The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said Monday it is rolling out a series of regulatory, digital and fee-related reforms to maintain the Philippines as a stable business destination while strengthening market integrity.
SEC chairman Francisco Lim told a recent business forum that while economic challenges are inevitable, enforcing standards and ensuring accountability could restore investor confidence.
Lim said the agency is focusing on providing clear rules, reliable processes, and a fair playing field to allow businesses to operate with greater speed and certainty.
“The Philippines remains a stable place to do business—and we in the SEC are working every day to keep it that way. We are strengthening the fundamentals that businesses look for: clear rules, reliable processes and a fair playing field—so they can operate with greater speed, certainty, and confidence,” Lim said.
A key pillar of the reform package includes drastically reducing approval periods. The commission now processes simple matters within three working days, complex filings in seven days and highly technical applications in 20 days.
Under a new “deemed approved” policy, applications are automatically greenlit once legal requirements are met, though they remain subject to post-approval audits.
Digitalization has also reduced bureaucratic friction through the enhanced OneSEC registration platform. The system now supports end-to-end online incorporation for 81 company types, up from 33, and includes foreign-owned entities.
Applications that previously took an average of 7.4 days can now be approved in under two hours if documentation is complete.
The shift to digital processes has led to a surge in activity. Online company registrations rose 47 percent in 2025 from 4,591 in the first half of the year to 6,747 in the second half.
The SEC also expanded its online amendment portal from 4 to 28 simple processing items, cutting down turnaround times that used to span weeks or months.
To encourage capital-raising, the commission removed notice and fee requirements for transactions the law classifies as exempt, unless an issuer specifically requests regulatory certainty.
The agency also updated rules for real estate investment trusts (REITs).
The changes expand eligible income-generating assets beyond malls and offices to include infrastructure such as toll roads, railways, airports, seaports, data centers, energy facilities and warehouses.
