SEC chief hailed for leadership in government service

December 9, 2024 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Securities and Exchange Commission chairperson Emilio Aquino has been recognized by the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Senate Philippines for his contributions in the corporate sector and the development of the capital market.

Aquino, who assumed office as SEC chairman in 2018, received the highest honor in the 2024 The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) Awards in recognition of his leadership in government service.

He received the TOFIL Award for Government and Public Service, leading six other awardees in their respective fields.

The Junior Chamber International Senate Philippines confers the TOFIL Awards to “institutionalize public recognition” of Filipinos aged 41 years old and above for their exemplary contribution in advancing public welfare and national development.

As chairperson, Aquino crafted the SuperVision 2025 at the start of his term to serve as the commission’s guide in its goal of transforming the country’s corporate sector and capital market to be among the best in Southeast Asia.

He also accelerated the commission’s digital transformation as a tool to achieve his vision, especially during the pandemic, to ensure uninterrupted services for its stakeholders.

The SEC said the transformation has led to the launch of three waves of digital innovations starting in 2021 to enable online company registration, reports filing and payment transactions, among others.

According to the commission, the improved registration process has since allowed the SEC to reach record highs in terms of company registrations, with 49,501 new companies registered in 2023.

“I am proud to say that SEC Philippines has solidified its golden age and has excellently carried out its rallying mantra: that it’s easy at SEC,” Aquino said.

“We modernized and digitalized the SEC, and restructured our organization with the creation of several innovative offices to meet rising customer and market demands, so that SEC Philippines is now feted to be among the world’s best employers by London-based Investors in People; among the world’s best in sustainability reporting, recognized the most number of times – thrice – by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in Geneva, Switzerland and among the world’s best in digital company registration by Corporate Registers Forum in Malta,” he said.