The IBP and Twala: What the Partnership Means for Lawyers and Law Offices
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) and Twala have signed three agreements in a year: with IBP Quezon City in October 2025, with the national IBP in January 2026, and on October 19, 2026, a legal aid program that became one of the first two documents eNotarized in the Philippines. Here is what each one covers, and what it offers IBP members.
Why the bar
Every notary public in the Philippines is a lawyer, and every lawyer belongs to the IBP. So when notarization moved online, the profession that would carry it was the IBP’s own membership: a bar of more than 50,000 lawyers.
The links run through the rules, too. An Electronic Notary Public (ENP) applies to notarize on Twala with a certificate of notarial commission and an IBP ID. Compliance with the Supreme Court’s Unified Legal Aid Service (ULAS) is among the requirements for an electronic notarial commission. A partnership with the bar was never a side project for an Electronic Notarization Facility. It was the way in.
October 2025: IBP Quezon City
The first agreement was with IBP Quezon City, the largest chapter in the country, with around 13,000 lawyers. The Memorandum of Agreement was signed digitally on October 14, 2025, at the chapter’s office in Quezon City Hall, by chapter President Atty. Rowell Ilagan and Twala co-founder and General Counsel Atty. Third Bagro. Chapter Auditor Atty. Rodolfo John Paul C. Palattao III and Twala CEO Engr. Jeffrey Reyes signed as witnesses.
The agreement set the pattern for what followed: webinars, seminars, and training on digital signatures and electronic notarization; discounted subscription packages for members; technical demonstrations and onboarding support; and support for the chapter’s ULAS program through sponsorships and co-organized activities. In May 2026, IBP Quezon City, the Quezon City chapter of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Twala held a webinar for businesses on the same tools.
“By embracing secure and compliant digital technologies, our members will be better equipped to serve clients efficiently and uphold the integrity of legal processes in the digital age,” Atty. Ilagan said at the signing.
January 2026: the national partnership
On January 12, 2026, the partnership went national. The agreement was signed at the IBP Building in Ortigas Center, Pasig City, by Atty. Allan G. Panolong, National President of the IBP and Chairperson of its 27th Board of Governors, and Atty. Bagro. IBP Executive Vice President Atty. Randall C. Tabayoyong, Governor for Bicolandia, and Engr. Reyes witnessed it.
“This partnership with Twala represents an important step in the modernization of legal practice,” Atty. Panolong said. Under it, IBP members nationwide get:
- Training. Joint webinars, seminars, and training programs on digital signatures, electronic notarization, and emerging legal technologies.
- Member pricing. Exclusive discounted subscription packages for Twala’s eSignature and eNotary services.
- Hands-on help. Onboarding support, technical demonstrations, and hands-on training.
- Legal aid. Support for the IBP’s ULAS program through sponsorships and co-organized activities.
October 2026: legal aid, notarized first
At the official launch of electronic notarization in Taguig City on October 19, 2026, the IBP and Twala signed a third agreement, and it was electronically signed and notarized on Twala on the spot. Under it, participating lawyers can give free online consultations to eligible beneficiaries using Twala, and Twala provides free eNotarization credits for eligible indigent clients, all under the Supreme Court’s ULAS framework.
One of the first two documents notarized online in the Philippines was, in other words, a commitment to free legal help. Atty. Panolong joined the legal technology forum that followed. Our post on the IBP–Twala legal aid program covers how it works and who decides who qualifies.
The three agreements at a glance
| Agreement | Signed | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| IBP Quezon City | October 14, 2025 | Training, discounted packages, onboarding, and ULAS support for the country’s largest chapter |
| IBP national | January 12, 2026 | The same, for IBP members nationwide |
| IBP legal aid program | October 19, 2026 | Free online consultations by participating lawyers, and free eNotarization credits for eligible indigent clients |
What it means for law offices and legal departments
For a lawyer, the partnership lowers the cost of trying the tools. For a law office or an in-house legal department, the more useful question is what changes in the daily work.
On Twala, a workspace maps naturally to a client matter. Each one is private, holds its pleadings, contracts, and correspondence, and is shared only with the people assigned to it. Engagement letters, settlement agreements, and board papers go out for eSignature from the same place, and every completed document is sealed and anchored with HashOrigin™, so the other side can check it on its own. Lawyers in the office who hold electronic notarial commissions can notarize for clients anywhere in the Philippines, and Lex, the AI inside Twala, answers only from files the person asking is allowed to open.
Lawyers who want to notarize online can start with how to become an Electronic Notary Public. For the wider view, see what eNotarization means for the Philippine legal profession and the institutions behind Twala. To ask about member packages or onboarding for your office, contact us.
Twala is a Supreme Court-accredited Electronic Notarization Facility (ENF). Twala is a technology provider and does not give legal advice. Notarial acts are performed by commissioned Electronic Notaries Public.
