The Philippine Supreme Court recently approved the Rules on Electronic Notarization (A.M. No. 24-10-14-SC), ushering in a new era for notarized documents in the country. These rules allow notarization to be conducted electronically through secure platforms, ensuring authenticity, integrity, and accessibility while complying with legal standards.

The Supreme Court of the Philippines has taken a groundbreaking step toward modernizing legal services by approving the Rules on Electronic Notarization (E-Notarization Rules). This reform, which aims to enhance accessibility and efficiency in notarial services nationwide, is a significant milestone in the country’s digital transformation efforts.

Legal operations in the Philippines are evolving, thanks to workflow automation. For years, law firms and legal teams have relied on manual tasks like contract management, document review, and communication. However, the rise of automation is transforming how legal work is done, making processes faster, more accurate, and efficient.

Ensuring legal compliance is crucial for any organization in the Philippines, but maintaining high standards can often come with hefty costs. Legal teams, however, can implement affordable, practical strategies that not only streamline compliance processes but also save time and money.

The Supreme Court has approved new guidelines for the electronic submission of pleadings, which took effect last April 5, 2024. This initiative, part of the Court's Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (2022-2027), aims to reduce court congestion and expedite legal processes by shifting to digital filings. The Guidelines are designed to:

Twala, a startup backed by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in the Philippines, has carved a niche for itself in the realm of intelligent document and digital identity technology. The company specializes in providing tamper-proof digital signatures, digital identity solutions, and intelligent document solutions. Leveraging the power of artificial intelligence and secured by blockchain technology, Twala’s innovative solutions address critical needs for security and authenticity in the digital age.

THE Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) has announced a strategic partnership with Twala, a digital signature and digital identity startup supported by the Department of Science and Technology through the DoST Startup Grant Fund, to enhance the agency's digitalization strategy.

Twala's Co-founder and CEO, Engr. Jeffrey Reyes, has been recognized as one of the Movers and Shakers in the Philippine Startup Ecosystem on Esquire Philippines Trailblazers List for 2024.

About twenty-five years ago, the Philippine Congress empowered the Supreme Court (SC) to issue rules to allow for electronic notarization in the country. There is reason to be optimistic that the time for e-notarization has finally come.

Pinoy tech startup Twala said businesses can make their processes more efficient by shifting from paper-based documents to digital documents secured by blockchain. Lawyer Third Bagro, co-founder and general counsel of Twala, said by using a blockchain-powered digital identity and digital signature, businesses can also rest assured that their documents are tamper-proof and court-admissible.

Twala, a blockchain-powered digital identity, and digital signature platform, recently collaborated with the Philippine Supreme Court to provide inputs in their ongoing work to draft rules to allow electronic notarization in the country.

The use of electronic signatures in the Philippines presents a vast and largely untapped opportunity for industries, both public and private. With the rapid acceleration of digital transformation and the recent wave of supportive regulations from key government institutions, electronic signatures are poised to become the new standard for secure, efficient, and legally recognized transactions.