SEC extends discounted fees for MSME registrations, securities
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has extended by three to six months the period during which micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) can avail themselves of the 20- to 50-percent discount on incorporation and securities registration fees.
To give MSMEs more time to register and fund the growth of their businesses at a lower cost, the SEC issued Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2, Series of 2026, aimed at further supporting the growth and expansion of MSMEs by extending discounted rates for certain filing fees.
The MC extends the effectivity of the 20-percent discount given to MSMEs for corporate registration until March 31.
Meanwhile, MSMEs may avail themselves of the 50-percent discount for the registration of securities until June 30.
This also covers securities being registered through the Commission’s streamlined processes for power generation and distribution utility (DU) companies, real estate developers and/or managers in relation to rental pool deals, agribusiness firms, and hospitals.
Since the implementation of the lower rates through MC 8, series of 2025, last July, the SEC has granted around ₱34.5 million in registration and filing fee discounts to 15,425 MSMEs as of December 2025.
“The SEC is entering the new year with a renewed commitment to support the expansion of MSMEs, given their crucial role in driving the country’s economic growth,” SEC Chairperson Francis Lim said.
He added that, “The discounted corporate registration and filing fees will help ease the cost of compliance and encourage more entrepreneurs to formalize and tap the capital market for the expansion of their businesses.”
The memorandum circular adopts the classification of MSMEs based on asset size provided under Republic Act (RA) No. 9501, otherwise known as the Magna Carta for MSMEs.
Under the law, micro enterprises refer to companies with asset sizes of up to ₱3 million, small enterprises up to ₱15 million, and medium-sized enterprises up to ₱100 million.
Applicants seeking to avail themselves of the discounted securities registration filing fee are required to submit a certification of MSME qualification, executed by the company’s president or treasurer.
They should also have a paid-up capital of at least ₱25 million, except for those filing through the streamlined securities registration process for agribusinesses.