The bonds issues of the publicly-listed corporations reached P96.5 billion in 2012, while the total earnings gained from initial public offering (IPOs) at the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) reached P28.8 billion.

Tina Callangan, head of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Corporate Finance Department, told reporters that the number of firms that made IPOs at the PSE in 2012 reached five, while those that had bonds is sues were about 10.

”We have five IPOs last year and those are Eastwest Banking Corp. [P5.2 billion], GT Capital Holdings Inc. [P1.5 billion], Calata Corp. [P2.7 billion], Coal Asia Holdings Inc. (P4 billion), D&L Industries Inc. [P15.3 billion],” she said.

As for the bond issues, Callangan identified San Miguel Brewery Inc. (P20 billion), Ayala Land Inc. (P15 billion), Ayala Corp. (P10 billion), Globe Telecom Inc. (P10 billion) and Filinvest Land Inc. (P11 billion).

The other firms that issued bonds were SM Investments Corp. (P15 billion) and Vista Land and Lifescapes Inc. (P2 billion). SEC Chairman Teresita Herbosa said that they are looking at some big firms who are interested to do their IPO for this year.

”Maganda ang market [the market is doing good], hopefully. This would continue this year. We’ve already talked to some companies and they are very optimistic for this year. I’ve talked to about three of them, big ones, one is on energy, one is on power, and then marami [many are from] real estates,” she said.

Herbosa added that the performance of the bond market last year was also consistent, and investors bought them enthusiastically.

”For the bonds, even just few weeks after offering, so many [investors] are subscribing already, and the market aims to have more investors,” she said, adding that, “we want to attract, of course, more long-term investments and investors to actually generate more activities, here including creating jobs for us.”

Mutual funds issuance, on the other hand, stood at P3.9 billion, while follow-on offerings reached P9 billion. Herbosa further said that in addition to the expected IPOs, the SEC may also conduct the first trading of exchange-traded funds (ETF) in the Philippines this year.

”We may also have the first ETF. Right now, we have so far three firms rivaling to one another to be the first,” she said.

Herbosa mentioned that they are fast-tracking the forms for ETF and the first set may be officially launched in first quarter of the year.