It already has BancodeOro ATMs in its malls, helps finance its suppliers and issues a credit card to customers, but it sees a larger deal as a way to become even further entrenched.
Sy-Coson, the one most mentioned as heir apparent, has spent nearly half her time over the past four years trying to stitch together a merger between BancodeOro, long controlled by the family, and the larger listed Equitable PCI bank, in which it has recently been accumulating shares.