Santander BanCorp has Filed with the SEC its Form 10-K for the Year Ended December 31, 2009

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, March 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Santander BanCorp (NYSE: SBP; LATIBEX; XSBP) ('the Corporation'') has filed its Form 10K with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 5, 2010 and in addition to being available at www.sec.gov, it can also be located at www.santandernet.com and can be accessed by clicking on "Investor Relations" on the website main page.

Further, the Corporation provides additional financial information on the Corporation's website at www.santandernet.com and can be accessed by clicking on "Investor Relations" on the website main page and clicking on "Financial Highlights on Excel."

Around March 25, 2010, the proxy statement, the proxy card, the notice of annual meeting and the Corporation's Annual Report to Shareholders will be available at: http://bnymellon.mobular.net/bnymellon/sbp

A hard copy of Santander BanCorp's most recent Form 10K and Annual Report, including the complete audited financial statements can be provided free of charge upon request at www.santandernet.com and can be accessed by clicking on "Investor Relations" on the website main page.

Institutional Background

Santander BanCorp is a publicly held financial holding company that is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (SBP) and on Latibex (Madrid Stock Exchange) (XSBP). 91% of the outstanding common stock of Santander BanCorp is owned by Banco Santander, S.A (Santander). The Corporation has five wholly owned subsidiaries, Banco Santander Puerto Rico, Santander Securities Corporation, Santander Financial Services, Inc., Santander Insurance Agency, Inc. and Island Insurance Corporation. Banco Santander Puerto Rico has been operating in Puerto Rico for over 30 years. It offers a full array of services through 54 branches in the areas of commercial, mortgage and consumer banking, supported by a team of over 1,700 employees. Santander Securities offers securities brokerage services and provides portfolio management services through its wholly owned subsidiary Santander Asset Management Corporation. Santander Financial Services, Inc. offers consumer finance products through its network of 60 branches throughout the Island. Santander Insurance Agency offers life, health and disability coverage as a corporate agent and also operates as a general agent. For more information, visit the Company's website at www.santandernet.com.

Banco Santander (SAN.MC, STD.N, BNC.LN) is a retail and commercial bank, based in Spain, with presence in 10 main markets.  At the end of 2009, Santander was the largest bank in the euro zone by market capitalization and third in the world by profit.  Founded in 1857, Santander had EUR 1,245 billion in managed funds at the end of 2009.  Following the acquisition of Sovereign Bancorp. of the U.S. in January 2009, Santander has 90 million customers, 13,660 branches -more than any other international bank- and 170,000 employees.  It is the largest financial group in Spain and Latin America, with leading positions in the United Kingdom and Portugal and a broad presence in Europe through its Santander Consumer Finance arm.  In 2009, Santander registered euro 8,943 million in net attributable profit.

For more information, see www.santander.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the industry in which the Company operates, its beliefs and its management's assumptions.  Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "targets," "goals," "projects," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates" and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements.  These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict.  Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecast in such forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required under federal securities laws and the rules and regulations of the SEC, the Company does not have any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise.

SOURCE Santander BanCorp