26/05/2026
Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) Commissioner Lolibeth Ramit-Medrano presented the Commission’s experience in implementing a “whole-of-government" approach to competition policy at the margins of the Second Senior Officials’ Meeting of the APEC - Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. The presentation was delivered during the APEC Committee on Trade and Investment’s Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific Dialogue on Competition Policy, held on May 15 in Shanghai, China, bringing together policymakers, trade negotiators, and competition experts across the Asia-Pacific region to discuss emerging trends and reforms in market regulation and free trade agreements (FTAs).
The presentation highlighted that the Philippine Competition Act mandates the PCC to consult and jointly issue rules with sector regulators, anchoring its strategy on three pillars: pro-competitive policies, regulatory advocacy, and robust enforcement. To mainstream these principles across the government, the PCC has formalized numerous institutional partnerships through Memoranda of Agreement or Understanding with key agencies, including the DTI Philippines, Department of Energy Philippines, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Department of Information and Communications Technology - DICT, National Privacy Commission, Department of Justice - Philippines, and the Department of Transportation - Philippines.
The presentation also cited the mainstreaming of competition law in significant legislative milestones such as the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act of 2024, which established an enforcement council that includes the PCC among its member agencies; and the Konektadong Pinoy Act of 2025, which strengthens coordination among the PCC, the DICT, and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) in jointly issuing rules on spectrum management and access frameworks, reviewing barriers to market entry, and enforcing competition provisions – deepening an already existing coordination arrangement with the NTC. Medrano further emphasized that this collaborative framework also extends to FTA negotiations, where the PCC actively aligns with negotiating groups on state enterprises, subsidies, government procurement, digital trade, intellectual property, and economic cooperation to ensure a fair and competitive market ecosystem.
Through sustained inter-agency coordination and international engagement, the PCC remains committed to advancing competitive markets that support innovation, inclusive growth, and consumer welfare.
Photos courtesy of the APEC
