THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) expects more Filipinos to grow their retirement funds under the Personal Equity and Retirement Account (PERA) with the recent implementation of Republic Act No. 12214 or the Capital Markets Efficiency Promotion Act (CMEPA).

“The CMEPA strengthens the role of PERA by offering stronger incentives for long-term savings,” SEC Chairperson Francisco Ed. Lim said in an e-mailed statement on Monday.

“It encourages companies to support their employees’ retirement planning while simultaneously increasing the capital available in the financial system, stimulating the local stock market,” he added.

One of the CMEPA’s provisions is a 50% additional tax deduction for private employers who contribute an amount equal to or greater than their employees’ PERA contributions.

PERA, created under Republic Act No. 9505, is a voluntary retirement saving program. This is aimed at complementing the existing retirement benefits from the Social Security System, Government Service Insurance System and employer-sponsored plans.

“The program offers contributors tax benefits not available in other retirement investment products, encouraging Filipinos to save for their future,” the SEC said.

In January, DoubleDragon Corp.’s stock brokerage arm DragonFi Securities, Inc. became the first SEC-accredited PERA administrator after the corporate regulator issued guidelines on the accreditation of PERA market participants in September last year.

The SEC guidelines expanded the categories of entities eligible to register as PERA administrators to include securities brokers, investment houses, and investment company advisers or fund managers.

Under the SEC guidelines, a PERA administrator should have maintain a net worth of at least P100 million at all times, and have the adequate systems and technological capabilities, as well as the necessary technical expertise and personnel to administer all types of PERA investment products.

“Take-up of PERA is still relatively low in recent years. Hopefully, the CMEPA would further provide greater motivation to increase PERA in view of the additional incentives,” Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a Viber message.

Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas showed that PERA contributions increased by 24% to P491.4 million as of end-2024 from P396.3 million as of end-2023.

CMEPA took effect on July 1 after being signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on May 29.

Among the law’s provisions is the reduction of the stock transaction tax to 0.1% from 0.6% as well as the decrease in the documentary stamp tax on the original issuance of shares of stock to 0.75% from 1% of par value.

The law also standardized the final withholding tax on interest income at 20% and harmonized the capital gains tax to a flat 15% on shares of foreign corporations.

“At its core, CMEPA is designed to align the Philippine capital markets more closely with regional peers by removing long-standing barriers to investor participation,” Mr. Lim said.

“This supports the commission’s mission to continue introducing reforms that will increase the local market’s competitiveness. The strict implementation of provisions under CMEPA is key toward ensuring broader public participation in the capital market and fostering a deeper investment culture among Filipinos,” he added. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave