DTI business registrations jump 9% on wholesale, retail surge
Business names registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) rose by nearly nine percent in the seven months through July, driven largely by strong demand from new businesses in the wholesale and retail sector.
Data from the DTI’s business name registration system (BRNS) showed that business name registrations in the seven-month period reached 769,623, up from 707,685 in the same period last year.
New registrations accounted for 85 percent or 656,102 of the total filings by the end of July, while the remaining 113,521 were renewals.
The wholesale and retail trade sector, which includes the repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles and personal and household goods, accounted for the bulk of the registered business names, with 425,775 or 55 percent of the total.
The accommodation and food service activities sector ranked second with 105,372 applications, followed by real estate activities with 42,069 registered business names.
The manufacturing sector saw 40,813 registrations, while other service activities accounted for 32,142 business name filings to complete the top five sectors.
By region, Calabarzon stood out as the country’s leading destination for business openings in the first seven months, with a total of 137,943 filings or 18 percent of the total.
This was followed by Central Luzon with 104,335 registrations, while Metro Manila was close behind with 103,275 applications, based on BRNS data.
For the month of July alone, business name filings dropped by 15 percent to 67,221 from 79,316 in the same month last year.
July posted the lowest monthly tally so far this year, falling below the previous low of 79,105 business name registrations in April.
Of the registered business names during the month, 67,221 were new registrations, while 7,293 were renewals.
Based on BRNS data, around 84 percent or 646,129 of the business names applied with the DTI were submitted online,
Nearly 15 percent or 114,199 of the business names were filed through a hybrid scheme, while the remaining 9,295 were completed through walk-in applications.
Women-led businesses accounted for 461,489, or 60 percent, of the total business registrations in the seven-month period, while enterprises led by men accounted for the remaining 308,134.
Last year, business names registered with the DTI declined by 3.8 percent to 1.02 million from 1.06 million in 2024.