Competition: A Whole-Of-Government Effort by Arsenio M. Balisacan, PhD September 12, 2018 Millennials and succeeding generations will not be able to recall a time when Philippine businesses and consumers had no choice but to engage in a highly concentrated market characterized by the absence of any significant competitive pressure. The State held inefficiently run monopolies… continue reading ››
The ‘dating app phenomenon’ of digital platforms by Atty. Amabelle C. Asuncion August 28, 2018 The proposed traffic scheme banning single-rider vehicles along Edsa during rush hour has generated mixed, mostly satirical, if not downright sarcastic reactions from single drivers and commuters alike. Social-network posts range from complaints about discrimination to a mad rush for… continue reading ››
Holding Grab by the Horns by Atty. Johannes Benjamin R. Bernabe August 14, 2018 Grab’s acquisition of Uber is a landmark case for the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC). It is the first transaction that the PCC reviewed motu proprio (i.e., on the PCC’s own initiative) and, with the August 10 decision, resulted in a conditional… continue reading ››
Big and Special by Stella Luz A. Quimbo July 31, 2018 At the recent Competition Law Asia conference held in Singapore, the conference chairman reminded participants what Spider-Man once said: with great power comes great responsibility. By “power”, the conference chairman was, of course, referring to market power, rather than the abilities of a superhero…. continue reading ››
Playing fair to court investors by Arsenio M. Balisacan, PhD July 10, 2018 Foreign direct investment (FDI) is key to sustaining the rapid growth of the Philippine economy and, more important, to the generation of higher-paying, better-quality jobs for Filipinos. As rapid growth of employment opportunities is fundamental to poverty reduction, making the country attractive to… continue reading ››
(King) crab mentality by Atty. Amabelle C. Asuncion June 26, 2018 I first learned about “crab mentality” back in elementary while studying history. It is a bad trait unfairly ascribed to Filipinos and considered a formidable obstacle to their success. Crab mentality involves pulling down anyone who achieves or is about to achieve success greater… continue reading ››
Chasing cartels for the benefit of consumers by Atty. Johannes Benjamin R. Bernabe June 12, 2018 Putting a halt to cartels and other collusive acts lies at the heart of the Philippine Competition Commission’s (PCC) effort to improve consumer welfare. The review of mergers and acquisitions, often involving large corporations, while gaining the lion’s share… continue reading ››
Competition authorities and regulators: Twinning or tweening? by Stella Luz A. Quimbo May 29, 2018 The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) is the country’s competition authority. It is not a sector-specific regulator like the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas which regulates all types of banks, or the Securities and Exchange Commission which is the regulator and registrar… continue reading ››
Constitutionalizing competition by Arsenio M. Balisacan, PhD May 15, 2018 The proposal of the Consultative Committee’s (Con-Com) subpanel on economic reforms to create a federal competition body brings to the fore a long-standing debate about the role of competition regimes. Basic economic theory suggests that competition is crucial to the proper functioning of markets…. continue reading ››
Merger as marriage and its commitments by Atty. Amabelle C. Asuncion May 1, 2018 In many ways, a merger is like marriage: two independent entities agree to, for better or for worse, become one, pool their resources and begin a profitable life of operating the business together. Just like a marriage, mergers are usually intended to… continue reading ››