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The National Privacy Commission recently announced that the deadline for the submission of the Annual Security Incident Report for the year 2023 is on 31 March 2024.

In brief

The National Privacy Commission (NPC) formally announced through its official website that the Annual Security Incident Report (ASIR) for the year 2023 must be filed by 31 March 2024.

Any natural and juridical person in the government or private sector processing personal data in or outside of the Philippines that are subject to the provisions of Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 must submit the ASIR containing the following information:

  • Summary of the number of security incidents1 encountered in a particular calendar year and categorized by type, i.e., theft, identity fraud, sabotage/physical damage, malicious code, hacking, misuse of resources, hardware failure, software failure, communication failure, natural disaster, design error, user error, operations error, software maintenance error, third-party service, and other analogous causes
  • Summary of the number of personal data breaches2 encountered in a particular calendar year and classified based on the application of the breach notification obligations, i.e., mandatory and voluntary notification

The ASIR must be filed online via the NPC’s Data Breach Notification Management System (DBNMS). Personal information controllers (PIC) and processors (PIP) with zero security incidents during the covered period must still file the ASIR, indicating “0” in the relevant fields. Submissions through paper or electronic mail shall not be considered compliant. For more information on the DBNMS, please refer to our previous client alert here.

Failure to submit the ASIR is a violation of NPC’s issuances and may be taken into consideration by the NPC in its evaluation or examination of a PIC’s or PIP’s compliance with the requirements of the Data Privacy Act of 2012. 

Recommended action

Clients covered by the DPA are urged to prepare their 2023 ASIR in order to ensure timely submission to the NPC via the DBNMS by the deadline on 31 March 2024.

Please feel free to reach out to Quisumbing Torres’ Intellectual Property, Data, and Technology Practice Group for assistance on these data privacy compliance matters.


1 “Security Incident” is an event or occurrence that affects or tends to affect data protection, or may compromise the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of personal data. It shall include incidents that would result to a personal data breach, if not for safeguards that have been put in place (NPC Circular No. 16-03).
2 “Personal data breach” refers to a breach of security leading to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure of, or access to, personal data transmitted, stored, or otherwise processed. A personal data breach may be in the nature of any or all of the following:
a) An availability breach resulting from loss, accidental or unlawful destruction of personal data
b) Integrity breach resulting from alteration of personal data
c) A confidentiality breach resulting from the unauthorized disclosure of or access to personal data (NPC Circular No. 16-03).


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Author

Divina Ilas-Panganiban, CIPM is a partner and the head of Quisumbing Torres’ Intellectual Property, Data and Technology Practice Group and co-heads the Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) Industry Group. She participates in initiatives of Baker & McKenzie International of which Quisumbing Torres is a member firm. She is a member of Baker & McKenzie International's Asia Pacific TMT, and the Asia Pacific Intellectual Property Steering Committees.
Divina is a Certified Information Privacy Manager by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). She currently serves as the Vice-President and Director of the Philippine Chapter of the Licensing Executives Society International, the Regional Vice-chair of the LESI's Education Committee, the Co-chairperson of the Committee on Intellectual Property Rights of The American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, and the Chairperson of the IAPP KnowledgeNet Chapter for the Philippines.
Divina was recently appointed to be a member of the Advisory Council for Intellectual Property (ACIP) of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL). The ACIP is an advisory board composed of a select group of people from different sector to which IP is of great value. She was recently recognized in the Hall of Fame for Best External Lecturers by the IP Academy of the IPOPHL.
Divina just finished her stint as the chair the Unreal Campaign of the International Trademarks Association (INTA) for East Asia and the Pacific and continues to organize anti-counterfeiting activities in schools and universities around the country, educating the youth about the importance of intellectual property protection.
Divina is a multi-awarded lawyer with a stellar track record in the IP, data and technology fields. She has garnered numerous awards and accolades, including the Woman Lawyer of the Year by the ALB Philippine Law Awards 2023. She has been cited as leading lawyer for intellectual Property and TMT by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Chambers Asia Pacific, Managing IP, World Trademark, Asialaw and IAM Patent 1000, among others. Known for her exceptional legal expertise and unwavering commitment to her clients, Divina has established herself as a leader in her profession.

Author

Bienvenido Marquez III is a partner in Quisumbing Torres' Intellectual Property, Data and Technology Practice Group. He also co-heads the Consumer Goods & Retail Industry Group and is a member of the Technology, Media & Telecommunications Group. He participates in initiatives of Baker & McKenzie International of which Quisumbing Torres is a member firm. He is a member of Baker McKenzie's Asia Pacific Intellectual Property Business Unit for Brand Enforcement. He is immediate Past President of the Philippine Chapter of the Licensing Executives Society International (2019-2021), and is currently co-chair of the LESI Asia Pacific. He is also a member of the Anti-Counterfeiting Committee of the International Trademarks Association (INTA). He has been appointed as member of the INTA Asia Global Advisory Council (GAC) for 2022 to 2023, making him the only Philippine representative on the council.

Bien has vast experience in handling IP enforcement litigation, trademark and patent prosecution and maintenance, copyright, data privacy, information security, IT, telecommunications, e-commerce, electronic transactions, cyber security and cybercrime. He has been consistently ranked as a leading individual for Intellectual Property and TMT in Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Chambers Asia Pacific, asialaw Leading Lawyers, Managing IP Stars, Asia IP, and World Trademark Review. He was also recognized as a Volunteer Service Awardee by INTA in 2018.

Author

Berenice Joanna G. Dela Cruz is an associate in Quisumbing Torres. She works with various practice groups in the firm, including Corporate & Commercia/M&A, Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property, Data and Technology, and Employment. Prior to joining the firm, she was a legal intern in the Office of the Solicitor General where she assisted in research, preparation of pleadings, meetings with clients and court hearings. Berenice graduated cum laude from the University of the Philippines College of Law in 2022, and ranked 5th in her batch. She also received the Dean's Medal for Academic Excellence and commendations for her participation in several international moot court competitions. She was newly admitted to the Philippine bar in 2023.