Page 12 - LM Confidential Issue February 2015

Philippines
NEWS
DTI urges speedy passage of
Competition Law
MANILA - Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory L. Domingo has asked Congress for the speedy passage of the Competition Law with penalty provision that is pegged
based on the size of the erring company.
Domingo made this call as House Bill No. 5286 is now on second reading. Its counterpart bill in the Senate has already been
approved also on third reading last year through the sponsorship of Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV.
DTI Undersecretary Prudencio M. Reyes, head of the Department of Trade and Industry Legislative Liaison, reported that the host of 14 congressmen authoring the bill from various political affiliations, especially the speaker himself and former President highlight the importance of the bill at the House of Representatives.
Domingo said that past measures undertaken to liberalize key sectors of the economy need to be reinforced by measures that safeguard competitive conditions.
“A competition law will level the playing field especially for micro, small, and medium firms that are at a disadvantage in the market place in reference to competing with the big firms.There is a need to provide equal opportunities to all to promote
Philippines
NEWS
Spain’s new aid
MANILA - Spain is designing a new program in the Philippines that will allow corporations to avail of soft loans.
“We are designing new tools that will help the Philippines,” Ambassador Luis Calvo said. He said the four new tools being proposed by a working group included program based-aid, financial cooperation, private-public partnership and joint programming with the European Union delegation.
As of end 2014, Spanish development assistance amounted to 270.397 million euros, with 90 percent in the form of grants.
entrepreneurial spirit, encourage private investments, facilitate technology transfer,” Domingo said.
The proposed measures in both Houses of Congress will create an independent commission tasked to implement the competition law. At the same time, it recognizes the valuable work of the Department of Justice- Office for Competition (OFC) (presently designated as the government’s competition authority as mandated by Executive Order No. 45) and other government agencies in enforcing the competition policies of the government. The DOJ-Office for Competition shall continue to investigate and prosecute all criminal offenses arising under this Act and other competition-related laws.
“Enactment by Congress of such measure will ensure of a strong and more permanent government office, the present office is only created by an executive order,” Reyes said. “An understanding of the market conditions is critical to the effective enforcement of competition laws and policy,” Domingo said.
“The mandate of the Department is two- edged, to promote business at the same time regulate it. A competition law will add coherence and balance to the market. With the onset of ASEAN integration in the next few weeks, the need to put in place such mechanism is more compelling.”
Regional integration will open up the Philippine market to the nine ASEAN markets, and a competition law in place will
PALACE - No truth Panel
MANILA - Malacanang said there may be no need to form a truth commission on the Palace’s botched Mamasapano operation as suggested by Senator Teofisto Guingona III, saying there was a need to form a “unified view” of the incident.
“Maybe they should study carefully if that will be a beneficial step because there is already a board of inquiry. There is also an executive commission [of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front],” Coloma said in an interview over government radio.
surely protect local firms. Undersecretary Reyes is also the DTI Head for ASEAN/ APEC SME Trade Facilitation.
Meanwhile, included in both DTI’s and DOJ’s wishlist is to make penalties proportional to the size of the violating firm instead of pegging it in absolute amounts.
Senate Bill No. 2882 entitled “An Act Promoting Fair Competition to Protect Consumer Welfare, Advance Domestic and International Trade and Sustained Economic Development by, Among Others, Regulating Monopolies, Anti- Competitive Agreements, Abuse of Dominant Position and Anti-Competitive Mergers, Establishing the Fair Competition Commission and Appropriating Funds Therfor, And Other Purposes,” is authored by Senators Sergio Osmena III, Teofisto Guingona III, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, JV Ejercito Estrada, Antonio Trillanes IV and Paolo Benigno Aquino IV.
House Bill No. 5286 entitled “Promoting a National Competition Policy for the Philippines, Prohibiting Anti-Competitive Practices in Restraint of Trade, Abuse of Dominant Position, Unfair Competition, Establishing the Philippine Competition Commission, Appropriating Funds Therefor, and for Other Purposes,” is principally authored by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and former President and now Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo.
Indonesia to build
PH ships
MANILA - Flag Officer-in-Command Vice Admiral Jesus Millan said Indonesia is buildingtwoshipsforP3.87billiontoserve asfloatingcommandcenterwithheliports. “The Philippine Navy is expecting the first and second Strategic Sealift Vessels (SSV ) to be delivered not later than May 2016 and May 2017, respectively,” he said.
On November 18, 2014, the Navy said the Department of National Defense (DND) declared Persero as the “single calculated responsive bidder” for the sealift acquisition project.
Max open to possibility of falling in love with Geoff
Max Collins plays her most mature role
to date in “Kailan Ba Tama ang Mali?”
that starts airing February 9 on GMA7’s Afternoon Prime to replace “Ang Lihim ni An- nasandra”. “Unfaithful wife ako rito ni Geoff Eigenmann,” she says. “I will fall for my boss, Dion Ignacio, and I’m supposed to have love scenes with both Geoff and Dion. Kaya nag-workshop kaming tatlo before taping started, to make sure mawala ang inhibitions namin sa isa’t isa.”
How’s it working with them? “I’ve worked with Dion in ‘Inamorata’ so we’re used to each other. Si Geoff naman is easy to get along with and he’s a very good actor, so walang problema. Matagal na rin kaming magkakilala as we have the same manager, Perry Lansigan.”
She’s currently being linked to Pancho Magno but she swears they’re just good friends and she’s still very much unattached. So now that Geoff has broken up with Carla Abellana, is it possible for them to fall for each other? “In life, anything is possible. Hindi naman sarado ang puso ko and we can’t foretell the future. But it’s still too early. Mas mabuting maging friends muna kami while doing this show.”
Does Geoff still look depressed after his breakup? “No, I can say mukhang happy na siya. Mukhang naka-move on na.”
She just renewed her contract with GMA for another three years and she’s very happy with the first project given to her. “Maganda itong ‘Kailan Ba Tama ang Mali’ and happy rin ako na ito ang first project ko for this year. I’m also glad to be re- united with Empress Schuck. Actually, we’ve worked na before nung pareho pa kaming nasa ABS in ‘Rosalka’. Nagkontrabida ako sa kanya roon. Ngayon, siya naman ang magiging other woman ni Geoff dito sa ‘Kailan Ba Tama ang Mali?’ Masarap siyang katrabaho dahil mahusay siyang aktres at very professional kaya mapipilitan ka to also give your best.”
Thorncliffe Christmas Celebration
TORONTO ON - A Christmas Eve Mass celebration through the eyes of the children from the Thorncliffe Park Neighbourhood area. In the early afternoon of December 24th, at the Blessed Edith Stein Catholic Church, the children presented a “Christmas Play” to the congregation as they performed and portrayed their roles as Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the Angels & Shepherds and welcomed the arrival of the three Biblical Kings, Melchor, Gaspar and Baltazar, who offered the Baby Infant Jesus with the “Gifts from the Magi”, gold, myrrh and frankensence. At the end of the Mass, to their delight, each child received a loot bag filled with toys & goodies.
12 L. M. Confidential
FEBRUARY 2015
LMC