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Best Forex Brokers in Philippines



Aug 4, 2020  
There are no officially regulated brokers to operate in Philippines. So, you can trade forex legally in the Philippines with the best forex brokers recommended in this article.

Forex trading has been popular in various countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, and even the Philippines. It's 100% legal to trade forex in the country if the broker is authorized by the local Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC oversees forex trading to ensure that it is conducted in a fair and transparent manner. So, there's no prohibition law for forex trading in the Philippines.

However, the public's confusion regarding the legality of forex trading in the Philippines stems from the SEC statement titled "Forex Trading Is Illegal In The Philippines" on October 30, 2018. Any Philippine residents who want to trade forex should know three key points from the advisory:

  1. The public is advised to stop forex trading and investing in foreign platforms for forex, CFD, indices, binary options, etc.
  2. The public is advised to avoid anyone who promotes such financial products because they have no license to facilitate trading in the Philippines.
  3. The public is encouraged to report anyone who promotes such financial products to the Enforcement and Investor Protection Department (EIPD).

Despite the official announcement, individuals could still engage in forex trading through foreign platforms. Indeed, there are no licensed and regulated forex brokers within the Philippines. In other words, if Philippine residents want to trade forex in the country, they have to trade with offshore brokers.

Here's the list of top forex brokers in the Philippines you may consider:

  1. XM: Regulated offshore and offers a unique leverage of up to 1:888 
  2. HF Markets: Provided free webinar in Filipino language
  3. FBS: Minimum deposit as low as $1
  4. OctaFX: Offers top trading conditions and unlimited demo accounts
  5. Exness: Holds the most offshore licenses compared to others
  6. IC Markets: Support Philippines local currency and local bank for deposit and withdrawal

Why are the brokers above recommended as the top forex brokers in the Philippines? Well, they meet all or some of the criteria needed to be a safe and reliable forex broker for Philippine traders. Continue reading for the complete explanation.

 

Things to Consider When Choosing a Forex Broker in the Philippines

If you're interested in trading forex in the Philippines, make sure you look for a forex broker that meets several criteria to ensure the safety of your trading. Some of these criteria include the following:

 

1. Regulated as Offshore Brokers

Although there is no official classification, the term "offshore forex brokers" is commonly applied to those who establish a business in typical areas such as islands and other small, secluded countries.

Some areas that are seen as locations where offshore brokers establish their businesses include St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Seychelles, Mauritius, and the island nation of Vanuatu.

Offshore brokers accept clients from any country without limitations. Therefore, they become an ideal option for Philippines traders who want to trade forex in their country. In terms of legality, offshore brokers typically have regulations from entities like:

There are pros and cons associated with offshore brokers. The pros include their flexibility and the offer of more benefits, such as high leverage, low deposit requirements (as low as $1), a wider variety of financial assets, and stricter privacy.

On the other hand, offshore brokers are considered less robust in terms of security. However, you don't need to worry too much as long as the offshore broker has good reviews and a solid track record.

 

2. Local Deposit and Withdrawal

The next aspect you should also consider is the availability of local deposit and withdrawal options. While it's not mandatory, if your chosen broker meets this criterion, it will make things more convenient and transactions more efficient for you.

It would be even better if the broker accepts Philippines Peso (PHP) for your deposits and withdrawals, allowing you to reduce the trading costs you have to incur since you won't need to pay conversion fees.

 

3. Support for Local Language

The official languages of the Philippines are Filipino (based on Tagalog) and English. Filipino serves as the national language, while English is used for official and business purposes. 

It would be great if your chosen broker supports the Filipino language, besides English. This way, Philippine traders can use services in their national language. It would be much better if not only the broker's website but also its customer service and mobile app supported the local language.

 

4. Bonus and Promotions for Philippines Traders

Last but not least, it would give an extra point to the broker if they frequently offer various bonuses and promotions for Philippine traders. These bonuses can be specifically tailored for Philippine traders only or available for other countries as well.

Why should bonus offerings also be considered? Well, forex brokers typically provide bonuses such as deposit bonuses, welcome bonuses, no deposit bonuses, and so on as a form of service to their clients. If your chosen broker also offers bonuses like these, it would certainly be advantageous for you, wouldn't it?

 

Best Forex Brokers in the Philippines

It is very important to vet the best forex brokers carefully. Make sure you are only engaging with brokers that have sufficient licenses to provide forex trading facilities. It is also important to check online broker reviews to ensure they have quality features and responsive customer services.

To guide you in choosing the best forex brokers, see the following list:

 

1. XM

  • Regulated as an offshore broker: Yes (CySEC and IFSC Belize)
  • Local Banks for Deposit and Withdrawal: Yes
  • Supported Languages: Filipino, English, Indonesia, Korean, Dutch, Spanish, Arab, Mandarin, Hindi, Thai, Urdu, Japanese, and many more
  • Philippines-based Customer Support: Yes
  • Bonuses for Philippines clients: Yes

XM is a global broker that has been operating since 2009. XM has headquarters in various locations, including Cyprus, Belize, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, New Zealand, Australia, Italy, Belize, the European area, France, and Nigeria. XM provides Forex/CFD trading services to over 4 million clients.

This broker holds offshore regulations from CySEC Cyprus (120/10) and IFSC Belize (000261/309). Additionally, it's recognized by many other regulators including BaFin (Germany), CNMV (Spain), FSP (New Zealand), ASIC (Australia), and CONSOB (Italy).

When it comes to deposit and withdrawal options, XM offers a wide range of payment methods. You can deposit using Peso currency, which will be automatically converted into the base currency of your account.

The minimum deposit required to start trading with XM is quite low, starting only from $5. The maximum leverage offered by XM is quite unique. Instead of 1:100 or 1:1000, XM offers a maximum leverage of 1:888.

What sets XM apart is the availability of its website and mobile app in Filipino, which is different from most other brokers. XM's customer support also responds through live agents, not bots. You can even choose your preferred communication option, whether it's through live chat, WhatsApp, Line, or phone.

One significant advantage that XM offers is that it provides a lot of educational content for traders worldwide. Specifically for Philippines clients, XM holds webinars, spoken in Filipino, every Monday to Friday from 17:00 to 22:00 PHT and on Sundays from 19:00 to 21:00 PHT.

These free webinars for Filipino clients are conducted by professional Filipino instructors like Jonathan Lou Reyes, Madi Daji, and Richard Caringal. There are no charges for these webinars at all.

 

2. HF Markets

  • Regulated as an offshore broker: Yes (FSA - Seychelles)
  • Local Banks for Deposit and Withdrawal: Yes
  • Supported Languages: Filipino, English, Indonesia, Arabic, Urdu, Mandarin, Hindi, Mandarin, Japanese, and many more
  • Philippines-based Customer Support: Yes
  • Bonuses for Philippines clients: Yes

HF Markets, formerly known as HotForex, is a broker based in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. This broker also has headquarters in Kenya, Cyprus, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Seychelles, Mauritius, and South Africa.

HF Markets is quite popular for being known as a multiregulated broker. Besides having offshore regulation from FSA Seychelles (8419176-1), HF Markets holds regulations from DFSA Dubai, FSCA South Africa, and CMA Kenya.

HF Markets allows deposits and withdrawals using local banks and the local currency of the Philippines. This greatly facilitates the financial matters of Filipino citizens when trading forex. Moreover, HF Markets' customer support is very responsive through live chat and can communicate in the Filipino language.

When it comes to forex trading, HF Markets offers excellent trading conditions. The minimum deposit required to start trading in HF Markets is only $5. The minimum lot size is 0.01 with leverage reaching up to 1:1,000.  

Furthermore, HF Markets offers a wide range of educational content, including podcasts, webinars, seminars, online videos, and online trading courses.

What's even better is that HF Markets offers free webinars spoken in Filipino. This is an added value that you can certainly consider when choosing the best broker in the Philippines.

 

3. FBS

  • Regulated as an offshore broker: Yes (IFSC Belize and CySEC)
  • Local Banks for Deposit and Withdrawal: Yes
  • Supported Languages: Filipino, English, Dutch, Italian, French, Portuguese, Indonesian, Spanish, and others
  • Philippines-based Customer Support: Yes
  • Bonuses for Philippines clients: Yes

FBS is a global broker with regulatory jurisdictions in Cyprus (331/17), Belize (IFSC/000102/310), and Australia, while remaining accessible to traders from the Philippines. FBS provides support for a diverse range of trading assets including forex, CFDs, metals, energy, stocks, indices, and cryptocurrencies.

FBS offers attractive trading conditions with a minimum deposit of only $1 and leverage caps reaching up to 1:3000. Those are undoubtedly some of the most prominent benefits of being regulated as an offshore broker.

Payment methods for deposits and withdrawals at FBS are diverse, ranging from credit/debit cards, e-payment options, to cryptocurrencies. If you reside in the Philippines, you can deposit and withdraw using your local currency.

FBS is recommended for Philippines clients because the FBS website and customer support are available in Filipino. Unfortunately, the mobile app is not yet available in this language.

Customer support is highly responsive, with responses typically within minutes. A significant advantage is that the live chat on the FBS website is not automated but conducted with live agents, ensuring meaningful and responsive interactions where you can freely ask any questions.

 

4. OctaFX

  • Regulated as an offshore broker: Yes (CySEC and FSA - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
  • Local Banks for Deposit and Withdrawal: Yes
  • Supported Languages: Filipino, English, Indonesian, Mandarin, Malay, Portuguese, Spanish, Urdu, and others
  • Philippines-based Customer Support: Yes
  • Bonuses for Philippines clients: Yes

The next best broker for Philippines clients is OctaFX. This broker is headquartered in Cyprus, St. Vincent & Grenadines, and Nigeria. Over 4 million clients have been trading with OctaFX.

The company holds regulations from CySEC 372/18 and SVGFSA 19776. The domain belongs to a group of companies called Octa Markets Incorporated, which is registered with the FSA of Saint Vincent and Grenadines. Currently, the company focuses on Asian, South African, and Australian markets.

The minimum deposit required to start trading with OctaFX is $25. OctaFX will convert Philippine Pesos into dollars as soon as you deposit.

The offered leverage goes up to 1:500, while the minimum lot size across all accounts is 0.01 lots.

Interestinglym OctaFX hosts forex demo contests that can also be joined by Philippine traders. This competition specifically uses demo accounts. If you win, you are eligible for cash prizes of a significant amount.

If you encounter difficulties while trading, OctaFX's customer support agents can communicate in Filipino. Unfortunately, the OctaFX mobile app is not yet available in this language, similar to FBS.

 

5. Exness

  • Regulated as an offshore broker: Yes (FSA - Seychelles, FSC - British Virgin Island, and CySEC)
  • Local Banks for Deposit and Withdrawal: Yes
  • Supported Languages: Filipino, English, Indonesia, Korean, Mandarin, Hindi, Thai, Urdu, Japanese, and many more
  • Philippines-based Customer Support: No
  • Bonuses for Philippines clients: Yes

The next recommended broker for Philippines traders is Exness. This broker operates since 2008 with headquarters in Seychelles, Saint Martin, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, United Kingdom, European area, France, Nigeria, and Brazil. Exness provides Forex/CFD trading services to over 4 million clients.

This broker has also been regulated by various authorities, including FSA (Seychelles), FSC (BVI), CySEC (Cyprus), FSCA (South Africa), CBCS (Curacao), CMA (Kenya), FCA (UK), and ESMA. With such multiple regulations, the legality and security of trading with Exness are globally recognized.

The company offers many excellent services, including support for at least 107 currency pairs, a minimum deposit of only $1, a maximum leverage of 1:2000, and a competitive cost structure.

Unfortunately, the Exness website is not available in Filipino, and the same goes for its customer support and mobile app. This is certainly a noticeable drawback for Philippine traders.

 

6. IC Markets Global

  • Regulated as an offshore broker: Yes (FSA - Seychelles)
  • Local Banks for Deposit and Withdrawal: Yes
  • Supported Languages: English, Mandarin Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, French, Spanish, Thai
  • Philippines-based Customer Support: Yes
  • Bonuses for Philippines clients: Yes

Next, there's IC Markets, which is also can be considered for Philippine clients. This broker, regulated by FSA Seychelles (SD018), supports deposits and withdrawals using local bank options. You are also allowed to use the local currency. There's also a payment option using Philippines Pay (Dragonpay) using PHP.

Compared to the previous brokers, the trading conditions at IC Markets are not as favorable as XM, HFM, or FBS. The minimum deposit required to start trading at IC Markets is $200, which is significantly higher than the previous brokers. The minimum lot size is the same, which is 0.01 lots, but the leverage is lower, at only 1:500.

In terms of language, this broker falls behind because its website does not support Filipino, although customer support can communicate in Filipino through translation. There are no webinars or educational content available in Filipino. However, there's a welcome bonus of $30 available for Philippines clients.

 

Conclusion

Based on the list of brokers above, it is evident that XM and HF Markets outshine other brokers because they meet all the criteria required to be the best forex broker in the Philippines.

Both of them support local currency and local banks for the deposit and withdrawal of trading funds. If you're a beginner, their free webinars in Filipino would be highly beneficial. They also provide excellent trading conditions with low minimum deposits and high leverage.

If you're looking for higher leverage offers, then FBS would be the best choice as it offers leverage of up to 1:3,000. FBS also supports deposit and withdrawal with local currency and local banks. However, it doesn't have Filipino-language webinar content. So, please consider your options carefully.

 

Aside from the Philippines, one of the most lucrative markets in Southeast Asia is Indonesia, an emerging country with one of the highest populations in the world. Yet, the brokers operating in the country are only limited to those regulated by Bappebti.