The Securities and Exchange Commission Bacolod Extension Office (SEC BCDEO) is reminding the public to be vigilant when it comes to transacting with financing and lending companies.
SEC Bacolod director II, Atty. Annabelle Corral-Respall, also stressed that before transacting with any entity, it is best to check with the SEC.
For questions or complaints related to the financing and lending companies, including its Online Lending Applications/Platforms (OLAs/OLPs), the public may connect with the Commission via the SEC Imessage Portal at https://imessage.sec.gov.ph/
The SEC IMessage Portal is designed as an easier and more convenient mode of filing complaints against the aforementioned entities, the SEC BCDEO said in an advisory Feb. 14.
For more information, those interested may contact (02)8818-5990 or 0929-6263095.
The SEC, meanwhile, said that the number of new companies registered with the Commission hit an all-time high in 2024, on the back of innovative and advanced digital platforms that continue to make doing business easier in the Philippines.
The Commission registered 52,304 new companies in 2024, up by six percent from 49,506 in 2023. This brings the total number of active SEC-registered companies to 527,710 by yearend.
“Digital transformation has always been one of the top priorities of the SEC to improve the efficiency of our services. Surpassing the 50,000-mark in company registrations serves as a testament that we are on the right track in encouraging entities to legitimize their operations through registration with the Commission,” SEC chairperson Emilio Aquino said in a statement.
“In 2025, we will capitalize on the success of our digital transformation journey and explore other strategies that will bring our services closer to the public to contribute to the further improvement of ease of doing business in the Philippines,” he added.
Stock corporations accounted for 75 percent, or 39,146, of the newly-registered companies, while non-stock corporations comprised 21 percent, or 10,782. The remaining five percent, or 2,376, were partnerships.
The services sector dominated the new registrations at 86 percent, or 44,872, with the wholesale and retail trade, and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles segment recording 12,479 new registrants.
The SEC has consistently set records in the past three years in terms of company registration, following the start of its digital transformation journey in 2020. ||
