ONLY 1.4 percent of Filipinos participate in the stock market even as the country has nearly 600,000 active registered corporations and partnerships, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Speaking at a Chamber of Commerce event at the University of the Philippines BGC on Saturday, SEC Commissioner Rogelio Quevedo said while the country does not lack entrepreneurial activity, more Filipinos still need to benefit from business growth.
The SEC also said corporate growth has yet to translate into broader ownership and wealth-building opportunities.
Despite having nearly 600,000 registered corporations, Quevedo said only a small number of Filipinos are participating in the equities market, leaving ownership concentrated and making wealth-building less accessible to the broader public.
“This means that while corporations are growing, ownership remains concentrated, making broad participation for many Filipinos in wealth-building more difficult,” he said.
Quevedo said the Philippines had about 355,660 stock corporations as of February 2026, a figure he cited as proof that Filipinos continue to build enterprises.
“But here is the more important question: what are these corporations building for the nation?” he said.
He said the SEC is trying to address the gap through investor education programs, support for digital investment platforms, and capital-raising tools such as crowdfunding and simplified public offerings, particularly to reach young people and those outside major urban centers.
Quevedo also said investor protection remains essential, warning that market participation will not expand without public trust.
He said economic progress should not remain in the hands of a few and must instead be shared more broadly among Filipinos.
