The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will launch on Jan. 30, 2026, its Hierarchical and Applicable Relations and Beneficial Ownership Registry (HARBOR) for the dedicated online submission of beneficial ownership (BO) reports by registered companies.

The launch of HARBOR, a web-based registry for BO disclosures, is part of the SEC’s continuing efforts to streamline compliance and strengthen corporate transparency.

Starting Jan. 30, corporations required to submit BO disclosures shall do so through HARBOR, which can be accessed directly at https://harbor.sec.gov.ph/ or through Electronic Filing and Submission Tool (eFAST).

HARBOR enables the secure submission and updating of BO data and is integrated with eFAST, the Commission’s official portal for the submission of reportorial requirements.

Through HARBOR, the SEC reduces manual handling of BO information, improving data quality and enabling more timely access to reliable information for compliance monitoring and regulatory coordination.

“BO disclosures are a key transparency reform that supports good governance and helps prevent the misuse of corporate structures for illicit activities,” SEC Chairperson Francis Lim said.

He added that, “Through HARBOR, the SEC streamlines the filing process while strengthening BO data management, enabling the Commission to provide timely and meaningful support to partner agencies in lawful enforcement actions.”

Beneficial owners refer to natural persons who ultimately own or exercise effective control over a corporation, whether directly or indirectly.

Currently, BO disclosures are submitted to the SEC via eFAST on the last page of a company’s general information sheet (GIS).

With the launch of HARBOR, the SEC issued the 2026 version of the GIS, which removes the page on BO disclosures. This reflects the shift to HARBOR as the Commission’s web-based registry for the submission and updating of BO information. The new GIS forms can be accessed via bit.ly/2026GISForms.

Effectively, companies will no longer need to re-submit the same BO declaration every year unless there are changes, including the addition of new beneficial owners. Instead, filers will be required to revalidate previously submitted information.

To access HARBOR, filers must have an active account on Electronic SEC Universal Registration Environment (eSECURE), the Commission’s digital passport for its online services.

In addition, only active and authorized filers through eFAST may submit BO declarations via HARBOR.

The launch of HARBOR is pursuant to SEC Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 15, series of 2025, which issued the revised BO disclosure rules. Under this framework, the SEC is authorized to implement a web-based BO registry to facilitate more streamlined and efficient submission of BO disclosures.

This initiative is consistent with the Commission’s efforts to strengthen the collection and management of BO information in support of the Philippines’ commitments to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to keep the country off the gray list.

These reforms build on earlier BO and transparency measures that supported the Philippines’ exit from the FATF gray list in February 2025 and demonstrate the Commission’s continuing commitment to sustain anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) improvements and keep the country off the gray list. - James A. Loyola