SEC vows more reforms amid PH economic dev’t
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has pledged to push ahead with reforms aimed at improving the ease of doing business and deepening the country’s capital markets following the Philippines’ ascent to upper-middle income status.
In a statement on Friday, the SEC said the commitment came after the World Bank announced that the Philippines had moved up from lower-middle income status after gross national income per capita reached $4,850, surpassing the $4,636 threshold for the category.
The reclassification was driven by broad-based growth across major industries, with the economy expanding by an average of 5.8 percent annually from 2021 to 2025, the World Bank said.
SEC Chair Francis Lim said the milestone reflected government efforts to sustain economic growth despite global and domestic challenges.
“At the SEC, we remain steadfast in implementing reforms that would enhance the ease of doing business and reinforce capital market activity. By encouraging more businesses to formalize and by creating an environment that empowers them to expand, we are helping create sustainable job opportunities for more Filipinos,” Lim said.
Over the past five years, the SEC has accelerated digitalization initiatives to simplify company registration, amendment applications and the filing of reportorial requirements.
These efforts helped generate 232,524 new company registrations from 2021 to 2025, representing P618.16 billion in capital investments. Registration activity peaked in 2024 with a record 52,544 newly registered companies.
Fee discounts
The SEC also rolled out fee discounts for micro, small and medium enterprises seeking to register or raise funds through the capital markets.
As of June 17, these incentives translated into P139.6 million worth of fee savings for businesses.
To broaden investment opportunities, the regulator introduced new asset classes, such as real estate investment trusts and crypto-assets, while imposing stricter processing timelines to speed up fundraising activities.
The agency likewise launched expedited registration programs for industries deemed vital to economic growth, including power, healthcare, agribusiness and rental pool arrangements.
