Manila: A collaboration among government agencies and the private sector is underway to establish a technology board at the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE). Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Henry Rhoel Aguda announced that at least 15 startups are being considered for the proposed technology board at the PSE. This initiative is designed to mirror the New York-based National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (Nasdaq) stock market.

According to Philippines News Agency, the companies that may potentially list on the PSE's technology board include app-based transportation providers such as MoveIt, Grab, and Angkas, as well as the Filipino-made live streaming community, Kumu. The tech board aims to accommodate firms with high-growth potential that may not meet the capitalization requirements of the PSE main and small- and medium-sized enterprise boards.

Aguda mentioned that discussions began last year and are currently in the technical evaluation phase. The policies for the tech board are expected to be released by the first quarter of this year. He emphasized that this initiative is part of the President's vision to make the capital market accessible to all and to establish a dedicated technology stock market.

In addition to the DICT and PSE, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Securities and Exchange Commission are also involved in the discussions. The Marcos administration is committed to strengthening domestic capital markets to support sustained economic growth.

One of the key measures supporting this commitment is Republic Act 12214, also known as the Capital Markets Efficiency Promotion Act, which took effect on July 1, 2025. The law reduces the stock transaction tax from 0.6 percent to 0.1 percent, lowers the documentary stamp tax (DST) on original issuances from 1 percent to 0.75 percent, and eliminates the DST requirement for mutual funds and unit investment trust funds.