China Banking Corporation (Chinabank), the Philippines’ fourth-largest private universal bank, has officially completed its transition to Darwinbox, a leading AI-powered Human Capital Management (HCM) platform. This milestone marks the bank’s full shift to a digital-first HR ecosystem that will optimize HR operations and enhance the employee experience for over 11,000 Chinabankers nationwide.
The partnership between Chinabank and Darwinbox was formalized on December 6, 2024 at the Chinabank headquarters in Makati City. In just five and a half months, Chinabank completed the accelerated phase 1 implementation of the platform, which is now live and fully operational across its nationwide network.
Internally branded as SyncHROne (pronounced “Sinkron”), the new platform is part of Chinabank’s One Chinabank identity initiative, reflecting the organization’s commitment to unified, employee-centric innovation.
“We are building a great workplace anchored on a compelling employee value proposition and a transformative work culture to foster innovation, collaboration, and employee growth,” said Romeo D. Uyan Jr., Chinabank President and CEO.
Built with a mobile-first design and open API architecture, Darwinbox enables seamless integration with Chinabank’s existing systems, while offering world-class data security. Employees now enjoy 24/7 access to HR services on both desktop and mobile devices, ensuring a more agile, accessible, and empowered workplace experience.
“We are leveraging innovative technology to drive operational excellence. From the outset, the development of SyncHROne was a collaborative effort involving key stakeholders from across the bank. Their insights ensured the system would meet the evolving needs of our workforce while staying true to our governance standards,” said Delfin Jay Sabido IX, Chinabank Chief Innovation and Transformation Officer.
SyncHROne will now serve as the bank’s centralized HCM platform, managing critical HR functions such as performance management, recruitment, onboarding, employee engagement, and issue resolution.
Named by the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) as the 2023 Employer of the Year, Chinabank is making every possible effort to be a great company to work for. CBC Group HR Head Tani Michelle Cruz said, “The journey of this HR digital transformation has been focused on the bank’s commitment to fostering a future-ready, inclusive, and innovation-driven workplace.”
For Darwinbox, the partnership marks another significant step in its growing presence in the Philippines. Since entering the market in 2021, the company has onboarded over 50 enterprises, including leading names in banking, retail, and multinational industries.
“We are invigorated by the mission of reshaping people processes across the entire employee lifecycle at Chinabank, and driven by a desire to help them succeed,” said Sasank Raavi, Country Manager of Darwinbox Philippines. “It is an honor to work alongside a company with over a century of legacy. Here’s to a long and fruitful partnership.”
Together, Chinabank and Darwinbox are redefining what it means to build an employee-first, innovation-led organization in today’s evolving business landscape.
