“The effective enforcement of competition laws relies on the continued collective interest and support of policymakers, advocates, academics, and most especially, the business sector and the consumers,” said Philippine Competition Commission Chairman Arsenio M. Balisacan during a two-day public forum on the Philippine Competition Act (PCA), held on March 23 and 24.

Fostering a culture of competition in the Philippine business landscape is a gargantuan responsibility, which the PCC cannot fulfill by itself, the antitrust chief said. The pursuit of fair market competition serves as a national priority, and is in line with the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022 and the administration’s 10-point socioeconomic agenda.

With over 200 representatives of consumer groups, trade and business associations, micro-small-medium enterprise, civil society organizations, and members of the business community attending, the forum discussed the benefits of competition for both businesses and consumers and the PCC’s role in making markets work for every Filipino.

With the PCA as a game-changing legislation in building a competitive business environment, the forum aims to raise awareness and provide insights for stakeholders regarding various types of anti-competitive conduct, abuse of dominant position in the market, merger reviews, and international best practices in competition law and policy.

The forum brought together a high-level roster of PCC officials headed by PCC Chairman Arsenio Balisacan, PCC Commissioner Johannes Benjamin Bernabe, PCC Commissioner Amabelle Asuncion, PCC Executive Director Gwen de Vera, PCC Competition Enforcement Office Director Orlando Polinar, and PCC Economics Office Director Benjamin Radoc, Jr., among others.