Is it possible to save in bank without a maintaining balance? Yes! BPI has this Easy Savers which lets you save money with zero maintaining balance. I got mine last year for around P250.
The application only costs P200 but you have to pay P50 for the ATM card. It's easy to apply. Just go to BPI and present these:
-Two pieces of 1x1 or 2x2 ID pic-Original and Photocopy of Billing Statement (Your PLDT, Meralco, or Water Bill is okay)-Two valid ID's-Payment
I got mine after three banking days. Here's how the Easy Savers card looks like:
The only downside is that there's Php5 deduction every time you withdraw cash. But as long as you schedule when to get your money, that's no big deal. And it's a motivation for you to save because you'll not be tempted to withdraw every time. I can also view my balance thru BPI Express Online. That's convenient for me as a contractor at oDesk because I won't have to go out anymore and see if my money already arrived on my savings account.