--- title: How to Relocate Your Manila Headquarters Step by Step description: Plan a Manila office move in the right order. Covers PEZA, SEC, BIR, fire and city permits, fit-out costs in PHP, and the move weekend. image: https://blog.flyspaces.com/hubfs/flyspaces-landing-images/cebu-desk-pods-skyline.jpg --- [![spacesasia-logo](https://blog.flyspaces.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SpacesAsia%20-%20June%202019/spacesasia-logo.png?width=260&name=spacesasia-logo.png "spacesasia-logo")](https://blog.flyspaces.com/) - [Home](https://flyspaces.com/) - Navigate - [Flexible Workspaces](https://blog.flyspaces.com/tag/flexible-workspaces#blog-nav) - [News and Events](https://blog.flyspaces.com/tag/news-and-events#blog-nav) - [Industry Insights](https://blog.flyspaces.com/tag/industry-insights#blog-nav) - [City Guide](https://blog.flyspaces.com/tag/city-guide#blog-nav) - [Case Studies](https://blog.flyspaces.com/tag/case-studies#blog-nav) - Connect - [Contact Us](https://flyspaces.com/contact-us) - [Subscribe](https://flyspaces.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=0b15b0bb7a66ae626f3388eb9&id=f72d186210) - Share : 30 August 2026 [Listerlynn Joy Garingo - De La Serna](https://blog.flyspaces.com/author/joy-garingo-delaserna) # How to Relocate Your Manila Headquarters Step by Step Moving a headquarters in Metro Manila means dealing with offices that do not coordinate with each other: your landlord, the building administrator, the building official, the fire bureau, city hall, the tax office, the SEC and, for some companies, PEZA. Some filings cannot start until another one is done, so the order matters. This guide covers what to file, in what order, and how to prepare for the move itself. It cannot promise zero downtime, because several approvals sit with offices you do not control. Following the order below reduces the risk. Every figure has a source and a date, and estimates are labeled. Requirements vary by office and change over time, so confirm each one before you file. This is general information, not legal or tax advice. 1\. Check whether PEZA applies to you PEZA is the Philippine Economic Zone Authority. If your company is registered with it, you need a Letter of Authority (LOA) before you move operations. PEZA lists its LOA filing guidelines as [Memorandum Order No. 2023-040](https://www.peza.gov.ph/content/memorandum-order-no-2023-040), and the application forms are on its [downloads page](https://www.peza.gov.ph/downloads). If your company is not PEZA registered, skip to step 2. PEZA-registered IT firms must keep an office inside a PEZA-registered IT center or building, which narrows your choice of buildings, as [Grant Thornton Philippines explains](https://www.grantthornton.com.ph/insights/articles-and-updates1/lets-talk-tax/guidelines-for-the-transfer-of-peza-registered-it-bpm-firms-to-boi/). A copy of [PEZA's process flow for location transfers](https://www.scribd.com/document/527440681/Transfer-of-Operations) shows 20 working days of evaluation, on top of pre-screening and the Director General's review. Plan for more than a month. The law firm [Duran & Duran-Schulze](https://duranschulze.com/change-of-address-when-you-are-a-peza-registered-entity/) lists what PEZA asks for: - a request letter with the reason, date and new location - the number of affected employees - a notarized undertaking from the highest responsible official, covering employee notice and pay, labor cases and creditors - proof that DOLE, NLRC, NCMB, SSS, BIR and PhilHealth were notified - clearance from the zone administrator - up-to-date PEZA reports After the LOA is approved, you send PEZA the new lease, no-objection letters from the developers of both buildings, and a certified list of the assets you will move. Equipment leaving a PEZA zone also needs PEZA Form 8106, which [PortCalls describes](https://portcalls.com/boc-peza-order-automates-pezatopeza-goods-transfer/) as the permit to bring goods out of the ecozone. Ask your zone office how it applies to your move before anything is packed. The same law firm warns that poorly planned equipment moves can bring penalties. 2\. Update your SEC record The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) needs your new principal office address. Whether you must amend your Articles of Incorporation depends on the city. Under [SEC Opinion No. 12-12](https://www.sec.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/2012OpinionNo12-12.pdf), a corporation whose Articles already state a full, specific address does not need to amend them for a move within the same city. A move to a different city does require amended Articles, as [this summary of the SEC rule](https://jlp-law.com/blog/rules-on-principal-office-address-of-corporations-and-partnerships/) explains. Some law firms read the same-city rule more strictly, so ask your corporate secretary or counsel to confirm. Check which city your new building sits in. Makati, Taguig (where BGC is) and Pasig, Mandaluyong and Quezon City (which share Ortigas Center) are separate cities. A move between districts can be a move between cities, and that changes your SEC, city permit and tax steps. An SEC update does not change your tax or city records. Those are separate filings. 3\. Get fit-out permits before work starts Fit-out work needs several approvals. [Respicio & Co.](https://www.respicio.ph/commentaries/required-permits-for-office-in-commercial-building-in-the-philippines) gives the sequence: 1. Fit-out design. 2. DOLE approval of your Construction Safety and Health Program (CSHP). 3. A Fire Safety Evaluation Clearance (FSEC) from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP). 4. The building permit and trade permits (electrical, mechanical, sanitary, electronics) from the local Office of the Building Official (OBO). [The same firm adds](https://www.respicio.ph/commentaries/issuing-authorities-for-construction-permits-in-subdivisions-and-commercial-projects) that many cities let you process these in parallel, but final approvals still come in that order. Starting work without CSHP or FSEC risks stop-work orders and fines. Your building administrator may also require its own permit to renovate, even inside condominiums and PEZA buildings, [according to Corebilt](https://www.corebilt.ph/philippine-commercial-fit-out-checklist-2026-everything-you-need-to-secure-a-permit/). Ask for the building's fit-out guidelines before you finalize your design. The FSEC costs a PHP 200 application fee plus 0.1% of the verified estimated cost of materials and labor, capped at PHP 50,000, per the [BFP Region 10 citizen's charter](https://region10.bfp.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CITIZENS-CHARTER-2022-1.pdf). For a PHP 6,000,000 fit-out estimate, that is PHP 200 + (0.001 × PHP 6,000,000) = PHP 6,200. The charter adds that BFP adopts the higher figure if your declared cost looks low against current market construction costs. 4\. Secure occupancy and city permits After the work is inspected, tenants secure a Fire Safety Inspection Certificate (FSIC) and their business permits, per [Respicio & Co.](https://www.respicio.ph/commentaries/required-permits-for-office-in-commercial-building-in-the-philippines). The FSIC fee is 15% of all fees charged by the local government, with a minimum of PHP 500, according to the [Quezon City posting of BFP's citizen's charter](https://quezoncity.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/QCFD-Citizens-Charter-12.9.19.pdf). If your local fees come to PHP 20,000, the FSIC fee is 0.15 × PHP 20,000 = PHP 3,000. Fire stations differ on documents and inspection checks, so ask yours for its list. A business permit (Mayor's permit) belongs to a specific address. If you move to another city, you retire the old permit and apply again in the new city. If you stay in the same city, you apply to amend it, which [Emerhub](https://emerhub.com/philippines/business-permit-mayors-permit-in-the-philippines/) says needs a new barangay clearance and the updated lease. Some cities hold the new permit until they see proof of closure from the old one, as [Respicio & Co. notes](https://www.respicio.ph/commentaries/lgu-certificate-of-closure-requirements-when-transferring-store-operations). Start the closure paperwork early. 5\. Move your tax registration with the BIR Report your new address to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Form 1905. If the new address falls under a different Revenue District Office (RDO), your registration transfers to that office. Where your RDO accepts it, you can file through the BIR's online system, ORUS. [Respicio & Co.](https://www.respicio.ph/commentaries/how-to-change-a-bir-registered-address-in-the-philippines) lists proof of the new address as a core requirement, and for corporations it may also ask for SEC documents showing the new address. Ask your RDO how to handle unused invoices that show the old address. Some taxpayers request written permission to keep using them for a period. Timing varies. The BIR processes employee transfers within 24 hours, but company transfers take longer. [Respicio & Co.](https://www.lawyer-philippines.com/articles/rdo-transfer-online-process-in-the-philippines) lists 10 days for a head office. [FilipiKnow](https://filipiknow.net/how-to-transfer-rdo/) reports five to 10 working days for corporate taxpayers, because both RDOs inspect the sites. Sources also differ on the filing deadline after the move, from 10 to 30 days. File as soon as you have the signed lease and any SEC papers, and do not wait for move day. The reason to file yourself is that the rules require written notice. Section 11 of Revenue Regulations 12-85 asks the taxpayer to notify the RDO of the old address, with a copy to the new RDO. In [CIR v. BASF Coating + Inks Phils.](https://lawyerly.ph/juris/view/ce3cb) (G.R. No. 198677, 26 Nov 2014), the Supreme Court sided with the taxpayer because the BIR already knew the new address from its own records. Do not count on that. Assume the BIR will use the address it has on file. 6\. Set lease terms and budget for fit-out and exit costs Ayala Land says [escalation clauses commonly run around 5% to 10%](https://ayalaland.com/blog/office-leasing-guide), and tells tenants to clarify how many rent-free days they get for construction. A [2026 guide from Virspacio](https://virspacio.com/how-much-does-office-space-cost-in-the-philippines/) reports that traditional leases commonly run three to five years, and that deposits and advance rent commonly run two to three months each. That guide is a secondary source. Rent-free periods and fit-out allowances are negotiable, and we found no published standard for how much to expect. For space, [Ayala Land](https://ayalaland.com/blog/how-much-office-space-do-i-need) gives 4 to 8 sqm of usable space per employee, and 7 to 12 sqm per person once shared areas are included. Its [leasing guide](https://ayalaland.com/blog/office-leasing-guide) suggests adding 10% to 20% for growth. For 100 people, that is 700 to 1,200 sqm before any growth buffer. For fit-out cost, the [Cushman & Wakefield APAC Office Fit Out Cost Guide 2026](https://digital.cushmanwakefield.com/fitoutcostguide-03-2026-apac-regional-en-content-pds-office/) (benchmarks as of December 2025) puts the Manila average at [PHP 66,562 per sqm, or PHP 43,107 per sqm for a retrofit](https://digital.cushmanwakefield.com/fitoutcostguide-03-2026-apac-regional-en-content-pds-office/30-31/). A retrofit refits space that is already fitted. The all-in figure includes furniture, mechanical and electrical works, builder works and AV/IT. For 500 sqm, that is PHP 33,281,000 all-in (500 × 66,562) or PHP 21,553,500 as a retrofit (500 × 43,107). C&W calls these indicative averages and recommends project-specific advice. Contractors quote construction-only work lower. Alphabuild, a Manila contractor, [publishes PHP 20,000 to PHP 35,000 per sqm](https://alphabuild.ph/office-fit-out-costs-in-manila-what-to-budget-in-2026/) for mid-range fit-outs in 2026. Plan for the exit as well. Reinstatement, often called make-good, means restoring the space to the condition your lease requires when you leave. C&W's Manila average is PHP 12,678 per sqm, with a range of roughly PHP 9,500 to PHP 15,800 (our estimate, scaled from C&W's USD 15 to USD 25 per sq ft range at the same conversion). For 500 sqm at the average, that is PHP 6,339,000. Read the reinstatement clause before you sign. [The Instant Group](https://www.theinstantgroup.com/en-us/breakthrough-insights/research-articles/end-of-lease-reinstatement-obligations-a-guide-for-commercial-tenants/) advises tenants to hire their own expert to respond to a landlord's claim. Its savings figures come from Australian offices, so we do not apply them to Manila. 7\. Plan the IT cutover and move weekend Order internet from two carriers, such as PLDT, Globe or Converge, in the first week after you sign. Ask each for a written install date, and confirm with the building administrator that both can reach your floor. Lead times differ by building. Cable the new desks before move day so staff carry only laptops and plug in on Monday. Test the backup connection before the weekend, and keep the old office running until the new one is confirmed working. Reserve the freight elevator and loading dock with the building administrator early. Ask about floor protection rules and any move-in deposit. If you are PEZA registered, check the Form 8106 steps from section 1 before equipment leaves. A Friday evening to Monday morning move works well when every permit is already in hand. It does not work if the fit-out permits or the FSIC are still pending, so check those first. If you want help comparing buildings or fitted floors against your headcount and budget, FlySpaces can arrange viewings and compare lease terms for you. Tags: [Flexible Office Space](https://blog.flyspaces.com/tag/flexible-office-space) ![](https://blog.flyspaces.com/hubfs/SpacesAsia%20-%20June%202019/author-img.png) ##### [Listerlynn Joy Garingo - De La Serna](https://blog.flyspaces.com/author/joy-garingo-delaserna) Joy Garingo - De La Serna is a Filipino business executive specializing in the real estate, flexible workspace, and Employer of Record (EOR) sectors within the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. She is involved in creative ventures and community-centric workspace environments that support local startups, founders, and generational shifts in hybrid work styles. 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