The SEC is taking additional steps toward going paperless. Under new SEC Memorandum Circular No. 3, 2005, all domestic stock corporations—excluding lending and financing companies—are now mandated to register through the SEC’s new fully online, paperless company registration systems.
ZERO stands for Zuper Easy Registration Online, a digital platform that lets users register their companies without stepping into any office or submitting a single printed document.
The system integrates with two other SEC digital tools:
- eSAP (Electronic Submission Authentication Portal) – replaces signatures and notarizations with OTPs (One-Time Passwords).
- eSECURE – a secure ID system that verifies the identity of those using SEC’s services.
Under the Circular, domestic stock corporations, whether fully Filipino-owned or with foreign equity, One Person Corporations (OPCs), and corporations with 2 to 15 incorporators must now register through the ZERO system. These may either go through the Regular with ZERO route or the faster OneSEC with ZERO, which allows for one-day approval for fully Filipino-owned corporations.
However, the SEC has provided a short transition period for certain types of entities. Lending companies, financing companies, and foreign corporations that are not yet required to use ZERO are given a three-month grace period from the effectivity date. After this period, they too will be required to comply with the paperless registration mandate.
To access and facilitate the registration using SEC ZERO, the applicant must create a credentialed eSECURE account for all incorporators/signatories of the proposed corporation through https://esecure.sec.gov.ph. Once the eSECURE account has been successfully created and credentialed, the applicant will be redirected to the Electronic Simplified Processing of Application for Registration of Company (eSPARC) portal at https://esparc.sec.gov.ph.
The SEC has also published a step-by-step guide to assist applicants in navigating the online registration process. Upon successful payment of the assessed registration fees, the applicant may download the digitally authenticated Certificate of Incorporation, along with other system-generated documents, directly from the platform. It is important to note that the SEC will no longer issue physical or hard copies of the certificate, as the digital version carries the same legal force and validity as its printed predecessor.
Before ZERO, registering a business often meant multiple steps, trips to different offices, and long processing times. With ZERO, the SEC promises a faster, more secure, and fully digital experience. This is a major milestone in modernizing government services and encouraging entrepreneurship in the Philippines.
This guide provides a general overview of the above transactions at the time of writing only and is not intended to be a comprehensive legal advice. This should also not be taken as an opinion on the topic. For more details and information, you may coordinate with any GVES Law Partner regarding the matter.
Atty. Niña Lyka Galindez is an Associate of GVES Law.