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By Katrina Mennen A. Valdez Reporter
The government is confident that
the Japan Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement would pass
muster at the Senate based on the last public hearing held last
week, according to Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Peter
B. Favila.
Favila told reporters over the
weekend that the three lawmakers who lead major committees at the
Senate had “exhausted everything” they needed to know about the
Jpepa.
“[We]are confident that [we]
were able to convince [them],” he said.
He was referring to Senators Mar
Roxas [trade and industry], Miriam Santiago [international
relations] and Edgardo Angara [agriculture].
During last week’s final
hearing, DTI presented a list of safety nets for four critical
sectors that would likely suffer once the accord is implemented.
These are automotive, steel,
consumer electronics, and garments and textile, which were amply
represented by industry leaders and officials of member-companies
during the hearing.
“In view of stakeholders’
representations, they are the ones who need the safety nets,
including capacity building and training,” Favila said.
In addition, the trade chief said
the Development Budget Coordinating Council (DBCC) has endorsed a
P20-billion supplemental budget for programs that will provide
safety nets to local industries likely to be affected by JPEPA.
The proposed supplemental budget
is on top of the P1.227-trillion national budget that Senator Juan
Ponce Enrile had sponsored in the Senate.
The DBCC’s consent for a
supplemental budget was in response to the requests made by Senators
Angara and Roxas 2nd for adequate funding that will ensure that
safety nets are put in place once Jpepa is ratified.
The two senators, together with
Santiago, had required the list of safeguard measures before their
respective committees decide on the fate of Jpepa.
Favila said: “[We] have
adequately presented the merits of JPEPA to the Senate during the
hearing. I think the Senators had a better appreciation of the
merits of JPEPA. It must be viewed as an agreement that provides
many opportunities. On fears, there are safety nets. There is also a
provision for an exit mechanism should we decide to abrogate.”
He added that during the last
nine hearings, the government was able to establish a template that
would give it surer footing in future bilateral negotiations.
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