Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Farasat A.S. Bokhari Author-Workplace-Name: University of East Anglia Author-Name: Carlos Vega Author-Workplace-Name: University of the Philippines Title: The Philippine Competition Commission: the first ten years Abstract: As the PCC celebrates its tenth anniversary, this symposium of the Philippine Review of Economics serves as a way to look back on a decade of the institution’s growth and to preview the challenges that lie ahead. It does so by presenting research that looks at competition and policy issues in both traditional markets (e.g., rice and labor), as well as digital platforms (e.g., ride-hailing and food delivery apps). Our call for papers sought contributions that would highlight the importance of rigorous economic analysis and its interactions with public policies in today's markets. The selected papers,1 discussed next, provide insights into enforcing antitrust policy within a developing country context and a clear indication that more can still be done to safeguard competition. Classification-JEL: Keywords: Journal: Philippine Review of Economics Pages: 1-4 Volume: 63 Issue: 1 Year: 2026 Month: June File-URL: https://pre.econ.upd.edu.ph/index.php/pre/article/view/1083/1031 File-Format: Application/pdf Handle: RePEc:phs:prejrn:v:63:y:2026:i:1:p:1-4 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Enrico G. Trinidad Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economy, Planning, and Development Author-Name: Majah-Leah V. Ravago Author-Workplace-Name: Ateneo de Manila University, Regional Center for Educational Innovation and Technology (SEAMEO INNOTECH) Author-Name: Arsenio M. Balisacan Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economy, Planning, and Development Title: Tariff cuts without consumer gains? A competition policy perspective on Philippine price trends Abstract: This article examines why domestic food prices in the Philippines, especially rice, have remained high despite falling global prices and trade liberalization. Although the 2019 removal of quantitative restrictions and the introduction of tariffs initially lowered rice prices, the expected continued decline did not occur. Using a Vector Error Correction Model and Structural Vector Autoregressive framework, we analyze price movements across retail, wholesale, and farmgate levels over the past two decades. Results show limited pass-through from international prices to local markets, indicating downward price rigidity. We pinpoint potential contributing factors, including speculative behavior, weak competition, and structural and regulatory barriers, resulting in shocks to stocks and imports. Historical decomposition reveals the increasing influence of wholesale price shocks and inventory fluctuations on domestic price trends. The findings underscore the importance of integrating trade reforms with robust competition policies and effective market governance to manage inflation and improve food security. Classification-JEL: D4, F13, L41, O13, Q17, Q18 Keywords: Rice trade, imperfect competition, Philippines, rice price-rigidity Journal: Philippine Review of Economics Pages: 5-42 Volume: 63 Issue: 1 Year: 2026 Month: June File-URL: https://pre.econ.upd.edu.ph/index.php/pre/article/view/1084/1032 File-Format: Application/pdf Handle: RePEc:phs:prejrn:v:63:y:2026:i:1:p:5-42 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Vincent Jerald Ramos Author-Workplace-Name: University of Southampton Author-Name: Edgardo Manuel Jopson Author-Workplace-Name: Philippine Competition Commission, Ateneo de Manila University Author-Name: Edgar Antonio Suguitan Author-Workplace-Name: University of the Philippines Title: Local labor market concentration and union activity in the Philippines: descriptive estimates and implications Abstract: Workers’ voice institutions traditionally counterbalance the persistent wage- and term-setting power of firms in labor markets, but can only do so if they exist. Do we observe less union activity in labor markets where employment is more concentrated? We address this question and estimate unionization and bargaining activity across broadly aggregated industry-region labor markets using two register data sources from the Philippines: an establishment-level census and a union and collective bargaining registration database. Our results suggest that local labor market concentration is robustly and negatively associated with new union registrations and new collective agreements. A one-standard-deviation increase in the employment HerfindahlHirschman Index (HHI) and the four-firm concentration ratio (CR4) is associated with a 12 percentage-point (pp) and 10.4 pp lower probability of having a new union registration, and a 9.7 pp and 15.3 pp lower probability of having a new collective agreement, on average, respectively. Further, concentration is also associated with lower union membership densities. These results highlight how employer power in input labor markets is plausibly prohibitive for collective action and may deter organizing and bargaining in contexts where only a handful of firms dominate employment. For antitrust authorities in developing country contexts with low union salience and decentralized bargaining systems, a closer examination of the repercussions of concentrated labor markets in merger reviews, competition enforcement, and policy research is a promising way forward. Classification-JEL: J42, J51, J52 Keywords: local labor markets, collective bargaining, union membership, competition Journal: Philippine Review of Economics Journal: Philippine Review of Economics Pages: 43-75 Volume: 63 Issue: 1 Year: 2026 Month: June File-URL: https://pre.econ.upd.edu.ph/index.php/pre/article/view/1085/1033 File-Format: Application/pdf Handle: RePEc:phs:prejrn:v:63:y:2026:i:1:p:43-75 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Charles David A. Icasiano Author-Workplace-Name: University of the Philippines Author-Name: Philip Amadeus D. Libre Author-Workplace-Name: University of the Philippines Title: The Grab and Uber merger: a retrospective Abstract: The Grab–Uber merger was a landmark case for the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC). Its decision to approve the merger had a far-reaching impact on passengers and drivers on both platforms. To date, no competitor of the same size and scale as Uber has emerged in the Philippines. Eight years having passed since the merger, it is time to review the approach taken by the PCC in its investigation and approval. This paper examines the appropriateness of reviewing the transaction through the lens of merger control, the gaps in the Philippine merger notification regime with respect to asset-light industries, the definition of the relevant market, and the remedies imposed and their impact on drivers and passengers. Classification-JEL: G34, K21, L40 Keywords: antitrust, competition law, merger control, platforms, ride-hailing, Philippines Journal: Philippine Review of Economics Pages: 76-99 Volume: 63 Issue: 1 Year: 2026 Month: June File-URL: https://pre.econ.upd.edu.ph/index.php/pre/article/view/1086/1034 File-Format: Application/pdf Handle: RePEc:phs:prejrn:v:63:y:2026:i:1:p:76-99 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Edgardo Manuel Jopson Author-Workplace-Name: Philippine Competition Commission, Ateneo de Manila University Author-Name: Fabio M. Manenti Author-Workplace-Name: University of Padua Author-Name: Franco Mariuzzo Author-Workplace-Name: University of East Anglia Author-Name: Shereena S. Salas Author-Workplace-Name: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Author-Name: Junjun Zhang Author-Workplace-Name: University of East Anglia Title: Multihoming and platform choice in online food delivery Abstract: This paper examines multihoming in the Philippine online food delivery (OFD) market using two original cross sectional surveys of users and delivery riders. We distinguish two margins of platform participation: multihoming as a margin of engagement and single homing as a margin of specialization. On the user side, multihoming is more common among users with higher delivery demand, as spreading orders across platforms becomes attractive when demand is frequent enough to justify using two apps. Conditional on single homing, platform choice is shaped by a monetary service dimension: users in areas with larger rider networks are more likely to choose GrabFood, while those in areas with larger restaurant networks are less likely to do so. Loyalty also remains a strong sorting device. On the rider side, multihoming is concentrated in thicker local demand environments and is less prevalent among riders who report insufficient ride opportunities on competing apps. Conditional on single-homing, platform choice reflects the way platforms bundle demand, compensation, and administrative requirements, rather than differences in market size alone. Classification-JEL: K21, L21, L50, L86 Keywords: multihoming, binary logit, network effects, online food delivery, platforms, switching costs Journal: Philippine Review of Economics Pages: 100-141 Volume: 63 Issue: 1 Year: 2026 Month: June File-URL: https://pre.econ.upd.edu.ph/index.php/pre/article/view/1087/1035 File-Format: Application/pdf Handle: RePEc:phs:prejrn:v:63:y:2026:i:1:p:100-141 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Hal Hill Author-Workplace-Name: Australian National University Title: The Philippine economy: no longer the East Asian exception? Revisited Abstract: The Philippine economy has long been the East Asian outlier. In the early postwar period, with a per capita income higher than many of its neighbors, it was forecast to be one of Asia’s most dynamic economies. However, beginning in the mid-1970s, its growth trajectory increasingly diverged from its high-growth neighbors. By 2000, its per capita income remained roughly the same as it had been in 1980. Nevertheless, in the 21st century, the Philippines rejoined the East Asian mainstream, growing at a rate comparable to that of other Southeast Asian counterparts and faster than its traditional comparator, Thailand. This paper explores these development dynamics and identifies key development issues that need to be addressed if the current growth trajectory is to be maintained and accelerated. Classification-JEL: N15, O53, Z18 Keywords: Philippines, East Asia, macroeconomic policy, economic openness, living standards, institutions Journal: Philippine Review of Economics Pages: 142-167 Volume: 63 Issue: 1 Year: 2026 Month: June File-URL: https://pre.econ.upd.edu.ph/index.php/pre/article/view/1088/1036 File-Format: Application/pdf Handle: RePEc:phs:prejrn:v:63:y:2026:i:1:p:142-167 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Nikkin L. Beronilla Author-Workplace-Name: Philippine Statistics Authority Author-Name: Raymundo P. Addun Author-Workplace-Name: University of Asia and the Pacific Author-Name: Dennis S. Mapa Author-Workplace-Name: Philippine Statistics Authority Title: Does gender stereotyping influence labor force participation in the Philippines? Abstract: We implement a partially linearized Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition to analyze the labor force participation gap. Using data from the merged January 2024 Labor Force Survey and the 2023 Family Income and Expenditure Survey, findings show that over 90 percent of the participation gap arises from the unexplained component which is linked to gender stereotyping. Proxies for the stereotype that men are primary economic providers—such as educational attainment and potential experience—are significant contributors to the unexplained portion, especially for married individuals, but are inconsistent for single individuals. On the other hand, domestic responsibility proxies, such as the nuclear family structure and the presence of children, show negligible or no contributions, indicating that stereotypes assigning household chores and childcare to women do not significantly influence the participation gap. These findings demonstrate that only the stereotype of men as primary economic providers significantly affects the labor participation gap, which is more evident among married individuals and less so among single individuals. Classification-JEL: J70, J01 Keywords: Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition, participation gap, gender, stereotyping Journal: Philippine Review of Economics Pages: 168-176 Volume: 63 Issue: 1 Year: 2026 Month: June File-URL: https://pre.econ.upd.edu.ph/index.php/pre/article/view/1089/1037 File-Format: Application/pdf Handle: RePEc:phs:prejrn:v:63:y:2026:i:1:p:168-176