Special Reform Legislation Discussion Series

AmCham Philippines

AmCham came to life in 1902 as the Manila Coffee Round Table and later as Manila Merchants Association. Incorporated in 1920, it has since then recognized and reconfirmed the commitment of American business to the development and welfare of the Philippines and the Filipino people.

This is a commitment of long-standing, as its mission statement declares:

The Chamber exists to serve the interests of U.S. businesses through the participation of members in promoting their long-term objectives while contributing to the civic and economic development of the Philippines.”

Event Details

The second installment of AmCham-RESPOND's Special Reform Legislation Discussion Series is on February 26, 2019, from 8:30am to 11:30am at AmCham Hall, 2nd Floor, The American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Corinthian Plaza Building, 121 Paseo de Roxas, Makati City.

The briefing discussion will cover proposed amendments to: 1) the foreign equity restrictions in the Constitution, 2) the Retail Trade Act (RTA), and 3) the Foreign Investments Act (FIA). Restrictions on foreign participation in the Philippine economy present in the constitution, the RTA, and the FIA have been cited by experts and government economic managers as a major factor limiting higher levels of foreign direct investments into the Philippines, compared to our ASEAN neighbors. With ongoing initiatives in both the Executive and the Legislative branches to pursue the aforementioned amendments, the event will provide experts involved in the ongoing reform initiatives to explain the content and status of the aforementioned amendments which, when enacted, may attract large, new inflows of FDI to strengthen competitiveness, job creation, and economic growth.

SPEAKERS

Dr. Bernardo Villegas, (Research Director at the Center for Research and Communication; member of the Constitutional Commission that drafted the 1987 Constitution), Philippine Competition Commission Chairman Arsenio Balisacan, former Finance Secretary, and architect of the Foreign Investments Act, Gary Teves, and Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo will be speaking with an invited legislator from the Senate.

This event is co-hosted by the AmCham Legislative and Trade & Industry Committees, in partnership with the USAID RESPOND project administered by the UP Public Administration Research and Extension Services Foundation, Inc.

Kindly register as soon as possible, we will be closing registration once we reach 80 attendees.

For questions pertaining to this program please contact Mr. Mark Allen Rabago, Industry Development Specialist and Government Liaison Officer at 8818-7911 loc. 216 or email markallen@amchamphilippines.com.