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Louella Desiderio - The Philippine Star
February 12, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) has teamed up with the Trade Competition Commission of Thailand (TCCT) to step up competition law enforcement.
In a statement yesterday, the competition watchdog said a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed on Feb. 4, by PCC chairperson Michael Aguinaldo and TCCT chairperson Maitree Sutapakul to strengthen cross-border collaboration in competition law enforcement.
Under the MOU, the PCC and TCCT’s collaboration will involve information sharing, notifying each other of enforcement activities, coordination on investigations of mutual interest, as well as personnel exchanges and joint training.
Aguinaldo emphasized the importance of cooperation in competition law enforcement as economies are becoming more interconnected.
“In a world where economies are becoming increasingly integrated, it has never been more important to harmonize the ways in which we enforce these laws to ensure more effective and efficient implementation while respecting each other’s autonomy and independence,” Aguinaldo said.
Sutapakul said the PCC and TCCT have been working together through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) forums and programs, including the ASEAN Experts Group on Competition.
“I sincerely hope that this MOU serves as evidence to the enhanced commitment to competition enforcement and advocacy shared by both nations,” Sutapakul said.
The partnership with TCCT is the PCC’s fifth bilateral agreement.
Earlier, the PCC signed MOUs with competition authorities in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia.
The PCC is responsible for enforcing the Philippine Competition Act, which prohibits anti-competitive practices, abuse of dominance and anti-competitive mergers and acquisitions.
The PCC also serves as the Philippine government’s official representative in international competition matters.
