CEBU CITY, Cebu, Oct. 17 (PIA) -- The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) announced that they will be launching a satellite office in Cebu, which will be the third PCC satellite office after its Baguio City and Legazpi City satellite offices.
The establishment of the new satellite office is PCC’s response to address the concern of protecting market competition outside Metro Manila and also in accordance with its nationwide mandate to implement the National Competition Policy and enforce the Philippine Competition Act.
According to PCC Executive Director Kenneth Tanate, they are eyeing to operate the PCC Cebu satellite office by November 2022.
"In Cebu, hopefully it will be operationalized by next month. As of now, ongoing ang procurement namin for the office space .
Hopefully, we can award that procurement to the bid winner by the end of this month and we can start the operation by November,” said Tanate during the Multisectoral Forum on the Philippine Competition Act on Oct. 13.
PCC visited three buildings in Cebu that will serve as the possible sites for their satellite office.
The commission has identified one possible office space in Ayala Cebu and two in Brgy. Guadalupe, this city.
Having a satellite office is a way to augment the conduct of investigations regarding the business anticompetitive concerns and queries reported in Cebu.
The new satellite office also aims to strengthen the advocacy activities of PCC in partnership with National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and other government agencies and local government units in promoting and protecting competitive markets as well as educating consumers and businesses in Cebu about the competition law.
"Encourage ko lang na kung nandito na kami, try to visit our office and our website and learn about the market competition. Kasi kung alam natin ang about sa competition, malalaman natin kung ano ang right nating mga consumers at businesses at upang malaban natin ito,” Tanate added.
The PCC and NEDA held a Multisectoral Forum in Cebu City to discuss R.A. 10667 or the Philippine Competition Act and the National Competition Policy.
The event was attended by PCC OIC Chairperson and Commissioner Atty. Johannes Benjamin Bernabe. (RGC/PIA7 Cebu)
