After a year and two months of implementation, the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) has ushered an increase in the bilateral trade between Japan and the Philippines by 218 percent, records show.
Based on the 2009 year-end data provided by Japan’s Information and Culture Center Director Tomoko Dodo, the trade between Tokyo and Manila involving cuttlefish and squid skyrocketed by 1,685 percent, followed by women’s skirts of cotton (72 percent), coconuts (36 percent), women’s coats of cotton containing fur skin (35 percent), mackerel (35 percent), shrimps and prawns (29 percent), outer soles of footwear of rubber or plastics (25 percent), bananas (24 percent) and bananas, mangoes (24 percent).
The cited economic agreement removed tariffs on specific products such as coconuts, women’s coats, and women’s skirts, while tariff rates on the rest went down compared to the time before JPEPA was forged.
According to the cited data, moreover, the amount of Philippine exports to Japan has been increasing since 2008, the year JPEPA was signed. Tokyo accounted for 15.7 percent or $7.68 billion of Manila’s $49-billion total exports. The said figure was second only to the United States’ $8.20 billion or 16.7-percent share in the country’s total exports.
Meanwhile, Japanese imports in the Philippines in 2008 amounted to $6.60 billion or 11.6 percent, again slightly behind United States’ $7.21 billion or 12.7 percent of the total imports to Manila.
Prior to the implementation of the JPEPA, however, Japanese businessmen were deemed to have been very interested in investing in the Philippines.
As of 2007, Japan’s foreign investment to the Philippines amounted to P121.6 million or 17.8 percent, slightly behind Washington’s P126 million or 18.5 percent.
It was Japan, however, that got the lion’s share of foreign investments under the Philippine Economic Zone Authority with P99 million or 38.6 percent. US registered P81 million for 31 percent. –Llanesca T. Panti, Manila Times
September 18 –
International Equal Pay Day
“Increase wages now,
more than other cost items.
For widespread, practical equality!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the recommendations of the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry
against serious violations of protocols of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association.
Accept the National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands
#Report Corruption #SearchPosts #TakePicturesVideos
September –
5 Sept – Intl Day of Charity
7 Sept – Intl Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies
8 Sept – International Literacy Day
12 Sept – United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation
15 Sept – International Day of Democracy
16 Sept – International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
17 Sept – World Patient Safety Day
18 Sept – International Equal Pay Day
21 Sept – International Day of Peace
26 Sept – International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
27 Sept – World Tourism Day
28 Sept – International Day for Universal Access to Information
29 Sept – International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste
30 Sept – World Maritime Day
Monthly Observances:
Health, Safety and Sanitation Month
National Clean-up Month
Civil Service Month
National Peace Consciousness Month
Social Security Month
Rule of Law Month
National Teachers’ Month (Sept 5-Oct 4)
Weekly Observances:
Sept 17 – 23:
World Clean and Green Week
Week 2: Education Week
Week 4: Medicine Week
Last Week: National Family Week
Daily Observances:
Third Saturday:
International Coastal Clean-up Day
Third Monday: World Health Day
Last Friday: National Maritime Day
Sept 8: National Literacy Day
Sept 15: Philippine Medicine Day
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
