PJEPA : strengthening the foundation for regional cooperation and economic integration / edited by Erlinda M. Medalla

This two-volume publication of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and the Philippine APEC Study Center Network (PASCN) is composed of 17 studies that assess the potential impact of the Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (PJEPA) on the Philippine macroeconomy and key sectors, which include agriculture, manufacturing and trade, small and medium enterprises, and tourism. Jointly conducted in 2003 by the PIDS, PASCN, and the Department of Trade and Industry, these studies aided Philippine representatives during the negotiations for the agreement with Japan from 2004 to 2006. The PJEPA was ratified on October 8, 2008 after two years of Senate hearings. The studies in this book helped pave the way for the ratification of the PJEPA (then JPEPA) as these were cited and used as arguments on how the country could benefit from the agreement. Volume II contains papers that present impact analyses on specific sectors and concerns, and how the agreement will affect the domestic economy. This volume also identifies which sectors will benefit from and will be disadvantaged by an economic partnership with Japan.