10 April 2015 - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) successfully conducted a seminar on Philippines-OECD engagement last March 23 in Pasay City. Hosted by the DFA Office of the Undersecretary for International Economic Relations, the seminar was organized in cooperation with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an international economic organization that engages policy makers from all over the world in collaborative efforts towards policies that promote economic and social well-being. The seminar was attended by representatives from over 20 Philippine agencies.
The OECD Delegation of seven officials, led by Director of Global Relations Marcos Bonturi, provided a briefing on the organization, its bodies and legal instruments, and its various programs and projects. The Delegation also detailed OECD’s initiatives on trade, investments, finance, enterprise, and agriculture and fisheries, as well as on specific topics of interest to the Philippines. Each session also presented initial proposals to further strengthen Philippines-OECD relations.
National Economic and Development Authority Deputy Director General Emmanuel F. Esguerra also delivered a presentation on the Philippines’ economic performance, challenges, reforms, and outlook.
While the Philippines is not yet a member of the OECD, the country is engaged in various OECD bodies such as the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes and the Committee on Fiscal Affairs. The Philippines is likewise adherent to a number of OECD legal instruments and a participant in several OECD policy reviews such as the Economic Outlook for Asia, China, and India; the Investment Policy Review; and the Review of Agricultural Policies, among others.
Significantly, the Philippines is an active participant of the OECD Southeast Asia Regional Programme. Launched in 2014, the Programme aims to boost the ASEAN-OECD relationship to a more strategic level by supporting domestic priorities, policy reforms, and regional integration efforts. It is comprised of six thematic Regional Policy Networks (RPN) – each RPN composed of policy experts from Southeast Asia and the OECD countries – and three Initiatives. The Philippines is Co-Chair of the RPN for Connectivity and Public-Private Partnership.
The Philippines is also working with the OECD Development Center on a 3-phased Multi-Dimensional Country Review (MDCR). Specifically tailored for developing economies, the MDCR aims to design policies and strategies responsive to the needs of a multi-faceted economy while receptive to the need for economic growth to be stable, sustainable, and inclusive. The OECD Development Center is a separate forum within the OECD system where OECD member and non-member countries come to share their experience of economic and social development policies. END