Sourcing agent · Philippines
Sourcing agent for the Philippines: from supplier search to shipment
English is a working language of business in the Philippines, which makes the first conversation with a supplier easy — the work is in checking the right registry, agreeing the specification and getting the origin paperwork right. We act as your sourcing agent for the Philippines from our office in Ho Chi Minh City and run that process for you.
- Philippine supplier search
- SEC or DTI registry check
- Samples and inspection
- Certificate of origin from the Bureau of Customs
Buyers often ask us about electronics components, coconut-based and processed fruit products, furniture and handicrafts from the Philippines. Those are examples, not limits — whatever you want to buy from the Philippines, we look for the suppliers that make it.
What makes Philippine sourcing different starts with the registry: a corporation or partnership is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), while a sole proprietorship is registered under the Department of Trade and Industry’s business-name system, so the check depends on the supplier’s structure. Certificates of origin, preferential and non-preferential, are issued by the Bureau of Customs. And products in categories under mandatory certification carry a Philippine Standard (PS) mark or an Import Commodity Clearance from the Bureau of Philippine Standards.
We run the work in writing and by video, and where a supplier has to be seen or a lot inspected on the spot, we agree with you beforehand whether we travel or appoint an independent inspector in the Philippines. A Philippine supplier can be compared with suppliers in Vietnam, Thailand or Indonesia on the same terms.
What is specific to the Philippines
| Often sourced (examples, not limits) | Electronics components, coconut-based and processed fruit products, furniture, handicrafts |
|---|---|
| Checking a supplier exists | Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for corporations and partnerships; Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) business-name registration for sole proprietorships |
| Product standards | Bureau of Philippine Standards (DTI) — PS mark licence for manufacturers, Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) for importers, in categories under mandatory certification |
| Certificate of origin | Bureau of Customs — preferential certificates (such as ATIGA Form D) electronically, and non-preferential certificates |
| Main container ports | Manila (including the Manila International Container Terminal); Batangas; Subic; Cebu |
Checked against the issuing authorities’ own published pages on 17 October 2026. Rules and lists change; we confirm the current position for your product before an order is placed.
Sourcing from the Philippines — the step-by-step buyer guideWhat this includes
Shortlist of Philippine suppliers
Candidates from the Department of Trade and Industry’s export-promotion channels and from direct enquiry, filtered for your product.
The right registry check
SEC for a corporation or partnership, DTI for a sole proprietorship — matched to the supplier’s actual structure.
Specification in writing
Even when the conversation is easy, the specification, tolerances and packing are written down and signed off against a sample.
Inspection before shipment
Lots inspected against the criteria you agreed, by us or by an independent inspector.
Certificate of origin from Customs
The Bureau of Customs certificate under the agreement your destination uses.
How a sourcing request for the Philippines runs
- 01 Brief The product, specification or reference sample, quantity, destination and date.
- 02 Supplier search A shortlist of Philippine suppliers, each checked with the SEC or the DTI depending on its structure.
- 03 Quotations compared on the same terms The same specification, quantity and Incoterm for every supplier, with your destination’s duty added for each origin.
- 04 Samples Samples sent to you or to us, and the approved sample kept as the reference for production.
- 05 Inspection Pre-shipment inspection by us or by an independent inspector in the Philippines.
- 06 Shipping Export documents, the certificate of origin from the Bureau of Customs, and handover to your forwarder at the confirmed port.
What we handle, and what you decide
A sourcing agent does the legwork; the decisions stay with you.
We handle
- Searching for suppliers that actually make your kind of product, and shortlisting them
- Checking each candidate against its company registry, and any certificate it shows with the body that issued it
- Carrying your specification to the supplier and its questions back to you, in writing
- Collecting quotations on the same specification, quantity and Incoterm
- Moving samples, recording your comments and following production
- Inspection before shipment, export documents and the certificate of origin
You decide
- The specification, and what counts as a defect
- Your target price, quantity and delivery date
- Which supplier gets the order
- Whether a sample is approved
- Whether the goods ship once you have read the inspection report
- The Incoterm, the forwarder and the payment terms
How our fee is worked out
We do not publish a rate card, because the work behind a sourcing request varies too much for a single number to mean anything. What we can tell you is what the quotation for our work depends on, and we put it in writing before anything starts.
- How we are paid
- Either we act as the trading party and invoice you for the goods, with our margin inside the price, or we act as your buying agent and invoice a service fee while you pay the supplier directly. We agree which model applies before the supplier search begins.
- How much searching the product needs
- A complete drawing or specification with one target country is a different job from a loose description that needs suppliers compared across several countries.
- Samples and visits
- How many sample rounds the product is likely to need, and whether a factory has to be seen in person or checked by an independent inspector.
- Inspection, documents and delivery
- Who inspects and how many lots ship, which certificates and origin documents the destination asks for, the Incoterm you buy on, and whether goods from several suppliers are consolidated into one shipment.
Before you write to us
You do not need all of this to start a conversation — but the more of it you have, the faster we can give you a real answer instead of a range.
- Specification, reference sample or clear photographs of the product
- Quantity per order and per year
- Destination country and preferred Incoterm
- Certificates or test reports your market requires
- Packing and labelling you need
- Your current supplier and price, if you are switching
Frequently asked questions
Do you have an office in the Philippines?
No. We run Philippine sourcing from our office in Ho Chi Minh City. Suppliers are found, checked and managed in writing and by video; where a supplier has to be seen or goods inspected on the spot, we agree with you beforehand whether we travel or appoint an independent inspector in the Philippines.
Which registry shows whether a Philippine supplier is real?
It depends on the business structure. Corporations and partnerships are registered with the SEC; sole proprietorships register their business name with the DTI. We check the one that matches the supplier.
Who issues the certificate of origin in the Philippines?
The Bureau of Customs issues both preferential certificates, such as ATIGA Form D, and non-preferential certificates. We make sure the certificate matches the agreement your importer will claim under.
Do I need a PS mark or ICC for goods I export?
Those marks govern products sold in the Philippines in categories under mandatory certification. Goods made for export follow your destination’s rules; we check whether either applies to your product.
Can you compare a Philippine supplier with one elsewhere in Asia?
Yes. Suppliers in different countries quote the same specification and Incoterm, and we add the duty your destination applies to each origin, so you compare landed cost.
Regulatory information on this page is general and is not legal advice. Requirements depend on the product and change over time; we confirm the current position for your product before an order.
Guides for sourcing from the Philippines
Practical, step-by-step notes written from Ho Chi Minh City, with sources and the date we checked them.
Contact
Tell us what you want to buy or sell — in Vietnam or Japan
Selling into Vietnam or Japan, sourcing from either, or a product made under your own brand. One Japanese-managed team in Ho Chi Minh City, working in English, Japanese and Vietnamese.