The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said Tuesday it shifted to a fully online and paperless company registration process, eliminating the need for physical signatures, notarization and hard copy document submission.
It issued Memorandum Circular No. 3, Series of 2024, mandating the use of the SEC Zuper Easy Registration Online (ZERO) system.
The new platform simplifies company registration through the Electronic Simplified Processing of Application for Registration of Company (eSPARC) and One Day Submission and E-registration of Companies (OneSEC) portals.
The SEC ZERO system, integrated with eSECURE for user credentialing and eSAP for document authentication, allows applicants to complete the entire registration process online. The system uses one-time passwords (OTPs) to electronically verify documents, replacing traditional paper-based signatures.
Launched in July 2024 as part of the SEC’s digital initiatives, SEC ZERO has facilitated the registration of 1,874 companies.
“SEC ZERO exemplifies our commitment to digitalization and sustainability, making setting up a business easier and faster than ever,” said SEC chairman Emilio Aquino.
“The credentialing process through eSECURE, plus authentication through eSAP, further enables us to filter out scheming individuals wanting to use the corporate vehicle to defraud the public,” said Aquino.
Starting April 7, 2025, all domestic stock corporations, including those with foreign equity, are required to process their registration through SEC ZERO.
Lending companies, financing companies and foreign corporations will continue using the regular eSPARC process for the first three months after the memo’s implementation. After this period, the mandatory use of SEC ZERO will apply to all types of corporations.
