THE SECURITIES and Exchange Commission (SEC) is tracking 16 potential companies that may go public, according to its chairman.
“As for public listing, we currently have 16 leads, which we are still monitoring together with the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE),” SEC Chairperson Emilio B. Aquino said during his keynote message at the last leg of its Roadshow on Capital Formation for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and startups in Makati City on Tuesday.
The PSE is eyeing six initial public offerings (IPOs) this year.
“As overseer and regulator of the corporate sector and the capital market, we aim to create opportunities for businesses to realize their growth potential by availing of the limitless benefits of turning to the capital market for their capital needs,” Mr. Aquino said.
The SEC has been pitching the capital market to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as a source of financing.
In a separate statement, the corporate regulator said it generated P2.24 billion in fresh funds for small businesses after a two-year MSME nationwide roadshow.
As of the end of 2024, the SEC said that 361 companies tapped crowdfunding intermediaries for 1,212 projects, reflecting the surging interest in the capital market among MSMEs.
The commission also saw at least 358 companies that have signified their interest in crowdfunding activities.
The roadshow, which began in February 2023, touted the capital market as an option for MSMEs to fund their operations and promote expansion via crowdfunding and IPO.
The last leg of the roadshow was held at the SEC’s headquarters in Makati City on Tuesday.
The SEC visited 21 key cities, including Baguio, Tarlac, Legazpi, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, Tacloban, Cagayan de Oro, and Zamboanga, catering to over 3,000 onsite participant MSMEs and 60,000 online participants.
“Catering to the needs of the country’s MSMEs, especially their access to capital, has always been a priority of the Marcos administration,” Mr. Aquino said.
“Aligning ourselves with this mandate of the government, the SEC sees the need for more financing instruments to be made available to our MSMEs who continue to face credit constraints,” he added. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave