How To Verify A Company If It Is SEC Philippines Registered?

​Before you invest and transact, much better to check and verify it first.

​The very first rule before transacting or investing in a business or company is to check if it is registered and has sufficient and relevant papers and licenses to operate or offer an investment to the public.

Here in the Philippines, there are several government agencies that a business must be registered with, depending on the type of business. These agencies include among others the following: Department of Trade and Industry, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), Local Government, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Social Security System (SSS), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and Other Agencies.

But for now, what we will discuss is registration with the Securities And Exchange Commission (SEC).

What is the role of SEC Philippines?

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is the national government regulatory agency charged with supervision over the corporate sector, the capital market participants, and the securities and investment instruments market, and the protection of the investing public.

SEC Philippines is the registrar and overseer of the Philippine corporate sector; it supervises more than 600,000 active corporations and evaluates the financial statements (FS) filed by all corporations registered with it. SEC also develops and regulates the capital market, a crucial component of the Philippine financial system and economy.

So how can I verify with the SEC if a company is registered with them and can offer investment to the public?

There are two ways you can verify a company with the SEC before you transact with it. Here are the following:

1. The first way is to go to their office located at this address: 

The SEC Headquarters 
7907 Makati Avenue, Salcedo Village, Barangay Bel-Air, Makati City, 1209

2. The second way is online.

Through SEC Express System

For the Primary SEC Registration

A Primary SEC Registration only grants juridical personality, hence a general license to operate the business under the Corporation Code of the Philippines. 

The SEC Express System is an alternative mode of securing copies of Corporate or Partnership documents without having to personally come to the SEC office. The public may access the SEC Express System when requesting both plain and authenticated copies of the following documents on file with the SEC:

• Articles of Incorporation/Partnership (original and amended)
• By-laws (original and amended)
• General Information Sheet (GIS)
• Application for Increase/Decrease of Capital Stock
• Resolution (Minutes)
• Secretary`s Certificate
• Board Resolution
• Registration Data Sheet
• Other company-related documents

Considering that the SEC Express System is an independent third-party service, the provider will charge additional service and courier fees for the Online Application and Call Center Facility.

Website: https://secexpress.ph/application-form

Through Capital Market Participants Registry System
​
​For the Secondary SEC Registration

A Secondary SEC Registration or Secondary License is a legal grant to corporations and partnerships to undertake and engage in business activities such as lending, selling of securities and investment contracts, and investment.

Capital Market Participants Registry System will let the public check and verify the type of secondary license and certificate of registration that the company has online. Take note, not only companies but the public may also check the Registered Capital Market Participants.

Website: http://cmprs.sec.gov.ph/cmprs.sec.gov.ph/

​Now you know, so before you transact or invest in an investment offered by a company, it is good to check first if it really has the right to offer to the public.