SEC Corporation Status Online Check Philippines
Verifying a Philippine corporation’s legal status is now largely an online exercise, thanks to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) digital transformation. This article surveys the statutory basis, available e-platforms, procedural steps, and practical considerations for lawyers, compliance officers, investors, and public‐sector stakeholders who need to confirm whether a company is (a) duly registered, (b) in good standing, (c) suspended, revoked, dissolved, or (d) nonexistent.
| Why It Matters | Where to Check | Typical Outputs | Caveats |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEC Express System, SEC i-View, eFAST (formerly OST/eSPARC), CRS Lookup, official e-Gazette | Company Registration Number (CRN), Certificate of Incorporation/Amendment, latest General Information Sheet (GIS), Audited Financial Statements (AFS), status flag (active, revoked, etc.) | Not real-time; name variants cause false “no match”; historical filings (pre-2010) may not be digitized; certified true copies require payment & courier pickup |
Grants quasi-judicial authority and empowers the SEC to “establish and maintain a computerized information system” (§3).
| Status Flag | Meaning | Statutory Trigger | Consequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered, up-to-date in GIS & AFS, no pending sanctions | RCC §177, SEC MC No. 28-2020 | Full juridical personality; may sue/ be sued | |
| SEC cancels registration | e.g., failure to submit reports (§177) for 5 yrs, or illegal acts | Corporate personality extinguished; contracts voidable | |
| Temporary halt of privileges | RCC §158 (for non-stock); sanctions under Fin. Reporting Bulletins | Cannot incur new obligations | |
| Corporation ‘dies’ after liquidation period | RCC §134-139 | Directors become trustees for creditors/shareholders | |
| No record ever filed | — | Red flag for fraud (corporate hijacking, dummies) |
| Portal | URL & Access | Primary Use | Data Available | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| express.sec.gov.ph (public) | Cert. of Incorporation/Amendment, By-Laws, GIS, AFS | Pay via e-GovPay; select pick-up/courier | ||
| iview.sec.gov.ph (guest search) | Entity name, CRN, status flag | Results show “Active”, “Revoked”, etc. | ||
| (Electronic Filing & Submission Tool) | portal.sec.gov.ph (account) | Live GIS & AFS since 2021, SEC orders | Lawyers need board resolution & authorization letter | |
| crs.sec.gov.ph | Reservation proof, pre-incorporation status | Shows whether name is reserved, expired, used | ||
| api.sec.gov.ph (beta) | Machine-readable JSON | Basic registration metadata | Limited to ⅓ of active corps as of 2025 |
4.2 Document-Based Confirmation (Paid)
4.3 Deep-Dive (Practitioners)
If you have an eFAST account:
| Filing | Deadline | Late Penalty | Consequence if Lapsed 3+ Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| GIS | Within 30 days of annual meeting | ₱1,000/month | Show-cause order → revocation |
| AFS | 120 days post-fiscal year end | Graduated (₱5,000 – ₱10,000) | Suspension of primary license |
| Beneficial Ownership Declaration | Within 30 days of change | ₱500/day | Monetary penalty; potential revocation |
| Digital Email & Mobile No. | 30 days from incorporation under MC 28-2020 | none | Needed for OTP access to eFAST |
| Issue | Why It Happens | Quick Fix |
|---|---|---|
| “No Record Found” | Spelling; “Inc.” vs “Incorporated”; comma placement | Enter Registration No. or use “contains” operator |
| Duplicate Names | Pre-1999 manual encoding errors | Request CRMD research desk (₱1,020 fee) |
| Status “Revoked” but company still operating | Non-submission of AFS/GIS | File Petition for Reinstatement + pay ₱12,610 basic fee + penalties |
| Need historical (pre-SEC modernization) docs | Microfilm archives only | File letter request; 3–4 weeks retrieval |
- If flagged “Inactive,” demand proof of reinstatement or escrow funds until cured.
- Keep PDF copies with SEC QR code in your document management system.
| Initiative | Expected Roll-out | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| (open beta) | Q4 2025 | Real-time machine queries; sandbox for fintech |
| 2026 pilot with DICT | Immutable audit trail for filings | |
| Phase 2 | 2027 | One-stop verification across SEC, BIR, DTI, LGUs |
12. Conclusion
Online verification of a Philippine corporation’s status has evolved from a queue at the SEC’s Records Division to a multi-portal, near-real-time process. Mastery of these tools is now a baseline competence in Philippine legal and commercial practice. Proper use not only mitigates transactional and compliance risk but also aligns with the broader movement toward e-governance, transparency, and ease of doing business in the Philippines.
— End of Article
This content is not legal advice and may involve AI assistance. Information may be inaccurate.
