Philippine SEC Opens Door to RWA Tokenization

The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission has officially signaled that the nation's capital markets are prepared to support real-world asset tokenization, provided that all products adhere to existing securities laws and investor protection standards. This regulatory stance provides a clear framework for banks, fintech firms, and exchanges to begin testing tokenized securities within the country. By emphasizing that blockchain wrappers do not negate underlying legal obligations, the SEC ensures that tokenized shares, bonds, and fund interests remain subject to standard registration, disclosure, and custody requirements. The move aligns the Philippines with broader Asian regulatory trends seen in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan, where authorities are integrating blockchain into capital markets without abandoning traditional oversight. Fixed-income markets are identified as the most probable starting point for these initiatives, leveraging the existing infrastructure of the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. While this development does not grant blanket approval for open trading, it establishes a formal, regulated pathway for issuers to explore fractional access and faster settlement. Ultimately, this shift matters because it demonstrates a commitment to modernizing financial infrastructure while maintaining the enforceability of issuer obligations and market conduct rules.