the challenge has shifted from accessing technology to scaling it responsibly. Platforms must comply with varying regulatory regimes while remaining resilient and efficient.
ING Hubs Philippines is positioning itself at the center of this shift, taking on long-term ownership of systems that support customer-facing and regulatory-critical operations worldwide.
From execution to ownership
Under country manager Hazel Zaide Delos Santos, the hub has expanded its remit across retail banking, wholesale banking, and enterprise platforms used globally .
“What matters is not just scale, but sustainability,” Delos Santos said in a press statement.
“As technology becomes more central to how banking operates, our focus is on building capabilities that can support ING’s global ambitions over the long term, with the right governance, skills, and mindset in place.”
The strategy emphasizes capability depth over headcount growth, embedding governance and end-to-end accountability directly into technology delivery.
Supporting critical platforms
Teams in the Philippines are increasingly responsible for digital channels, payments, lending, and investment services platforms that must operate seamlessly across jurisdictions.
In wholesale banking, they support core systems for client onboarding, trade finance, and shared risk and finance data.
One example is the assumption of end-to-end responsibility for ING’s INGenious testing framework, used across markets to standardize testing and quality assurance.
By owning both the platform and its operating standards, Manila-based teams contribute to global system resilience and risk reduction, ING Hubs explained in the statement.
The big picture
Automation and AI adoption are accelerating, but ING is pairing efficiency gains with tighter governance.
Technology teams in the Philippines work closely with risk and control functions to embed shared data foundations, transparent decision logic, and defined control mechanisms into automation initiatives.
As responsibilities expand across technology, data, and risk, ING Hubs Philippines is solidifying its role as a cornerstone of the bank’s global transformation—balancing innovation, regulatory discipline, and long-term talent development at scale. —Vanessa Hidalgo | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
