UPDATE 1-Chile bank Santander says to lend $2 bln in 2009

(Updates with fresh quotes, details)

SANTIAGO, April 28 (Reuters) - Banco Santander Chile STG.SN, Chile's No. 1 private bank, said on Tuesday it would lend around $2 billion in personal credit, focused mainly on mortgages, and said it believed the impact of global crisis was close to bottoming out.

Santander Chile, a unit of Spain's Banco Santander SA (SAN.MC), added in a statement issued after a shareholder meeting it was maintaining its plan to invest $76 million in 2009.

"Banco Santander forecasts extending around $2 billion in personal credit, with emphasis on mortgages," the statement said. "Growth opportunities in the current global environment lie in companies, individuals and small- and mid-size firms."

Santander, which forecasts Chile's economy will grow 0.5 percent this year as opposed to the 0.5 percent contraction analysts widely forecast, said it expected the economy to start to recover in late 2009 or early 2010, citing a $4 billion government fiscal stimulus plan and central bank rate cuts.

"We think the fiscal stimulus plan and aggressive monetary impulse from the central bank, will enable the economy to perform better in the second half," the bank quoted chairman Mauricio Larrain as saying.

"Ruling out new external shocks and taking into account the fact that some of our main commercial partners are starting to see positive signs, it is likely we are close to hitting the bottom of this cycle," he added. (Reporting by Monica Vargas; Writing by Simon Gardner; Editing by Andre Grenon)