Business Consulting and Incubation

Registration with Philippines Government Agencies

There are a number of government agencies you must register with when starting a business in the Philippines.  It is essential to register your business to avoid any legal problems once business operations begin.  In addition, it’s common practice for competitors and employees to see if you have all the necessary registrations completed.  If not, this may be an opportunity for them to disrupt your operations by notifying the proper authorities.  Below are the government agencies that you have to contact in order to give your business a legal identity.  

Certificate of Registration
Depending on the structure of your business, your first step is to get a certificate of registration for your business name in one of these agencies:

• Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – for single proprietorship
• Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) – for partnerships or corporations
• Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) – for cooperatives
  

After getting your certificate of registration, you will need to visit the following offices:

• Homeowners Association – for businesses inside villages and subdivisions, you need to get a homeowner’s clearance
• Barangay Hall – secure a barangay clearance to operate your business
• Local Government Unit (LGU) – visit the municipality or city hall office and process your business permit
• Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) – apply for a business taxpayer identification number (TIN), register your books of accounts
  

At this point, you may now legally start your business operations.  However, you will need to then register your employees with the following agencies:

• Social Security System (SSS) – secure an SSS number for yourself and your employees
• Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) – for businesses with five workers or more, register your business with DOLE
• Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) – as required by RA 7742, SSS members earning at least P4,000 a month must be registered with HDMF. This agency administers the Pag-Ibig Fund.
• Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) – all employers of are required to register their employees to this agency as stated in the New National Health Insurance Act (RA 7875 / RA 9241). PhilHealth manages and administers the government health care system.
  

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