The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is the sole government agency in the Philippines vested with the authority to register corporations, partnerships with capital of at least ₱3,000,000, and other entities required by law to incorporate. Verification of SEC registration and corporate status is a fundamental due-diligence step in almost every commercial transaction, investment, employment contract, credit facility, or government bidding participation. Dealing with an unregistered, suspended, or revoked entity exposes parties to civil, administrative, and criminal liabilities, including potential violations of the Revised Corporation Code, the Anti-Dummy Law, and the General Banking Law.

This article exhaustively discusses every available method (as of December 2025) to verify SEC registration and corporate status, the information obtainable through each method, the applicable fees, processing times, and practical tips used by lawyers, banks, and compliance officers.

1. Preliminary Free Online Checks (Limited but Useful)

A. SEC Company Name Verification System

URL: https://nn.sec.gov.ph/ (SEC Name Verification Portal)
Purpose: Checks whether a corporate name is already registered or available.
Limitation: Does not show status (active/suspended/revoked) and does not display the SEC registration number.
Practical use: If the exact name you are checking is listed as “Already Used – Corporation,” the entity is (or was) registered. Useful for quick elimination of completely bogus entities.

B. SEC QR Code Verification (for certificates issued 2021 onwards)

All SEC-issued certificates (Certificate of Incorporation, Certificate of Filing of Amended Articles, Certification of Good Standing, etc.) issued since mid-2021 contain a QR code.
Scanning the QR code via any QR reader redirects to the official SEC verification page showing:

Company name
SEC registration number
Date of incorporation
Current status (Active / Suspended / Revoked)
Expiry date of the certificate
This is currently the fastest and most reliable free verification method when the counterparty provides a copy of its SEC certificate.

2. SEC i-View (Paid Online Viewing of Submitted Reports) – Most Practical Method

Portal: https://i-view.sec.gov.ph/
Registration: Requires one-time account registration with valid ID upload.
Cost per document viewed/downloaded (as of 2025):

General Information Sheet (GIS) – ₱150
Audited Financial Statements (AFS) – ₱250
Certificate of Incorporation – ₱150
Latest Articles of Incorporation & By-Laws – ₱150

What you can confirm:

Whether the company is still filing its annual GIS and AFS (non-filing for three consecutive years leads to automatic suspension, then revocation).
Current directors, officers, and stockholders (from latest GIS).
Paid-up capital and authorized capital stock.
Any amendments to articles (increase/decrease of capital, change of name, etc.).
Presence of the notation “With SEC License to Operate as…” (for foreign corporations or special-purpose entities).

Practical tip: The most important document is the latest GIS. If the latest GIS is for 2024 (filed in 2025), the company is almost certainly active. If the last GIS on file is 2021 or earlier, the company is very likely already revoked.

3. Request for Official SEC Certification (Most Authoritative)

This is the document accepted by banks, courts, government agencies, and foreign embassies as conclusive proof of status.

Types of Certifications Commonly Requested

Certification of Registration / Incorporation
Certification of Good Standing / No Derogatory Record
Certification of Status (Active / Suspended / Revoked / Dissolved)
Certification of Existing Directors & Officers (with excerpts from latest GIS)
Certification that a Certain Person is/Not a Director/Officer/Stockholder
Certified Machine Copy of Certificate of Incorporation + Latest Articles + By-Laws

How to Request (2025 Procedure)

A. Online via SEC eSERVE (fully online, recommended)
Portal: https://eserve.sec.gov.ph/
Steps:

Create/log in to eSERVE account
Select “Certification” → choose type
Upload request letter (if needed) and valid ID
Pay online (GCash, Maya, credit card, Landbank, etc.)
Receive certified electronic document (with e-signature and QR code) within 1–3 hours (express) or 24–48 hours (regular).

Fees (2025 rates):

Basic certification – ₱450 (regular) / ₱900 (express)
Certification with document attachment (e.g., Articles) – ₱650–₱1,200
Additional ₱100 per page for certified copies

B. Over-the-counter at SEC Main Office (PICCs, Pasay) or Satellite Offices
Same-day release possible for express lane (additional ₱500 rush fee).

4. Checking SEC Published Lists of Delinquent/Revoked Corporations

The SEC regularly publishes on its website:

List of Corporations with Revoked Certificates (updated quarterly)
List of Suspended Corporations
List of Corporations Ordered Dissolved by Courts
Advisories on Bogus Entities / Entities Operating Without SEC Authority

Direct links (as of 2025):
https://www.sec.gov.ph/notices/suspended-corporations/
https://www.sec.gov.ph/notices/revoked-corporations/

These Excel files contain thousands of entries and are searchable via Ctrl+F. If the company appears on the revoked list, it has no legal personality and cannot legally transact.

5. Special Cases

One Person Corporations (OPCs)

Status is checked exactly the same way. The GIS of an OPC will show only one shareholder and the nominee.

Foreign-Owned Corporations / Branch Offices / Representative Offices

Check for:

License to Do Business in the Philippines (for branches)
Certificate of Authority (for representative offices)
These are visible in i-View under “Other Reports” or via certification request.

Publicly Listed Companies

Additional verification via Philippine Stock Exchange EDGE portal (https://edge.pse.com.ph/) – all filings are free and immediate.

Dissolved / Liquidated Corporations

Even if dissolved, the company name remains “taken” for five years. Dissolution date and mode (voluntary or involuntary) appear in the SEC certification.

6. Red Flags That Trigger Deeper Verification

SEC registration number format is incorrect (domestic corporations: CSxxxxxxxxxxxx or CWxxxxxxxxxxxx; OPCs: CPxxxxxxxxxxxx; foreign branches: FCxxxxxxxxxxxx).
Company claims to be “SEC-registered” but provides only a DTI business name registration (single proprietorships are not corporations).
No QR code on SEC certificate issued after 2021.
Latest GIS is more than 18 months old.
Company refuses to provide SEC certificate or latest GIS.
Company appears in SEC’s list of entities operating as investment schemes without secondary license.

7. Legal Consequences of Transacting with Non-Compliant Entities

Contracts entered into by a revoked corporation are unenforceable (Supreme Court jurisprudence: Islamic Directorate v. CA, G.R. No. 117897).
Directors/officers who continue to transact using the revoked corporate name may be held personally liable.
Banks extending credit to revoked entities may be cited for unsafe and unsound banking practices by BSP.
Persons dealing with unregistered foreign corporations may violate the Anti-Dummy Law (Commonwealth Act No. 108 as amended).

Verification of SEC registration status is not merely good practice — it is a legal and commercial necessity. In 2025, with the SEC’s fully digitized platforms (eSERVE, i-View, QR verification), there is absolutely no excuse for failing to conduct proper due diligence. A ₱450–₱900 certification obtained in a few hours can save millions in potential losses.