MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines is still keen on pursuing an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said.
Trade Secretary Gregory L. Domingo said that he has met with the representative of the EU and they both agreed that they will pursue the EPA.
However, the EU has warned that if the Philippines continues to drag its feet on a possible Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the EU might not be able to accommodate the Philippines anymore because it is processing several agreements with other Asian countries.
This comes at a time when even Vietnam has already overtaken the Philippines in terms of exports of manufactured goods to the EU.
“We can only process a certain number of FTAs at a time,” EU Ambassador Alistair MacDonald said.
According to MacDonald, they are already in the process of negotiating FTAs with Korea and Malaysia. Vietnam, for its part, recently started the negotiations.
Trade Undersecretary Adrian S. Cristobal Jr. has already said that the FTA with the EU may take between four and six years to complete. “It entails a lot of work for all of us.”
He explained that FTAs should not be entered into lightly. In fact, the current FTAs of the Philippines has been underutilized. “Our own business sector has not been taking advantage of the opportunities with FTA,” he noted. –Ma. Elisa P. Osorio (The Philippine Star)
March –
IT’S WOMEN’S MONTH!
“Respect and support women
every day of the year/s!”
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
Monthly Observances:
Women’s Role in History Month
Weekly Observances:
Week 1: Environmental Week;
Women’s Week
Week 3: Philippine Industry and “
Made-in-the-Philippines Products Week
Last Week: Protection and Gender-Fair Treatment
of the Girl Child Week
Daily Observances:
March 8: Women’s Rights and
International Peace Day;
National Women’s Day
March 4: Employee Appreciation Day
March 15: World Consumer Rights Day
March 18: Global Recycling Day
March 21: International Day for the Elimination
of Racial Discrimination
March 23: International Day for the Right to the Truth
Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations
and for the Dignity of Victims
March 25: International Day of Remembrance of the
Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
March 27: Earth Hour
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