Events
Before a brand issues its first purchase order to an events agency, its procurement team accredits the agency. The form changes from company to company, but most of what it asks for comes straight from Philippine law: the registrations an agency needs to operate, invoice and employ people. Here is each document, the rule behind it, and how long it stays valid.
Proof the company exists
The first page of any accreditation pack. For a corporation, that is the SEC certificate: under the Revised Corporation Code, a corporation “commences its corporate existence and juridical personality from the date the Commission issues the certificate of incorporation”. A sole proprietorship shows its business name registration with the DTI instead. DOLE’s own contractor rules ask for the same thing, “a certificate of registration of firm or business name from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)”.
The business permit
The city or municipality where the agency operates issues it. Under the Local Government Code, the mayor has the power to “Issue licenses and permits and suspend or revoke the same”. Local taxes and fees run on “the calendar year” and “accrue on the first (1st) day of January of each year”, so a permit from last year is the first thing a procurement team flags after January. Expect to send the renewed permit every year.
BIR registration
Every business registers with the BIR. Section 236 of the Tax Code, as amended by the Ease of Paying Taxes Act, says “Every person subject to any internal revenue tax shall register once, either electronically or manually, with the appropriate Revenue District Office”, “On or before the commencement of business”. It also has to “register each type of internal revenue tax for which he is obliged”, which is why procurement reads the registration closely: it shows whether the agency is VAT-registered, and that decides how the client books the invoice.
A sample invoice
Some clients ask for one before the first job. Since the Ease of Paying Taxes Act, Section 237 requires “duly registered sale or commercial invoices, showing the name, Taxpayer Identification Number, date of transaction, quantity, unit cost and description of merchandise or nature of service”. VAT-registered businesses issue them “regardless of the amount of the sale”. The client’s payables team checks the agency’s name and TIN on the invoice against the accreditation file.
DOLE registration, when the agency supplies staff
If the agency contracts out people to work for the client, such as promodisers, ushers or event crew, DOLE’s Department Order 174 applies: “it shall be mandatory for all persons or entities acting as contractors to register with the Regional Office of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) where it principally operates.” Skipping it matters to the client too. “Failure to register shall give rise to the presumption that the contractor is engaged in labor-only-contracting”, and where labor-only contracting is found, “the principal shall be deemed the direct employer of the contractor’s or subcontractor’s employees”. The certificate “shall be effective for two (2) years”. Our guide to event staff through an agency covers the rest of DO 174.
SSS and the other employer registrations
An agency with employees is an employer, and the Social Security Act says “Each employer shall immediately report to the SSS the names, ages, civil status, occupations, salaries and dependents of all his employees who are subject to compulsory coverage”. A client using contracted staff has its own reason to check: DO 174 makes the principal and the contractor solidarily liable “for purposes of enforcing the provisions of the Labor Code and other social legislations”. Proof of employer registration and recent remittances answers that.
A data processing agreement
If the agency will handle the client’s customer or guest data, at a registration desk, a raffle or a lead form, the client stays responsible for it. The Data Privacy Act says the controller “is responsible for personal information under its control or custody, including information that have been transferred to a third party for processing”, and “shall use contractual or other reasonable means to provide a comparable level of protection”. In practice that means a data processing agreement in the accreditation pack. Our guide to data privacy at activations covers what goes in it.
The accreditation pack at a glance
| Document | Issued by | Rule behind it | Keep it current |
| SEC certificate of incorporation, or DTI business name | SEC or DTI | Revised Corporation Code; DTI business name rules | Send amendments when the name or articles change |
| Business permit | The city or municipality | Local Government Code | Renew every calendar year |
| BIR registration | The BIR Revenue District Office | Tax Code Sec. 236 | Update when tax types, address or branches change |
| Sample invoice | The agency, on BIR-registered invoices | Tax Code Sec. 237 | Match the name and TIN on the registration |
| DOLE certificate of registration | The DOLE Regional Office | Department Order 174 | Every two years, for contracted staff |
| SSS employer registration and remittances | The SSS | Social Security Act | Recent remittances on request |
| Data processing agreement | Signed by client and agency | Data Privacy Act | With each engagement that handles personal data |
Other items vary by company: a company profile, client references, audited financial statements, an insurance certificate. Our guide to event insurance covers the last one.
Keep an accreditation folder
Hold every document in one folder with its expiry date beside it, and renew the business permit in January before anyone asks. A lapsed permit or registration found during accreditation can hold up the first purchase order, and the event date doesn’t move to wait for it.
General information from the laws named above. Each client sets its own accreditation list; read its form, and ask its procurement team which documents need to be certified true copies.
Where this fits when you choose an agency
An agency that sends a complete, current pack in a day is telling you something about how it runs an event. Ask for the pack early in the shortlist, alongside the questions in our guide to the top events agency in the Philippines. PUNX is an events agency in Makati: 50-plus people, founded 2023, running activations and events for GCash, Sun Life and PRU Life UK.
FAQ
What documents does an events agency need for client accreditation in the Philippines?
Usually its SEC or DTI registration, a current business permit from the city or municipality, its BIR registration, a sample registered invoice, and, if it supplies staff, its DOLE certificate of registration under Department Order 174 and proof of SSS registration. A data processing agreement is added when the agency handles personal data.
How often does an events agency renew its business permit?
Every year. Under the Local Government Code, local taxes, fees and charges run on the calendar year and accrue on 1 January, so clients ask for the current year’s permit.
Does an events agency need DOLE registration?
If it acts as a contractor and supplies workers to a client, yes. Department Order 174 makes registration with the DOLE Regional Office mandatory, and failure to register leads to a presumption of labor-only contracting. The certificate is valid for two years.
Why do clients ask for a sample invoice during accreditation?
To check that the agency issues BIR-registered invoices with the details Section 237 of the Tax Code requires, and that its name and TIN match its registration.
Related
How to choose an events agency — the four questions that sort a shortlist
Event RFP template — what the client sends before comparing replies
Event staff through an agency — registration, capital and the Service Agreement
Accrediting a new events agency?
Send us your accreditation form. We will send the pack back complete, with every expiry date on the cover sheet.
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