THE government last Friday officially ended its 30th retail Treasury bond (RTB) offering, which the Bureau of the Treasury said resulted in a record volume of P584.86 billion.

Of this, P212.72 billion was raised in a rate-setting auction held on Feb. 13, 2024.

Throughout the nine-day offer period that ran from February 13 to 23, extra orders totaling P372.14 billion were received — P128.69 billion as new funds and P243.45 billion through a switch program.

"RTB 30 is set to settle on February 28, 2024 and will mature on February 28, 2029, five years after the issue date," the Treasury said.

The five-year investment has a return of 6.25 percent per annum, to be paid quarterly until the papers mature in 2029.

It included an exchange program that offered RTB 22 and 25 investors a method to reinvest their funds and reduce reinvestment risk.

The RTBs could be bought at a minimum investment of P5,000 through placements in bank branches and digital channels, including the Treasury's online ordering facility and the Bonds.PH, Overseas Filipino Bank, and Land Bank of the Philippines' mobile apps.

The Treasury said the funds raised would be used for government programs spanning agriculture, infrastructure, education, health care and more.