House bill pushes mandatory SEC, PSA registration for religious groups
A House lawmaker wants a national registry and accreditation system created for churches, sects and religious groups to protect Filipinos against those who only want to exploit their faith for monetary gain.
Kabayan party list Rep. Ron Salo has filed House Bill No. 11477, or the proposed Church Recognition Act, which aims to establish a system for the registration and recognition of such groups while preserving the right of Filipinos to freely practice their religion.
“Faith is deeply ingrained in the lives of Filipinos, but it is equally important to safeguard the integrity of religious organizations and protect the public from fraudulent groups that take advantage of people’s beliefs,” he said.
Salo noted the absence of clear guidelines in recognizing and certifying legitimate religious groups to distinguish them from bogus ones that take advantage of their followers’ faith for financial or personal benefit.
Immense influence
He lamented that the lack of regulation has resulted in the exploitation of religious institutions, where unscrupulous individuals exploit people’s trust and generosity under the guise of religious leadership.
“Religious organizations hold immense influence in society, shaping values and guiding communities. Ensuring their legitimacy through proper recognition safeguards both the faithful from exploitation and the sanctity of religious leadership,” Salo said.
With the Church Recognition Act, there will be a balance between upholding religious freedom and ensuring accountability among religious organizations, he added. “By fostering transparency, we safeguard the faith of Filipinos and protect the integrity of religious institutions.”
HB 11447 provides that only duly recognized religious groups would be given legal personality, “for purposes of tax exemption, property transactions, and marriage solemnization authority.”
The draft measure mandates churches, sects and religious groups to register as nonstock, nonprofit organizations with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and subsequently obtain a Certificate of Recognition from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The bill, however, exempts from mandatory registration the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, Iglesia ni Cristo, Ang Dating Daan, Bible Baptist Church, Church of Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Jehovah’s Witness, Jesus is Lord Church, Islam, Philippine Independent (Aglipay) Church, Roman Catholic Church, Seventh-Day Adventist, United Methodist Church and other churches to be determined by the PSA “in consideration of their long-established presence in the country or on account of their broad membership base.”
