Banco de Oro, one of the largest banks in the country, on Wednesday advised its clients to visit its branches and use the automated machines amid the pandemic after their digital system became inaccessible during payday.
Some Filipino users took to Twitter to complain about this inconvenience under the hashtag #bdoonlinebanking and making the bank firm trend on the micro-blogging platform.
In a statement on Wednesday, September 30, which also happened to be payroll day for some Filipinos, BDO Unibank Inc. apologized to its clients for the inconvenience its digital banking may have caused.
“We apologize for the inaccessibility of our Digital Banking channels and the inconvenience it has caused, especially during this payday period. In the meantime, we encourage you to use the ATMs or visit our branches for your urgent transactions,” it said.
The banking firm also assured the public that all its branches observe the mandated health protocols and other safety measures.
“All BDO branches are following safety measures and observing physical distancing. Please wear your face mask and face shield so we may serve you safely and efficiently,” BDO said.
BDO explained that the sudden system error was caused by a higher volume of users than its normal peak level.
Since the tough lockdowns last March, Filipinos resorted to online banking for their financial needs because of the suspension of mass transport and the limited number of people allowed to go outside.
“The bank has been experiencing ever-increasing volume usage in our digital channels and have taken steps to adjust. Today’s volume has been substantially higher than the normal peak levels,” it said.
“We have already taken steps to upgrade to a new digital banking platform. Please bear with us as we prepare for the migration to the new platform. Thank you for your understanding,” the bank added.
The comments section on its Facebook post, however, was filled with scathing remarks given the timing that Filipino workers are supposed to receive their income.
Some Filipinos noted on the hassle of visiting their branches to make their transactions.
These sentiments were also echoed on Twitter as Filipinos decried BDO’s perceived poor online services.
“BDO should invest more in their digital engineering team,” one user said.
“The unending issues with the app. The fees. The service. WORST ever,” another wrote.
Another user recalled recent incidents that BDO’s online and mobile services failed.
Last week, BDO’s mobile banking app was among those affected by the latest update of iPhone to iOS 14.
READ: BDO releases advisory to iPhone users after iOS 14 update triggered tech issues
The firm announced that it managed to make its app compatible with the new system update on Tuesday. However, several clients still took to social media to complain how they continue to encounter technical issues despite the app update.
In April, the bank also advised the public of a surge in logins during the strict quarantine measures, enhanced community quarantine.
BDO then recommended that mobile banking users should log in during off-peak hours before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m.