Philippines Opens One-Day Registration for Foreign Firms

The Philippines has expanded its OneSEC online registration system to allow foreign firms to incorporate within a single day, aiming to improve ease of doing business. SEC Chairperson Francisco Ed. Lim said the initiative underscores the country’s openness to global investors and is expected to boost foreign firm registrations after 145 were approved in the first half of 2025. Launched in 2021, OneSEC uses pre-filled forms to reduce processing times to as little as 74 seconds. Eligible entities range from one-person corporations to firms with up to 15 shareholders, while an expanded list of 81 industries has already driven registrations up nearly 190%.