Data Protection in the Philippines

Collection and processing in the Philippines

The collection and processing of Personal Information must comply with the general principle that Personal Information must be:

  • collected for specified and legitimate purposes determined and declared before, or as soon as reasonably practicable after collection, and later processed in a way compatible with such declared, specified and legitimate purposes only; 
  • processed fairly and lawfully; 
  • accurate, relevant and, where necessary for purposes for which it is to be used the processing of Personal Information, kept up to date; inaccurate or incomplete data must be rectified, supplemented, destroyed or their further processing restricted; 
  • adequate and not excessive in relation to the purposes for which they are collected and processed; 
  • retained only for as long as necessary for the fulfillment of the purposes for which the data was obtained or for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims, or for legitimate business purposes, or as provided by law; and 
  • kept in a form which permits identification of data subjects for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which the data were collected and processed:
    • provided that Personal Information collected for other purposes may lie processed for historical, statistical or scientific purposes, and in cases laid down in law may be stored for longer periods, and
    • provided, further, that adequate safeguards are guaranteed by said laws authorizing their processing.

In addition, the processing of Personal Information must meet the following criteria, otherwise, such processing becomes prohibited:

  • the data subject has given his or her consent; 
  • the processing of Personal Information is necessary and is related to the fulfillment of a contract with the data subject or in order to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract; 
  • the processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the PIC is subject; 
  • the processing is necessary to protect vitally important interests of the data subject, including life and health; 
  • the processing is necessary in order to respond to national emergency, to comply with the requirements of public order and safety, or to fulfill functions of public authority which necessarily includes the processing of personal data for the fulfillment of its mandate; or 
  • the processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the PIC or by a third party or parties to whom the data is disclosed, except where such interests are overridden by fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require protection under the Philippine Constitution.

The processing of Sensitive Personal Information is prohibited, except in the following cases:

  • the data subject has given his or her specific consent prior to the processing, or in the case of privileged information, all parties to the exchange have given their consent prior to processing; 
  • the processing is provided for by existing laws and regulations, provided that such regulatory enactments guarantee the protection of the Sensitive Personal Information and the privileged information, and the consent of the data subjects is not required by law or regulation permitting the processing of the Sensitive Personal Information or the privileged information; 
  • the processing is necessary to protect the life and health of the data subject or another person, and the data subject is not legally or physically able to express his or her consent prior to the processing; 
  • the processing is necessary to achieve the lawful and non-commercial objectives of public organizations and their associations, provided:
    • such processing is only confined and related to the bona fide members of these organizations or their associations; 
    • the Sensitive Personal Data are not transferred to third parties; and 
    • the consent of the data subject was obtained prior to processing. 
  • the processing is necessary for purposes of medical treatment, is carried out by a medical practitioner or a medical treatment institution, and an adequate level of protection of Personal Information is ensured; or 
  • the processing concerns such Personal Information as is necessary for the protection of lawful rights and interests of natural or legal persons in court proceedings, or the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims, or when provided to government or public authority.

In August 2024, the NPC issued guidelines on the processing of Sensitive Personal Information on the basis of being necessary for the protection of lawful rights and interests of natural or legal persons in court proceedings, or the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims, or when provided to government or public authority. In its Advisory, the NPC states that said processing of Sensitive Personal Information and privileged information is proper when any of the following requisites are met:

  • the processing is necessary for the protection of lawful rights and interests of natural or legal persons in court proceedings; 
  • the processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims; or
  • the processing entails providing government or public authorities with personal data for the protection of lawful rights and interests in court proceedings or the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims in relation to their constitutional or statutory mandate. Such instances may include providing information that supports the investigation of a law enforcement or regulatory agency.

In December 2024, the NPC likewise issued guidelines on the applicability of the DPA, its implementing rules and regulations, and the issuance of the Commission to Artificial Intelligence systems processing Personal Data.

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