Government & Regulatory Affairs in the Philippines

Essentials guide · Source-checked research59% of statements checked against a source11 checked against an official source19 checked against a secondary sourceChecked 2026-10-198 held back until checked against an official source9 topics include AI-written statements, not source-checkedNot yet professionally reviewed

• Executive Order 113 of 13 April 2026 issued the 13th Foreign Investment Negative List, which relaxed foreign ownership limits in several sectors, including renewable energy (up to 100 percent) and telecommunications, while restrictions remain in areas including mass media, land ownership, education, cooperatives and small-scale mining.

  Check each planned activity against the current list; sector laws may impose further conditions.PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries · checked 2026-10-19

• Domestic market enterprises with paid-in equity capital below USD 200,000 are reserved to Philippine nationals, so a foreign-owned domestic market enterprise generally needs at least USD 200,000; since Republic Act 11647 (2022) the minimum is USD 100,000 where the enterprise uses advanced technology as determined by the Department of Science and Technology, is endorsed as a start-up or start-up enabler, or has a majority of Filipino direct employees numbering at least 15.

  Export enterprises may generally be wholly foreign-owned unless the activity is on List A or B of the Foreign Investment Negative List, and must register with the Board of Investments.Platon Martinez Flores San Pedro and Leaño · checked 2026-10-19

• Corporations are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Revised Corporation Code of 2019, which also permits one person corporations.

  Banks, quasi-banks, pre-need, trust and insurance companies, public and publicly listed companies and non-chartered government corporations may not be one person corporations.Law.asia · checked 2026-10-19

• A corporation's corporate secretary must be a Filipino citizen resident in the Philippines, and its treasurer must be a resident.

  NDV Law · checked 2026-10-19

• Foreign companies may register a branch, a representative office limited to non-income-generating activities, or a regional or area headquarters with the SEC.

  Representative offices must meet a minimum inward remittance for operating expenses.AI-written, not source-checked

• Republic Act 11659, effective 12 April 2022, amended the Public Service Act so that only electricity distribution and transmission, petroleum pipeline transmission, water and wastewater pipelines including sewerage, seaports and public utility vehicles are public utilities subject to the constitutional 40 percent foreign equity cap; telecommunications and most transport are no longer covered by the cap.

  The President may suspend or prohibit foreign investments on national security grounds, entities controlled by foreign governments may not own public utilities or critical infrastructure, and foreign ownership above 50 percent of critical infrastructure, including telecommunications, needs reciprocity. Sector laws and the Foreign Investment Negative List may add limits.Cruz Marcelo and Tenefrancia · checked 2026-10-19

• Land ownership is reserved to Filipino citizens and to corporations at least 60 percent Filipino-owned, so foreigners and companies more than 40 percent foreign-owned cannot own land, but they may lease land and may own condominium units within a 40 percent foreign ownership limit per condominium project.

  Republic Act 12252 (2025) amended the Investors' Lease Act to allow foreign investors with approved investment projects to lease land for up to 99 years in aggregate, replacing the earlier 50 years plus one 25-year renewal; foreigners leasing without such an investment remain limited to 25 years.Kittelson and Carpo Consulting · checked 2026-10-19

• Under the CREATE incentive framework, as amended by the CREATE MORE Act, export enterprises and domestic market enterprises in activities listed in the Strategic Investment Priority Plan can receive tax incentives approved by investment promotion agencies or, for larger or longer packages, by the Fiscal Incentives Review Board.

  The Fiscal Incentives Review Board decides applications within 20 working days. Local government units may levy a tax of up to 2 percent of gross income on registered enterprises in place of other local taxes, except under the special corporate income tax regime.PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries · checked 2026-10-19

Read the full guide: Entry, investment and company formation · Licensing, incentives and sector rules