In person, not just on Zoom.

Why the Philippines is worth a separate conversation

The Philippines is one of the more active destinations for European companies looking at Southeast Asia. It is competitive on talent, English‑speaking, with a fast‑growing fintech and digital‑services sector and a regulatory environment that has matured significantly since the BSP began its digital finance licensing programme.

It is also genuinely difficult to enter without ground‑level orientation. The gap between written rules and how they are applied in practice is wide. Banking relationships take time. Entity structures that look straightforward on paper interact with foreign ownership restrictions in ways that take months to untangle if you hit them late.

Most of the European companies I have spoken to arrive with one of two problems: they have done the research but have no one who can make the introductions that compress the orientation phase from six months to six weeks; or they have moved quickly, hired locally, and are now discovering that the structure they chose does not fit what they actually need to do.

What I help with

I work with European companies at the point where strategic intent needs to become operational reality — typically before or just after the commitment to enter.

• Regulatory orientation. Mapping which licences, registrations, and compliance requirements apply to your specific product or service — BSP, SEC Philippines, DICT, BIR — and sequencing them so regulatory constraints shape the build rather than stop it.
• Entity structure. Foreign ownership restrictions vary significantly by sector. Getting the corporate structure wrong early creates problems that are expensive to fix at Series A or when you need to open a bank account.
• Banking relationships. Opening a corporate bank account in the Philippines as a foreign entity is not straightforward. I can connect you to the right people at the major banks and help you arrive with the right documentation and context.
• Hiring and employment structures. EOR, direct hire, and PEZA‑registered entities each carry different obligations and benefits. I can connect you to hiring and EOR providers who work with European companies and know the compliance boundaries.
• Network introductions. Legal and tax advisors, banking contacts, AmCham and ECCP connections — I can compress the time it takes to get in front of the people worth talking to.

Three mistakes European companies make early

• Choosing the entity structure before confirming the licence pathway. The correct holding structure depends on what licence you need and when. Reversing it later costs time and money neither side budgeted for.
• Treating the regulatory process as a legal problem rather than a product problem. The BSP and SEC Philippines are not obstacles to go around; they are design constraints that shape what you can build and how fast. The teams that get to market fastest treat regulators as stakeholders from day one.
• Underestimating the banking timeline. Compliance requirements for foreign‑owned entities are significant. A six‑ to eight‑week banking timeline is realistic; starting it late can block payroll, vendor payments, and product launch.

How it typically works

Most engagements start with a short orientation — two to four weeks — covering regulatory mapping, entity structure options, and an introduction to the advisors and contacts relevant to your specific situation. From there, the scope depends on what you need: some companies want ongoing advisory as they navigate the entry process; others need a specific phase owned end‑to‑end.

I am based between Prague and Manila, which means I can be in the room when it matters — not just available on a call.