ONE Network Bank president Alex Buenaventura maintains a positive and upbeat outlook for the remaining one and a half months of 2009, saying they will be able to match the bank's net income in 2008.

"Despite the global crisis, credit demand remains strong and will continue to be strong," Buenaventura said in an interview Tuesday.

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ONB, which is usually referred to as the leading rural bank in Mindanao, posted a six percent increase in loans volume for the third quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008.

"Our loans volume this year reached P6 billion," Buenaventura said. "Our Department of Education salary loans and One Banana Program growers loan remains strong."

Another indicator that supports the positive outlook of ONB is the sustained growth in total inward remittances of overseas Filipino workers.

The rural bank posted an increase of 52 percent in remittances from overseas Filipino workers for the 3rd quarter.

For the 3rd quarter alone, a total of P100,635,555 worth of remittances was made through ONB and its partner payment companies abroad.

"This is P34.4 million more than what we had for the same period in 2008," Buenaventura said. "It's an increase by 52 percent compared to the P66.1 million we had during the 3rd quarter of last year."

In 2008, ONB hit a yearend net income of P240 million after taxes.

"It is highly possible that we will hit the same yearend net income after taxes," Buenaventura said.