This paper looks at the emerging issues and problems in promoting competition policy and coordinating its implementation under regional arrangements, particularly the APEC and the ASEAN. Implementing competition policy is a big challenge. As the review of country experiences shows,...

As a single market and production base, the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) enabled ASEAN Member States (AMS) to take advantage of the free flow of goods, services, funds, and labor. The free movement of labor, particularly skilled, to economies with lucrative opportunities allows them to realize...

The increasing level of competition for foreign direct investment (FDI) in the 1990s triggered many countries to offer various fiscal incentives. Specifically, many Asian countries persistently keep their tax rates competitive. To empirically investigate the relationship between the two...

Using a global computable general equilibrium model, the paper analyzes the potential effects of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) on the Philippine economy. The analysis involves an 80-percent reduction in tariffs and 10 percent in nontariff barriers within RCEP...

The Philippines has been more cautious in its policy towards free trade agreements (FTAs) than other ASEAN member states, having signed, so far, only one bilateral agreement with Japan in addition to the various ASEAN+1 agreements. While the Government is expected to progressively reduce...

Managing urban growth in countries requires that leaders plan ahead using national physical plans that, among others, safeguard land for utilities and physical infrastructure decades ahead, deliberately configures transport networks (including strategic seaports, controlled expressways and, if...

Since 2006, the World Bank has been ranking almost 200 countries in terms of their ease of doing business (EoDB) to underscore the importance of a thriving private sector in promoting high and inclusive growth. Comparing these metrics for business friendliness among economic partners is more...

With overlapping, multiple free trade agreements (FTAs), such as the case of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the various ASEAN+1 FTAs, complications that run counter to the economic integration objectives of the East Asian region could arise. Forging the Regional...

This paper suggests that the ASEAN economic integration can be viewed as an opportunity for brain gain for the ASEAN member-countries. The envisaged ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) may boost both South-South and North-South movements of skilled labor as a result of the growth of cross-border...

The study identifies outstanding issues and bottlenecks and provides recommendations to facilitate the Philippines' full compliance to its commitments to the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). Various in-depth interviews and surveys were conducted with concerned stakeholders from government...