Verification Standard
In one line: Exactly what "Verified by AskPinoy" means, what it doesn't, and how to report a badge that's wrong.
Last updated · Standard version 1
The short version
- Verified by AskPinoy means four things were checked in the last 12 months. Tap the badge to see each one and its date.
- A badge is not a recommendation.
- No badge means we haven't checked yet, not that anything is wrong.
- A licence number appears only after we've seen it on the regulator's own register.
- Verification is free and never tied to a paid plan. Nobody can buy it.
1. What we check: version 1
A listing shows Verified by AskPinoy when all of these are recorded and less than 12 months old:
- Owner confirmed. The person who claimed the listing proved they control the business: we phoned the number on the listing and reached them, or we reviewed a business document they sent. Badge line: "Owner confirmed by phone — {date}".
- Details confirmed. The owner confirmed the phone number, the address or service area, and the main category. "Details confirmed with the owner — {date}".
- Community label attested. The owner ticked, or told us on the call, that the business is Filipino-owned (at least half owned or controlled by people who identify as Filipino) or Filipino-serving (see the Eligibility policy). It's their word. We don't ask for proof of anyone's background. "Filipino-owned — attested by the owner — {date}".
- Licence checked, only where a register exists. For a business in a category with a public licence register, we looked the number up on the regulator's own register and found it. "{register} licence {number} — checked on the {register} register — {date}". For a category with no register, this step doesn't apply and the badge needs only the first three.
The badge shows "Valid until {date}": 12 months after the oldest of these checks.
2. Claimed, confirmed, checked, verified: the difference
You'll see different lines on different listings. Each says exactly what we know.
| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| Shared by the community | A kababayan suggested this business. Details are as reported. Nobody has claimed it yet. |
| Details confirmed {month} · Your business? Claim it free. | We phoned the business and the owner confirmed the details, but nobody has claimed the listing. |
| Filipino-owned / Filipino-serving | The owner attested to it, on the claim form or to us on the phone. |
| Ask for their {credential}… | A regulated trade or profession we haven't checked the register for yet. The line tells you what to ask for. |
| Licence checked · {register} {number} · {month} | We found that number on the regulator's register on that date. |
| Verified by AskPinoy | Every check above that applies, done within 12 months. |
| Founding Business | One of the first 50 businesses to claim their listing. A thank-you, not a check. |
Claimed is not verified. An owner can claim a listing and never complete the other steps. Their page then shows the lines they've earned and no badge.
3. What the badge does not mean
- Not a recommendation. We haven't used the business. Read the reviews and ask around.
- Not a promise of quality, safety or insurance. We don't inspect work or check insurance.
- Not a licence that's valid today. We saw the number on the register on the date shown. Licences lapse and get revoked. Before you hire, check the register yourself; it's free and takes a minute. The registers are listed in the Eligibility policy.
- Not proof of anyone's background. The community label is the owner's own word.
And the other way round: no badge means we haven't checked yet, not that anything is wrong. Most listings start unclaimed. A listing is not an endorsement, and holding the right licence is always the business's responsibility.
4. How licence checks work
- Only immigration consultants must pass the check before their listing publishes at all, because giving paid immigration advice without authorisation is against the law. Every other regulated category publishes right away behind the "Ask for their…" line.
- When a business gives us a licence number, we look it up on the regulator's own register, never a copy and never the business's website, and record the register, the number, the date and who checked. Only then does the number appear on the page.
- If a licence has an expiry date, the "Licence checked" line disappears when it passes, and we re-check.
- A listing whose own text claims a credential ("licensed", "certified", "CPA", "RMT", "MTO-approved") has that claim set aside until we see the number on the register. The claim goes back on the page with a "Licence checked" line once it passes.
- We check claimed listings' numbers in a weekly batch, free.
5. Every 12 months, again
Each check expires 12 months after it was made. When the oldest one expires, the badge comes off, with no penalty and no mark against the business, and comes back once the owner re-confirms. The dashboard shows what's due.
6. Independent of money
- Verification is free for every claimed listing.
- It's never included in, sped up by, or given priority through a paid plan. Paid plans buy visibility only, and paid spots are labelled.
- Badges and licence checks are recorded with a date and the person who did them, and every change is logged.
7. Report a badge that's wrong
If a Verified badge or a Licence checked line looks wrong (the business changed hands, the licence lapsed, the number isn't theirs), email ramuel@askpinoy.com and tell us. We look within 2 business days. If the check doesn't hold up, the line comes off at once. The business never learns who reported it.
8. Versions
- Version 1, 2026-09-29. The four checks above. A listing's badge records which version it was verified under. If the standard changes, this page will say what changed and from when.