Various agencies led by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) have signed Joint Administrative Order No. 24-03, Series of 2024 containing the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 11967, or The Internet Transactions Act of 2023 (ITA).
To recall, the ITA is intended to regulate e-commerce, protect consumer rights and data privacy, and uphold intellectual property rights.
The IRR clarifies the scope and coverage of the ITA, the enforcement powers of the DTI vis-à-vis other agencies, and the applicable procedure for imposition of fines.

On 4 June 2024, the Department of Energy (DOE) issued the Revised Omnibus Guidelines Governing the Award and Administration of Renewable Energy Contracts and the Registration of Renewable Energy Developers (Department Circular No. DC2024-06-0018). The Revised Omnibus Guidelines amend the previous set of guidelines (i.e., Department Circular No. DC2019-10-0013) to integrate the latest policies and issuances from the DOE for an effective and efficient award and administration of Renewable Energy (RE) Contracts and registration of RE Developers in view of the increased interest of investors in this sector.

On 15 November 2022, the Department of Energy issued Department Circular No. 2022-11-0034 to amend Section 19 of the Rules and Regulations Implementing Republic Act No. 9513, otherwise known as the Renewable Energy Act of 2008. The amendments remove Filipino ownership requirements previously imposed on the exploration, development and utilization of solar, wind, hydro and ocean or tidal energy resources, to allow full foreign ownership.

The Philippines logged one of the highest growth rates as an emerging data center market alongside Malaysia and Thailand, supporting the active digital profile of Filipinos.
Access Quisumbing Torres’ Developing and Operating Data Centers in the Philippines to learn more about the key legal issues for data center investors. The guide provides the relevant regulatory information including issues and considerations related to foreign investment controls, data (i.e., privacy, telecommunications laws, cybersecurity, data localization, antitrust),tax, M&A, financing, sustainability and real estate.