The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) has entered into a strategic partnership with Twala, a Department of Science and Technology–backed Filipino legal technology company, to provide lawyers nationwide with secure, compliant, and state-of-the-art digital signature and electronic notarization solutions.

Quezon City, Philippines — DOST-backed tech startup Twala has digitally signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Quezon City Chapter—the largest IBP chapter in the country—to equip around 13,000 lawyers with cutting-edge digital signature and electronic notary solutions, pushing digital transformation farther in the legal profession.

Makati City, October 9, 2025 — Twala is honored to participate in the Contract Management Summit organized by the PJ Lhuillier Group of Companies (PJLGC), held at the Networld Capital Ventures Inc. (NCVI) Building in Makati City.

As the Philippine HR sector rapidly evolves through digital transformation and the embrace of hybrid work setups, HR professionals are innovating to enhance operational efficiency and elevate the employee experience. The rise of electronic signatures is proving to be a critical enabler for organizations seeking to modernize workflows and ease administrative burdens. E-signatures offer a secure, swift, and paperless alternative to traditional HR documentation processes.

In an era where contracts are signed with a click and deals close without paper, the way we sign documents has completely changed. But with this shift comes confusion: are digital signatures and electronic signatures the same thing? At first glance, they might sound identical—after all, both allow you to sign without pen and paper. However, there’s a big difference in how they work, how secure they are, and when you should use them. Knowing the distinction is crucial for businesses and professionals who want to ensure their agreements are not only fast and convenient, but also legally valid and tamper-proof.

First Impressions Count — And HR Sets the Tone Employee experience begins on the first day of onboarding. If the first few days include delays in onboarding with unsigned contracts, unacknowledged policies or security clearances (just to name a few), this can create the perception of an organization that is disorganized and unstructured. Even if this was unintentional, the poor first impression will linger. In a competitive labor market, a slow and/or unorganized onboarding experience can hamper engagement, as well as contribute to early attrition. Speed, clarity and consistency matter now more than ever.

Every finance team knows the importance of timely budget approvals but many still struggle with delays caused by disorganized workflows. Whether it’s a disbursement request stuck in someone’s inbox or an unsigned budget document sitting on a physical desk, sign-off breakdowns are all too common. In fast moving organizations, these gaps can mean the difference between seizing an opportunity and missing it altogether.

In procurement, speed is not just a competitive advantage. It is a requirement. Whether you are finalizing a supplier contract, approving a purchase request, or onboarding a new vendor, delays at the signing stage can stall the entire workflow. E-signatures offer a powerful way to streamline the process. But not all platforms are designed for the complexity and urgency of procurement operations. If your team is evaluating solutions, now is the time to look beyond generic tools and invest in one that is purpose-built for procurement.

Legal departments are under pressure to execute contracts faster while maintaining compliance. Twala provides a secure digital signing platform designed for Philippine legal standards. This article outlines how to successfully deploy Twala across your legal operations from integration to team enablement ensuring that contract processes are both efficient and compliant.

As legal teams adopt digital workflows, many unknowingly face a growing risk: unsigned or improperly signed documents. Whether it's an NDA, contract, or affidavit, missing signatures can jeopardize enforceability during audits, disputes, or regulatory reviews.

Pasay City, June 16, 2025 — In support of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority’s (PEZA) commitment to digital transformation, Twala, a leading provider of secure and legally compliant digital signature solutions in the Philippines, was invited to present during the agency’s Flag Raising Ceremony held on June 16, 2025, at the PEZA Head Office in Pasay City.

In today’s digital world, keeping important documents safe from tampering or fraud is a major concern for businesses and individuals alike. From contracts and certificates to legal agreements, we need a way to ensure our documents are authentic, secure, and legally recognized. That’s where Twala Hashproof Technology comes in—an innovative solution designed to protect your documents and give you peace of mind.

Enter advanced cryptographic technology, a revolutionary innovation that is poised to transform the way we conduct business. By leveraging the power of decentralized networks, blockchain offers a robust and transparent solution for securing digital signatures, ensuring the authenticity and integrity of transactions.

If generative AI introduced the power to generate and summarize text within IDP, Agentic AI takes it a step further by autonomously deciding what needs to be done, when it should happen, and how to get it done. Let’s explore how this evolution from generative to agentic AI is redefining document intelligence on a whole new level.

Static documents are a thing of the past. Say hello to Twala AI, a revolutionary platform from Twala — a Filipino company pioneering secure and intelligent document solutions. Backed by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Twala AI transforms how you interact with, process, and extract value from documents. Imagine a world where files aren’t just static PDFs but dynamic tools you can use intelligently. Well, the future is now.

Pasay City, Philippines – In a significant recognition of its transformative contributions, Twala was honored by the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) on October 30, 2024, at the Sheraton Hotel in Pasay City. The prestigious award acknowledged Twala’s pivotal role in promoting the Ease of Doing Business and delivering more efficient government services across the Philippines. Among the 21 awardees celebrated for their exceptional contributions, Twala stood out as the only non-government agency, underscoring the company’s unique position and impact in supporting ARTA’s mission through private sector innovation.

In 1991, two Bellcore researchers, Stuart Haber and W. Scott Stornetta, were quietly revolutionizing digital trust with their seminal paper “How to Time-Stamp a Digital Document” in the Journal of Cryptology. Their opening words were prophetic: “The prospect of a world in which all text, audio, picture, and video documents are in digital form on easily modifiable media raises the issue of how to certify when a document was created or last changed.” This wasn’t about cryptocurrency — it was about something far more fundamental: How do you prove a digital document existed at a specific moment in time without relying on trust?

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 legal landscape in the Philippines can be challenging, especially when it comes to ensuring compliance with digital tools like electronic signatures. For businesses and law firms, making sure that digital signatures meet the requirements of the law—specifically the E-Commerce Act and the Rules on Electronic Evidence—can be a time-consuming and complex process. Understanding these requirements is crucial for ensuring that digital signatures are legally valid and admissible in court.

In 2022, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) introduced new rules that allow the use of electronic signatures (e-signatures) for opening bank deposit accounts. This move is part of the BSP’s effort to modernize banking in the Philippines and support the country’s shift toward digital financial services.

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:

The rise of e-commerce in the Philippines has introduced new challenges, particularly the risk of online fraud. As businesses increasingly rely on digital transactions, ensuring secure and trustworthy interactions has become essential. Digital signatures have emerged as a key tool for addressing these concerns, helping to reduce fraud and build trust in the digital economy. By ensuring document integrity and verifying identities, digital signatures enhance security in contracts, payments, and transactions.

Twala, a pioneering DOST-backed startup known for its blockchain-secured digital identity, digital signature, and intelligent document solutions, played a prominent role at the inaugural Advanced Science, Technology, and Innovation Convention (ASTICon) 2024. Held at Novotel Manila in Cubao, Quezon City, the event marked the 37th anniversary of the Department of Science and Technology’s Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI) and brought together key figures from industry, government, and the tech sector under the theme “Together, We Can.”

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.

Twala, a DOST-backed digital signature and digital identity startup, e-signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Senate of the Philippines to help its digitalization efforts. This is the first time the Senate has entered into such an agreement with a Filipino innovative tech-startup.

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.

The National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO) has concludedits inaugural Billionaire Co-ops' Summit 2023 by signing a landmark 2-year contract worth 2 million pesos with innovative Philippine startup, Twala. This agreement heralds a new stage of financial and social inclusion within the cooperative sector, through digitalization of paper-based workflows.

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.

Twala, a DOST-funded startup in the Philippines providing digital identity and blockchain-based signature solutions, is excited to announce its membership in the Cloud Signature Consortium (CSC), a global organization dedicated to promoting the adoption of cloud-based electronic signatures. As a member of the CSC, Twala will collaborate with industry leaders to develop, enhance, and advocate for secure digital authentication and electronic signature standards.

Twala has partnered with the DOST - Advanced Science andTechnology Institute (DOST-ASTI) to accelerate research and development in the field of Blockchain Technology.

Blockchain startup Twala has received a P4.6 million grant fund from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) — Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) to further help companies power their remote or hybrid work arrangements through its digital signature solution.

PLDT Enterprise inked an MOU with Twala to co-innovate and productize Twala, a blockchain-powered document and digital signature platform.

On July 2, 2020, Disini Law, in partnership with Digital Freedom Network, presented “E-Signature: Are They Legal”, the second episode in the webinar series Digital Transformation Thursdays (DTT).

A blockchain-powered e-signature solution and a leading education technology (edtech) platform won the very first Startup Pitch Competition virtually held by the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines (CCIFP) last Feb. 8.

Twala, a tech startup that offers digital transformation of businesses with their legally binding and secure electronic signature platform powered by blockchain technology, got selected as one of the startups that will join the IdeaSpace Philippines Acceleration Program 2021.

IDEASPACE Foundation, the startup support organization behind IdeaSpace and QBO Innovation Hub, announced a new round of investments after closing the ninth cohort of the IdeaSpace acceleration program.

Notarization is to certify or attest to a document by a notary public. A duly notarized document carries with it the presumption of regularity, authenticity, and due execution.

If your startup can pivot toward sustainability, and, at the same time, respond to issues surrounding COVID-19, then the business has a good chance of surviving this pandemic.

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.

The E-Commerce Act of 2000 allows the use of electronic and digital signatures in the Philippines.

As companies embrace new ways of working like remote or hybrid work setups, having a systematic process of saving, retrieving, sharing, and retaining business data is now more important than ever.

They’re an important tool in an effective and efficient contract management process. Curious to see how this tool could revolutionize how you do business?

Pangilinan-led IdeaSpace Foundation has infused P3 million into three startups that capitalize on the shift to digital platforms to address challenges and risks arising from the new normal.

So, you’re finally convinced of the significant cost and productivity benefits that esignatures can bring to your business. But there’s one compelling thought that has been keeping you from giving your green light to adopt the technology – are e-signatures legal in the Philippines?