The Philippines splits its buyer-facing systems in a way that trips up newcomers: which agency to search depends on whether the seller is a small registered business or a corporation, and the certificate of origin now runs through Customs, for agreement claims and plain proof of origin alike. Getting these two right early avoids a shipment sitting at the port while the paperwork is redone.
💬 Sourcing from the Philippines and want the registry, the certification requirement and the origin paperwork checked before you commit? This is part of sourcing from across Asia. Tell us what you need to source. How we work there: our sourcing agent service for the Philippines.
CITEM and DTI for the shortlist, SEC or DTI for the registry check
The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), runs export promotion and buyer-facing trade platforms, while which registry confirms a Philippine company’s legal existence depends on its business structure — the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a corporation or partnership, DTI’s own business name registry for a sole proprietorship.
That split matters when checking a supplier: a corporation’s registration, directors and status are on file with the SEC, while a sole proprietorship — a common structure for smaller Philippine exporters — is registered with DTI instead, under a different search system entirely. Confirm which type of entity you are dealing with before deciding where to check. For the general method of moving from a directory listing to a verified supplier, see finding and checking factories across ASEAN.
Checked against CITEM’s, the SEC’s and DTI’s own published pages on 25 September 2026.
The mark your product may need: BPS
The Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS), under DTI, runs two mandatory certification schemes — the Philippine Standard (PS) mark for locally manufactured products and the Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) mark for imported products — and a product in a regulated category cannot legally be distributed in the Philippines without one of them.
| Question | Where to check |
|---|---|
| Is my product category subject to mandatory PS or ICC certification | BPS’s own list of products covered by mandatory certification |
| Which mark applies to an imported product | Import Commodity Clearance (ICC), issued to the importer after inspection, verification and testing |
| Which mark applies to a Philippine-manufactured product | Philippine Standard (PS) Quality and/or Safety Certification, issued to the local or foreign manufacturer whose factory and product comply with the relevant Philippine National Standard |
A PS licence, once granted, has a fixed validity period, so confirm the licence is still current rather than assuming a mark seen on packaging is still valid.
💬 Not sure whether your product needs a PS or ICC mark before it can be sold in the Philippines? We check this against BPS’s current scope as part of the sourcing process. Send us the product details.
Export documents and who signs the certificate of origin
For preferential claims such as ATIGA’s Form D, the Philippines’ Bureau of Customs now issues the certificate of origin electronically, and the non-preferential certificate of origin, which states origin without claiming any tariff preference, is also issued by the Bureau of Customs.
| Document | Typical issuer |
|---|---|
| Preferential certificate of origin (e.g. ATIGA e-Form D, RCEP) | Bureau of Customs, electronically, through the National Single Window and ASEAN Single Window |
| Non-preferential certificate of origin | Bureau of Customs (per DTI’s FTA information portal, checked 17 October 2026) |
| Export declaration and customs clearance | Bureau of Customs, through the exporter or its licensed customs broker |
The move to electronic certification was a real change, not a formality: ASEAN member states, including the Philippines, moved to issuing and accepting only electronic ATIGA Form D from January 2024, with a paper certificate now used only when the national or ASEAN single window system is down.
Checked against the Bureau of Customs’ own published guidance on 25 September 2026.
Main ports for shipment out of the Philippines
Manila — split across the Manila International Container Terminal, South Harbor and North Harbor — handles the largest share of Philippine container traffic, with Batangas, Subic Bay and Cebu serving as the other significant gateways.
| Port | Role |
|---|---|
| Manila (MICT, South Harbor, North Harbor) | The Philippines’ principal container gateway |
| Batangas International Port | Container and vehicle gateway south of Manila, positioned as an alternative to Manila’s port congestion |
| Subic Bay Freeport | Container and shipbuilding-related gateway on Luzon’s west coast |
| Cebu (South Harbor) | Principal gateway for the Visayas region |
An exporter based outside Luzon may route through Cebu or another regional port rather than Manila — confirm the actual loading port with the supplier before quoting freight and transit time.
Choosing the right agreement for your destination
The Philippines has its own bilateral agreement with Japan alongside ASEAN’s regional agreements and RCEP, and — unusually within ASEAN — a comparatively recent RCEP entry date, which affects how long preferential treatment has actually been available on some routes.
The Philippines’ agreements include ATIGA (within ASEAN), RCEP (in force for the Philippines from 2 June 2023 — one of the later entries among RCEP’s members), the Japan–Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA, in force since 2008), a free trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association states (in force since 2018), a bilateral agreement with South Korea (in force from 31 December 2024), and ASEAN’s own regional agreements with China, Japan (AJCEP), India, and Australia–New Zealand.
- Fix the destination country and HS code before assuming a preferential rate applies.
- Check which of the Philippines’ agreements covers that destination — a standalone bilateral agreement may exist alongside an ASEAN regional agreement and RCEP for the same country.
- Confirm the rule of origin under the specific agreement, since a product can qualify under one and fail another.
- Apply for the certificate under the correct agreement — through the Bureau of Customs’ electronic system for ATIGA and RCEP claims, or through the Bureau of Customs for a non-preferential certificate.
For shipments to Japan specifically, the choice sits between JPEPA, AJCEP and RCEP — three separate agreements the Philippines holds with the same destination, each with its own rule of origin. Confirm which one your product actually qualifies under before assuming the newest agreement (RCEP) is automatically the best rate; an older bilateral agreement can still offer a better outcome for a specific HS code.
💬 Comparing a Philippine supplier against one elsewhere in Asia for the same destination? Send us both quotations and the route.
Putting the process together
Work through the CITEM/DTI directory, the SEC-or-DTI registry check, the BPS question, the Customs certificate of origin and the port in sequence, rather than committing on a sample alone.
| Step | What it establishes |
|---|---|
| CITEM / DTI directory | A shortlist of Philippine exporters |
| SEC or DTI registry check | The company is legally registered — check the correct registry for its business structure |
| BPS check | Whether the product needs a PS or ICC mark before distribution |
| Bureau of Customs certificate of origin | Proof of origin matched to the correct trade agreement |
| Port confirmation | Which Philippine port the shipment actually moves through |
Once a Philippine supplier is confirmed alongside suppliers elsewhere in the region, see our note on consolidating shipments from several Asian suppliers into one shipment, and on comparing supplier quotations on the same terms before placing the order.
Frequently asked questions
1. Where do I find a directory of Philippine exporters?
CITEM (Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions), under the Department of Trade and Industry, runs export promotion and buyer-facing trade platforms. Treat its listings as a starting shortlist and verify independently.
2. How do I check if a Philippine company is actually registered?
It depends on the business structure. A corporation or partnership is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); a sole proprietorship is registered with DTI instead, under a separate system.
3. Does my product need a PS or ICC mark to be sold in the Philippines?
Only if it falls within a category BPS designates as subject to mandatory certification. The PS mark applies to locally manufactured products, ICC to imported ones — check your specific product against BPS’s current list.
4. Who issues a Philippine certificate of origin?
For preferential claims like ATIGA’s Form D, the Bureau of Customs now issues it electronically. A non-preferential certificate of origin, which claims no tariff preference, is also issued by the Bureau of Customs.
5. Which agreement should I use for a shipment to Japan from the Philippines?
The Philippines holds three separate agreements that could apply — JPEPA, AJCEP and RCEP — each with its own rule of origin. Confirm which one your specific product qualifies under rather than assuming RCEP, the newest agreement, is automatically the best rate.
Sources: CITEM and DTI official sites; Philippines Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), company registration guidance; DTI business name registration guidance; Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS), Product Certification and PS/ICC Marks; Philippines Bureau of Customs, e-CO and Customs Memorandum Circular No. 212-2023; DTI FTA information portal, non-preferential certificate of origin (checked 17 October 2026); Philippine Ports Authority; ASEAN, “RCEP Agreement enters into force for Philippines”; TTFC Law, “Philippine Free Trade Agreements: A Comprehensive Guide”; Japan Customs, “Origin Certification Procedure”. Checked on 25 September 2026.