SEC’s first extension office in Northwestern Luzon opens in Laoag City

BAGUIO CITY (January 16, 2025) -- The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) first extension office in Northwestern Luzon has opened at the 5th floor of the Dap-Ayan Commercial Center in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte.

Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc and SEC Chairperson Emilio B. Aquino, both emphasized during the opening “the importance (of the office) in further boosting the economic performance of the provinces (in the area).

“We welcome SEC with open arms and I am hopeful that this will be a positive windfall, not only for Ilocos Norte but the entire Northern Luzon. We thank you once again our friends and partners from the SEC and please know that we’re here if you need anything, especially our new head of the SEC. We are hopeful that we will have a fruitful and beneficial partnership in the years to come,” Gov. Marcos Manotoc said.

SEC Chairperson Aquino also beamed, “(this) office stands as a symbol of our Commission’s decisive action to spread economic progress and democratize wealth. It will not only promote ease of doing business but also ensure robust investor protection as well as financial literacy.”

The SEC Laoag EO will accommodate the registration, compliance processes, and other SEC-related transactions of businesses across Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan, ensuring the timely and efficient delivery of services. It will also facilitate the Commission’s investor protection and education programs to safeguard businesses against scams and other fraudulent schemes.

As an emerging commercial hub under the leadership of Gov. Marcos Manotoc, Ilocos Norte recorded the highest growth rate in the Region in 2023 at 8.6%, marking its 2nd consecutive year as the fastest-growing province in Region I, according to reports from the Philippine Statistics Authority.