Philippines Government Agencies

The Philippines has numerous government agencies making it one of the most bureaucratic countries in South East Asia. It takes time to know exactly what process each agency handles. To make it easier here is our Philippine Government Agency guide.

Philippines Government Agencies

Philippines Securities and Exchange Commission SEC

The SEC was set up on 26 Oct 1936 by virtue of the Commonwealth Act No. 83 or the Securities Act. Its establishment was prompted by the need to safeguard public interest in view of local stock market boom at that time. The SEC was abolished during the Japanese occupation and was replaced with the Philippine Executive Commission. It was reactivated in 1947 with the restoration of the Commonwealth Government. Due to the changes in the business environment under Pres. Ferdinand Marcos, the agency was reorganized on 29 Sept 1975 as a collegial body with 3 commissioners and was given quasi-judicial powers under PD902-A.

The SEC has jurisdiction and supervision over all corporations, partnerships or associations who are the grantees of primary franchises and/or a license or permit issued by the Government. It also supervises the registration of branch offices, representative offices and regional headquarters.

Philippines Department of Trade and Industry DTI

The DTI serves as the principal coordinative, sponsorship, and facilitative arm for trade, industry and investment activities, and a means to increase private sector activity to accelerate and sustain economic growth through the following strategies:

• A comprehensive industrial growth strategy
• A progressive and socially responsible liberalization and deregulation program
• Policies designed for the expansion and diversification of both domestic and foreign trade

Under the DTI are seven major functional groups composed of bureaus that provide support to DTI’s line agencies and are involved in line operations, which deliver business and consumer services directly to the stakeholders and the public.

DTI agencies of special interest to foreign investors are:

– PEZA (Philippines Economic Zone Authority)
Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) promotes the establishment of economic zones in the Philippines for foreign investments. PEZA is also the Philippine government agency tasked to extend assistance, register, grant incentives to and facilitate the business operations of investors in export-oriented manufacturing and service facilities inside selected areas throughout the country proclaimed by the President of the Philippines as PEZA Special Economic Zones.

– BOI (Board of Investments)
BOI is responsible for the development of investments here in the Philippines. Leading the promotions of various industries and investment opportunities, BOI assists Filipino and foreign investors to venture and thrive in vast areas of economic pursuits and acts as your one-stop shop in doing business in the Philippines.

– IPO (Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines)
The Philippines’ intellectual property system dates back well into the Spanish and American colonial periods, earning the Philippines the reputation as among the first Asian countries to adopt laws on intellectual property.
Registration Services: Patent, Utility Model, Industrial Design, Trademark, Copyright

– SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission)

DTI also supervises the registration of company names and sole proprietorship.

Philippines National Telecommunications Commission (NTC)

The NTC is the government agency established under Executive Order No. 546 promulgated on July 23, 1979, and conferred with regulatory and quasi-judicial functions taken over from the Board of Communications and the Telecommunications Control Bureau which were abolished in the same Order.

First and foremost, the NTC is the sole body that exercises jurisdiction over the supervision, adjudication and control over all telecommunications services throughout the country. For the effective enforcement of this responsibility, it adopts and promulgates such guidelines, rules, and regulations relative to the establishment operation and maintenance of various telecommunications facilities and services nationwide.

Although independent, in so far as its regulatory and quasi-judicial functions are concerned, the NTC remains under the administrative supervision of the Department of Transportation and Communication as an attached agency.

Philippine Social Security System SSS

The SSS is funded by salary deductions and employer contributions. Its role is to provide employee with health, disability, retirement, maternity, death and funeral benefits and salary, housing and business loans.

Home Development Mutual Fund HDMF

The birth of the Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF), more popularly known as the Pag-IBIG Fund, was an answer to the need for a national savings program and an affordable home financing for the Filipino worker. The Fund was established on 11 June 1978 by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 1530 primarily to address these two basic yet equally important needs. Under the said law, there were two agencies that administered the Fund. The Social Security System handled the funds of private employees, while the Government Service Insurance System handled the savings of government workers.

Pag-IBIG membership mandatory for all SSS and GSIS member-employees.

Philippine Health Insurance Corporation PhilHealth

PhilHealth’s role is to ensure sufficient financial access of every Filipino to quality health care services through the effective and efficient administration of the National Health Insurance Program. It is a Government owned and Operated Health Care Corporation. Its main mission is to provide basic health insurance and health care financing to all Filipinos. Funding is provided by the central and local governments and employee

Department of Labor and Employment DOLE

DOLE started as a small bureau in 1908. It became a department on December 8, 1933 with the passage of Act 4121. The DOLE is the national government agency mandated to formulate and implement policies and programs, and serve as the policy-advisory arm of the Executive Branch in the field of labor and employment. It consists of the Office of the Secretary, 7 bureaus, 6 services, 16 regional offices, 12 attached agencies and 38 overseas offices with a full manpower complement of 9,806.

The Alien Employment Visa (AEP) is issued by DOLE.

Technical Education and Skills Development Authority TESDA

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) was established through the enactment of Republic Act No. 7796 otherwise known as the “Technical Education and Skills Development Act of 1994”, which was signed into law by President Fidel V. Ramos on August 25, 1994. This Act aims to encourage the full participation of and mobilize the industry, labor, local government units and technical-vocational institutions in the skills development of the country’s human resources.

TESDA is mandated to:

Integrate, coordinate and monitor skills development programs;
Restructure efforts to promote and develop middle-level manpower;
Approve skills standards and tests;
Develop an accreditation system for institutions involved in middle-level manpower development;
Fund programs and projects for technical education and skills development; and
Assist trainers training programs.

Department of Education (Deped)

The Department of Education was established through the Education Decree of 1863 as the Superior Commission of Primary Instruction under a Chairman. The Education agency underwent many reorganization efforts in the 20th century in order to better define its purpose vis a vis the changing administrations and charters. The present day Department of Education was eventually mandated through Republic Act 9155, otherwise known as the Governance of Basic Education act of 2001 which establishes the mandate of this agency.

The Department of Education (DepEd) formulates, implements, and coordinates policies, plans, programs and projects in the areas of formal and non-formal basic education. It supervises all elementary and secondary education institutions, including alternative learning systems, both public and private; and provides for the establishment and maintenance of a complete, adequate, and integrated system of basic education relevant to the goals of national development.