Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company (MBT) was incorporated on April 6, 1962 by a group of Filipino businessmen principally to provide financial services to the Filipino-Chinese community. MBT eventually diversified its business to provide a range of banking and collateral services to all sectors of the Philippine economy. MBT opened its first office in Binondo, Manila on September 5, 1962. On August 21, 1981, MBT was granted a universal banking license by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.