Philippine Franchise Association: what the PFA does

The Philippine Franchise Association (PFA) is the country's main association of franchise brands. It describes itself as a voluntary, self-regulatory organization whose members follow the Fair Franchising Standards, its code of ethics. On its home page it says it represents almost 1,000 homegrown and foreign brands.

It is not a government agency and it doesn't license franchises. Its stated mission is to promote franchising as a tool for economic development. It is a member of the Asia Pacific Franchise Confederation and the World Franchise Council, and it organizes Franchise Asia Philippines, the big expo held each year at SMX Manila.

The PFA sums up its work in three pillars. Grow means expanding brands in the Philippines and abroad. Strengthen means building the skills of franchisors and franchisees and connecting them with suppliers. Advocate means pushing for the sector's growth. It has offices in Ortigas, Cebu City and Davao City.

Most of what the PFA does falls into six areas. Each one is useful to a different kind of reader.

• Members' directory: a searchable list of member brands on its website that you can filter by sector (food, service, retail) and investment level, plus a downloadable PDF directory with contacts.
• Standards: the Fair Franchising Standards, which bind members to transparency and fairness when they sell franchises.
• Expos: Franchise Asia Philippines, usually in April at SMX Manila, plus the regional Franchise Negosyo expos. In 2026 these ran in Cebu, Cagayan de Oro and Iloilo, with free seminars on choosing a franchise.
• Training: Training Thursdays (short courses on operations and performance), the yearly Franchisee Summit, and the Certified Franchise Executive program. The PFA runs the CFE under an affiliation with the Institute of Certified Franchise Executives, part of the International Franchise Association's Education Foundation.
• Supplier directory: allied members who serve franchises, from POS and software to equipment, packaging, law firms and franchise consultants.
• Buyer protection: a public advisory on franchise scams and an e-brochure on investing in the right franchise.

The PFA's membership page lists two kinds of member. Regular members are individuals, partnerships or companies franchising as a franchisor or master franchisee, approved by the board. Allied members are suppliers of services, equipment or materials to the franchise industry.

For franchisors the page lists these requirements:

• The brand must be registered with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines.
• A successful franchising business.
• An operations manual and a franchisee support program.
• A franchise offering circular or franchise disclosure document.
• A franchise agreement that is not one-sided and binds both parties to their responsibilities.
• A satisfactory financial condition, and compliance with the laws that apply to the business.

The applicant fills in the form, sends the documents to the PFA secretariat, and the membership committee reviews them and makes a recommendation. The board then decides. The page lists benefits such as access to suppliers, expansion opportunities, training and preferential rates at PFA events, Franchise Asia Philippines included. Ask the membership office directly for current fees; we don't list them because they change.

If you want to buy a franchise, the PFA gives you three free tools. Use them in this order.

• 1. Build a shortlist from the members' directory. Filter by sector and by the investment level you can afford, then open each brand's page. Membership tells you the brand passed the PFA's review of its documents.
• 2. Read the PFA's advisory on franchise scams. It asks who is behind the brand and whether it has a franchising track record. It asks whether the agreement and manual are detailed, whether the franchisor owns its trademark and system, whether it belongs to a legitimate association, and what training and support you get. It warns against pressure tactics and offers that are too good to be true.
• 3. Go to an expo and sit in the free seminar on choosing a franchise. Ask each brand on your list the same questions, and note who answers clearly.

Membership requirements give you a ready-made list of questions. A member brand should be able to answer each one without hesitating, and show you the document behind it.

• Can I see the franchise disclosure document or offering circular before I commit to anything?
• What does the operations manual cover, and when do I get a copy?
• What is in your franchisee support program after opening: visits, audits, refresher training, a hotline?
• How many branches do you have, how many are franchised, and how many closed in the last 2 years?
• Which 3 franchisees can I call, and can I pick a fourth myself?
• Who owns each branch's Google profile, and who replies to its reviews?
• Which fees are one-time and which are recurring? Please put them in writing.

Membership checks the system on paper: the manual, the agreement, the support program. It doesn't tell you how the branches run on an ordinary Tuesday, or whether the one near your future site is any good.

That gap is real. Take a Mapkita sample of 1,646 Metro Manila branches of 35 chain brands on Google Maps (October 2026). The median gap between a brand's best and worst branch was 2.9 stars, and 47% of rated branches were below 4.0. The details are in our study of how franchise branches rate on Google.

Some brands are very even. In the same sample, Bo's Coffee's 24 branches had a median of 4.6 stars, and Bruno's Barbers' 41 branches a median of 4.3. That kind of consistency is what a good system looks like from the outside.

Before you call a member brand, open 5 of its branches on Google Maps, in different areas, and read the newest low-star reviews for complaints that repeat. Our franchise expo guide shows the 5-minute phone check and the questions to bring to the brand's booth.

If you own 2 or 3 branches that work and you are thinking of franchising, the membership requirements double as a readiness checklist. Can you hand someone an operations manual, a support program and a fair agreement today? If not, that is the work. Our guide on how to franchise a business walks through it.

Other parts of the PFA help at this stage. The supplier directory lists franchise consultants, law firms and IP attorneys. Training Thursdays courses come with credits that a company can let its employees, franchisees or suppliers use. The Franchisee Summit is aimed at franchisees, franchisors and operations teams; its 2026 programme included local store marketing and customer loyalty.

One more piece of proof a new franchisor can prepare: branches that look the same on Google. Same name on every profile, correct hours, real photos of each branch, and replies to reviews. Give each branch its own Google review link so customers review the right one. Our guide to Google Business Profile for franchises covers how to set the profiles up so they survive a franchisee leaving.

The PFA's contact page lists offices in Pasig City (Ortigas Center), Cebu City and Davao City, a general email (pfa@pfa.org.ph) and a contact form. Membership questions go to the membership office through the same page. For the basics of how franchising works before you contact anyone, start with what franchising is.