Business leaders have pledged their support to the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) as “Champions of Competition” in advocating for a more dynamic and equitable business environment in the country.
On November 30, 2023, Chairperson Michael G. Aguinaldo led the Competition Advocacy Pledge in a first of many steps that both the PCC and business leaders will take together towards fostering a level playing field across the business sector.
“Your participation as ‘Champions of Competition’ is a salient message that regulators, businesses, and consumers need not be diametrically opposed to each other—that we can collaborate and coordinate in the hopes of creating a future where everyone can reap the benefits and promises of genuine competition,” Aguinaldo said in his opening remarks.
By taking the pledge, business leaders have committed to uphold the principles and provisions of the Philippine Competition Act (PCA), to advocate for business practices consistent with the pillars of competition, to collaborate with the PCC and support competition advocacy initiatives, to stay updated with regard to the Philippines’ competition landscape, and to connect and expand the network of competition advocates.
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), Philippine Retailers Association (PRA), Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) and Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX) were among organizations that pledged their support.
The PCC is a quasi-judicial agency mandated to implement the PCA, which prohibits anti-competitive behavior such as collusion, cartels, and other business arrangements that are designed to take advantage of consumers and smaller firms.