- Key government sites
- Regulatory agencies & stock exchanges
- Accounting and auditing sites
- Activist organisations
1. Key government sites
Department of Finance (DOF): www.dof.gov.ph
A straightforward, well-designed website that describes the administration and functions of the financial regulator of the Philippines. And while the design is good, and the site offers unique links such as "Ask DOF", which allows visitors to contact the ministry and its various departments with any questions on the economy or the ministry's policies, the site is erratic. The statistics and data provided on the country's economy is out of date, but not all; you have to surf the site in order to find out what is current. Then there are sections which just do not work: the site search; site map, which merely takes you back to the homepage; the log-in section for the E-Bidding and DOF Forum; and the quick links section. A promising site, but ultimately disappointing.
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP): www.bsp.gov.ph
The central bank of the Philippines. Like most central bank websites, the BSP site is well-designed and easy-to-navigate, offering a wide range of economic and financial data. There are useful sections on economic and financial statistics, resources, including speeches, publications and regulations, and a comprehensive archives page, although not all the links are active. Additionally, a useful "Links" section to other Filipino and international sites of relevance is provided.
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2. Regulatory agencies and stock exchanges
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC): www.sec.gov.ph
The chief securities regulator in the Philippines. Although the SEC's website contains a great deal of information on SEC operations, rules and regulations, enforcement, corporate governance, and other matters relating to corporate governance, its design and organisation could be greatly improved.
The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE): www.pse.org.ph
A well-designed site, recently upgraded, that contains a lot of information relating to the PSE, its participants and listed companies. Sections covering listing requirements, IPOs, current market information and reports are available. Company reports and announcements are easy to access--the one drawback being they are not archived for long.
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3. Accounting and auditing sites
Philippines Institute for Certified Public Accountants (PICPA): www.picpa.com.ph
The PICPA website is confusing to navigate and lacks both a site map and a search engine, yet it contains a lot of valuable data relating to accounting and financial reporting. Sections of interest include announcements, a technical library and download data, all of which offer useful information. The news and announcements section includes the code of ethics and PICPA’s position on the International Accounting Standards.
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4. Activist organisations
Transparent Accountable Governance (TAG): www.tag.org.ph
The TAG project was established by both government and private-sector agencies to "summarize how, why and to what degree corruption exists in Philippine society", and in the process document the initiatives taken by the government and private-sector to combat corruption. The website is straightforward and easy to navigate. Data on various segments of Philippine society involved in combating corruption, research and case studies is available, including the Philippine Code of Corporate Governance. Use the efficient search engine to find information that does not at first glance seem available.
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