National Supervisory Authority & Licensing Qualification Dossier • Asia-Pacific
BSP
PhilippinesBangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Source / Native Reference: 菲律宾中央银行
- Supervisory tier
- Tier-3
- License classes
- 2
- Licensed records
- 12
- Active / regulated
- 12
Statutory Supervisory Mandate & Scope
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines) (BSP) is the central banking and prudential supervisory authority in Philippines (Tier-2 jurisdiction). Its mandate encompasses monetary policy implementation, systemic financial stability, Basel III capital adequacy and liquidity (LCR/NSFR) supervision for credit institutions, payment systems oversight, and statutory licensing of banks and authorised financial institutions.
Prudential Tier Assessment
Tier-3Tier-3 national capital markets, securities, and derivatives supervisory authority in Philippines, IOSCO member standards-aligned.
National licensing qualifications & statutory authorisation classes (BSP)
Authorisation categories, permitted institutional and retail activities, minimum initial capital adequacy, and ongoing prudential solvency rules enforced by BSP in Philippines.
| License class / code | Official designation | Permitted institutional & retail activities | Minimum initial / base capital | Ongoing prudential & solvency rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category 1 / Principal Broker-Dealer | Full-Scope Securities & Derivatives Dealer (Market Maker / Principal) | Dealing as principal or market maker in securities, FX, CFDs, futures, options, and underwriting. | USD $150,000 – $500,000 equivalent minimum paid-up capital | Risk-weighted capital adequacy + minimum liquid capital buffer ≥ 25% of annual fixed overheads. |
| Category 2 / Agency Broker & Asset Manager | Securities Brokerage (Agency / STP) & Discretionary Portfolio Management Licence | Order execution, reception and transmission of client orders, discretionary portfolio management, and investment advisory. | USD $75,000 – $150,000 equivalent minimum paid-up capital | Strict client money segregation, best-execution monitoring, and quarterly regulatory financial returns. |
Investor compensation, client money segregation & digital-asset regime
Statutory counterparty protections, custody reconciliation mandates, and virtual-asset licensing status under BSP.
National Investor Protection / Compensation Scheme (Philippines)
- Maximum coverage per client
- Subject to statutory national investor protection fund limits and segregated trust priority
- Eligible counterparties & scope
- Retail clients of licensed securities and investment brokerage firms.
BSP Client Money & Safe Custody Segregation Rules
- Reconciliation & audit cadence
- Daily reconciliation of segregated client trust bank accounts against client trading ledger balances.
- Approved custodian requirements
- Client funds and securities must be held in bankruptcy-remote statutory trust accounts at licensed commercial banks or central securities depositories.
BSP Digital Asset / Tokenized Securities & VASP Regulatory Framework
- Travel Rule, custody & stablecoin rules
- FATF Recommendation 16 Travel Rule enforcement and institutional qualified custody standards.
Primary Governing Statutes & Rulebooks
- Securities and Capital Markets Act of Philippines
- BSP Licensing, Prudential Capital Adequacy & Conduct of Business Rules
- Client Money & Custody Asset Segregation Regulations (Philippines)
- IOSCO Principles of Securities Regulation & National AML/CFT Rulebook
Regulatory Reporting & Audit Obligations
Quarterly capital adequacy returns and annual IFRS audited financial statements submitted to BSPAnnual independent auditor attestation on Client Money and Safe Custody complianceTransaction reporting, market abuse surveillance (MAR), and AML/CFT suspicious activity reporting
Cross-Border Equivalence & Passporting
Operates under Philippines national jurisdiction and IOSCO MMoU cross-border supervisory cooperation.
Supervised institutions & BSP licence records in our database
12 licence records referencing BSP (12 regulated/registered).
| Institution | Licence number | Status | Licensed legal entity | Effective date | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banco de Oro(Global network record) | Number pending check | Regulated | BDO Unibank, Inc. | — | |
| Banco Nacional ng Pilipinas(Global network record) | Number pending check | Regulated | Bank of the Philippine Islands | — | |
| Chinabank(Global network record) | Number pending check | Regulated | Chinabank | — | |
| Citibank Philippines(Global network record) | Number pending check | Regulated | Citibank Philippines | — | |
| Development Bank of the Philippines(Global network record) | Number pending check | Regulated | Development Bank of the Philippines | — | |
| EastWest Bank(Global network record) | Number pending check | Regulated | EastWest Bank | — | |
| Land Bank of the Philippines(Global network record) | Number pending check | Regulated | Land Bank of the Philippines | — | |
| Philippine National Bank(Global network record) | Number pending check | Regulated | Philippine National Bank | — | |
| PSBank(Global network record) | Number pending check | Regulated | PSBank | — | |
| Security Bank(Global network record) | Number pending check | Regulated | Security Bank | — | |
| Union Bank(Global network record) | Number pending check | Regulated | Union Bank of the Philippines | — | |
| UnionBank (Philippines)(Global network record) | Number pending check | Regulated | UnionBank (Philippines) | — |
BSP (Philippines): institutional licensing & due diligence FAQ
Key statutory capital, compensation, custody segregation, and verification answers for compliance teams.
What are the primary licensing classes and minimum capital requirements under BSP (Philippines)?
BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) supervises financial institutions in Philippines under Securities and Capital Markets Act of Philippines and BSP Licensing, Prudential Capital Adequacy & Conduct of Business Rules. Key statutory authorisation classes include: Category 1 / Principal Broker-Dealer (Full-Scope Securities & Derivatives Dealer (Market Maker / Principal) — min. capital: USD $150,000 – $500,000 equivalent minimum paid-up capital); Category 2 / Agency Broker & Asset Manager (Securities Brokerage (Agency / STP) & Discretionary Portfolio Management Licence — min. capital: USD $75,000 – $150,000 equivalent minimum paid-up capital). Ongoing prudential supervision requires strict adherence to capital adequacy and liquidity buffers.
Does BSP provide statutory investor compensation and mandatory client asset segregation?
Under BSP's framework, investor protection is governed by National Investor Protection / Compensation Scheme (Philippines) with maximum coverage of Subject to statutory national investor protection fund limits and segregated trust priority (Retail clients of licensed securities and investment brokerage firms.). For client money and custody assets, supervised firms must comply with BSP Client Money & Safe Custody Segregation Rules, performing daily reconciliation of segregated client trust bank accounts against client trading ledger balances. with client funds and securities must be held in bankruptcy-remote statutory trust accounts at licensed commercial banks or central securities depositories..
How does BSP regulate digital assets, crypto exchanges (VASPs/CASPs), and stablecoins?
BSP's digital-asset regime is structured around BSP Digital Asset / Tokenized Securities & VASP Regulatory Framework (Regulates security tokens, crypto derivatives, and licensed digital asset intermediaries in Philippines.). Custody and AML/CFT compliance obligations require: FATF Recommendation 16 Travel Rule enforcement and institutional qualified custody standards.
How can I verify an institution's BSP licence number and check our 12 recorded licence entries?
Our database currently tracks 12 licence records referencing BSP (12 marked regulated or registered). To verify a counterparty at the primary source, open BSP's official public register, search by the exact reference number and legal entity name, and confirm that the firm's domain and permitted activities match its statutory authorisation.
Related regulatory & market structure briefings
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Statutory licensing classes, base capital rules, and investor protection summaries for BSP (Philippines) are maintained for institutional benchmarking and do not constitute legal advice. Always verify current rulebooks and active firm authorisations directly on BSP’s official public register.