Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Francis Lim urged businesses to strengthen their cyber defenses, commit to fairness and transparency and join SEC pilot programs designed to shape the country’s finance industry.
“We will regulate with integrity — (we will be) firm but fair — open to innovation but always anchored on public interest,” Lim said, framing the SEC’s agenda as pro-innovation without compromising investor protection, especially for the small investors.
“We do not see regulation as a brake on progress. We see it as a platform for innovation and growth,” Lim said, pointing to measures that leverage technology to speed filings, improve oversight, and curb misconduct.
He highlighted the SEC’s regulatory sandbox, which allows fintech firms to test new products under safeguards. “Through our regulatory sandbox, fintech pioneers can safely test new ideas—with investor safeguards, but without fear of premature enforcement,” Lim said.
Lim emphasized that guardrails are meant to build trust rather than add friction. “Our disclosure and conduct rules are not red tape; they are the assurance that new products—from tokenized assets to AI-driven platforms—are launched on a level playing field,” he said.
Aligning domestic rules with international benchmarks is part of the strategy. “By aligning with global standards, we are opening doors for Philippine firms abroad, while ensuring our people are protected at home. Every safeguard we build is not just a shield against abuse—it is a bridge between innovation and trust, ambition and stability, risk and reward,” Lim said.
He outlined a longer-term vision of a market that is “digital by design, inclusive by intent, and trusted by all”—with end-to-end digital filing systems to cut red tape, wider participation through fractional investing and retirement-linked pooled funds, and smarter supervision using data analytics to detect and stop misconduct early.
For near-term priorities, Lim encouraged companies to participate in SEC pilot initiatives, particularly those enhancing cybersecurity resilience and elevating disclosure quality for retail investors.
