Published January 25, 2021, 6:00 AM The COVID-19 pandemic has put on hold foreign banks’ plan to establish local units or branches in the Philippines. “As of now, no application to establish foreign bank is received by the FSS (Financial Supervision Sector),” according to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Chuchi G. Fonacier, who heads the FSS. Before the global pandemic was declared in March last year, there were at least three foreign banks based in Hong Kong, South Korea and Indonesia that were in the preparation stage to set up local branches here. Since 2014, when Republic Act No. 10641 or An Act Allowing the Full Entry of Foreign Banks in the Philippines amended the previous foreign bank entry law, a total of 12 foreign banks were allowed to set up bank branches in the country.