To move forward – in trade and productivityThe Senate failed to concur with the presidential approval of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement or RCEP before it adjourned its final session. This inaction is a symbolic confirmation of why we lag behind some of our forward-thinking neighbors on the expansion of opportunities for trade and productivity to accelerate the economy’s growth. This represents by far the biggest free trade bloc in terms of geography, population size, and potential economic clout. “The RCEP region remains to be a strong bastion of economic activities and opportunities as trade and investment shift to Asia. These sectors are R&D services, construction and professional services (engineering and architecture), higher education services, banking services, and game development services, among others.

Source: Philippine Star February 22, 2022 17:15 UTC