The paper aims to add to the understanding of the issues and suggests a framework to move toward the use of best practice in ROOs. Rules of origin (ROO), originally designed as uncontroversial and neutral devise for authentication and statistical purposes, have evolved over time to accommodate...

This paper is an integration of the studies commissioned under the DFA-PIDS memorandum of agreement to explore the priority areas during the Philippines' APEC hosting in 2015 under the theme: "Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World". The four priority areas in the APEC 2015 agenda...

This paper assesses one of the pillars of the "Big Push" for micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) development of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI): the shared service facility (SSF). Implemented in 2013, SSF seeks to address the gaps and bottlenecks in the value chain of priority...

After numerous attempts over more than a decade, the Philippine government finally enacted a comprehensive competition law, the Philippine Competition Act (Republic Act 10667) in July 2015. Before this breakthrough legislation, competition policy and law was scattered in about 30 different laws...

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been working toward the free movement of goods in the region. Although significant progress has been made in the opening up of markets through tariff elimination, addressing the issues on nontariff measures (NTMs) remain. With the reduction...