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This two-volume publication of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and Philippine APEC Study Center Network (PASCN) is composed of 17 studies that assess the potential impact of the Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (PJEPA) on the Philippine macroeconomy and key sectors, which include agriculture, manufacturing and trade, small and medium enterprises, and tourism. Jointly conducted in 2003 by the PIDS, PASCN, and the Department of Trade and Industry, these studies aided Philippine representatives during the negotiations for the agreement with Japan from 2004 to 2006.

Volume II contains papers that present impact analyses on specific sectors and concerns, and how the agreement will affect the domestic economy. This volume also identifies which sectors will benefit from and will be disadvantaged by an economic partnership with Japan.
 
 
 
The PJEPA was ratified on October 8, 2008 after two years of grueling Senate investigation. The studies in this book helped pave the way for the ratification of the PJEPA (then JPEPA) as the contents of these studies were cited and used as arguments as to how the country can benefit from this agreement.

Volume I contains papers that present an impact analysis on the macroeconomy and how the agreement works within the framework of regional economic integration. It also contains special papers tackling different political concerns surrounding the PJEPA, such as issues on human resource development and movement of persons.
 
 
 

Philippine Journal of Development

PJD 2012 Vol. 39 Nos. 1-2h
Ledda, Veredigna M.
 
The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint envisions the transformation of the ASEAN region into a single market and production base through the facilitation of the free flow of goods and services. With tariffs declining to near-zero levels, nontariff barriers are increasingly the focus of coordination efforts by ASEAN member-countries. The ASEAN standards and conformance measures aim to harmonize national standards, technical regulations, and conformity assessment procedures to achieve connectivity among similar regulatory institutions in the region and to facilitate trade. The Mid-Term Review of the AEC Blueprint set out surveys and a scorecard mechanism to assess each country`s progress in the implementation of standards and conformance in eight key areas, including automotive and rubber-based products, electrical and electronic equipment, cosmetics, medical devices, pharmaceutical products, prepared foodstuff, and traditional medicine and health supplement sectors.

This paper presents the survey results and includes a background on key national institutions in-charge of standards and conformance. Overall, the survey results show that the Philippines is committed to aligning national standards with international benchmarks and has achieved significant progress in most sectors through measures that include the amendment of the relevant laws and regulations. While the Philippines remains committed to the AEC and the AEC blueprint, challenges to implementation remain, including adequate funding and support. The way forward for standards and conformance in the Philippines lies in capacity building and strengthening regulatory institutions.
   
PJD 2012 Vol. 39 Nos. 1-2a
Medalla, Erlinda M.
 
This paper is part of the Philippine study for the Mid-Term Review (MTR) of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint, a project of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA). A milestone in ASEAN economic cooperation is the Cebu Declaration on the Accelaration of the Establishment of an ASEAN Community by 2015 during the 12th ASEAN Summit in 2007, and subsequently the passing of the ASEAN Charter. A midterm review where the member-countries are in moving toward the AEC is thus timely.

At the core of ASEAN integration is the free flow of trade in goods. Accordingly, an essential part of the midterm review is an assessment of progress in the area of trade liberalization and facilitation. Toward this end, two sets of surveys were undertaken: (1) the MTR Questionnaire for Government Officials, and (2) the Firm MTR Survey on Import/Export and Customs Clearance. The questionnaire for government officials gathered information on aspects of ASEAN customs development and integration and the implementation of the national single window and the ASEAN Single Window. The survey of firms provided the view from users, particularly their experiences on the customs clearance and permit release process in other government agencies. This yielded a number of recommendations on the ways forward.