PRESS RELEASE 2020-001
3 January 2020

2019 Year-end Report of the Philippine Competition Commission
Arsenio M. Balisacan, PhD
Chairman

The year 2019 was another banner year for the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) as it sought to protect and promote market competition—its core mandate under the Philippine Competition Act (PCA).

The past year saw the Commission issuing landmark decisions, instilling discipline in the competitive landscapes across different industries, and imposing sizeable penalties on erring firms. Allow me to report on these and other achievements in 2019 and share our priorities in 2020.

Stronger Competition Enforcement for a Growing Economy

The past year had not been smooth sailing for the country’s economy. The ongoing trade disputes around the world continued to depress global demand. Moreover, the delay in the passage of the national budget tempered economic growth.

Still, amid these pressing economic challenges, the Philippines continued to thrive and perform well, with GDP growth hovering around 6 percent. Moreover, poverty estimates recently released show that the country’s full-year poverty incidence dropped from 23.3 percent in 2015 to 16.6 percent in 2018. These numbers signal that we are on track to achieve AmBisyon Natin 2040, our long-term vision for the Philippines.

The persistence of various anticompetitive policies and practices poses risk to the sustainability and inclusivity of economic growth. Effective enforcement of competition law and policy is thus part and parcel of the country’s long-term development agenda.