De La Salle University - Manila

Welcome to DLSU-AKI

Established in 1999, DLSU-AKI envisions itself to be an innovative and leading center for integrating economic and business studies leading to policy recommendations for the government and business community.

The RP-US FTA Project (Phase 2) Technical Workshops
July 4, 6 & 11, 2005

The DLSU-AKI, with funding support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Targeted Interventions in Economic Reform and Governance-Partnership and Advocacy for Competitiveness and Trade (TIERG-PACT) program, will hold a series of consultation meetings/technical workshops entitled "Industrial Adjustment and Upgrading for Competitiveness for Globalization and the RP-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA)” on July 4, 6, and 11, 2005 at the 2nd floor, Banquet Hall A of the DLSU-Angelo King International Conference Center. This is a follow-up to the technical workshops held on September last year for Phase 1 of the RP-US FTA Project and is intended to present the latest developments on the various research topics and to solicit comments and suggestions, in an effort to fill information gaps and to improve on the breadth and quality of the studies.

Phase 2 of the project, aims to examine the potential benefits to and challenges for the Philippines of an RP-US FTA. The research project consists of industry studies (e.g., fashion accessories, gifts, toys, and housewares (GTH), agro-processing, furniture, textile and garments, tourism, business process outsourcing, and automotive), which examine the facets of industrial adjustment, upgrading, and competitive niches in the country geared towards developing a broad Philippine strategy in negotiating a possible FTA with the US. The upcoming consultation meetings/technical workshops will involve selected representatives from the business sector, industry associations, government, and other concerned sectors of civil society.

The IDRC Project Grand Presentation
September 26-27, 2005

On September 26-27, 2005, DLSU-AKI will hold the final public presentation for both the regional and national (Philippine) papers for the project, “Production Networks, Industrial Adjustments, Institutions, Policies and Regional Cooperation” at the DLSU-Angelo King International Conference Center in Manila, Philippines.

This will be the culminating event for this International Development Research Centre (IDRC-Canada) funded-project, where findings and recommendations of the various researchers on their respective topics will be presented. The regional research outputs will be useful in defining or refining industry or sector-specific regional cooperation programs that can complement or form part of the broad regional cooperation and economic partnership agreements being negotiated in East Asia. Similarly, the national research outputs are geared to provide perspectives or inputs toward a Philippine roadmap of industry restructuring and trade negotiations in forthcoming free trade and economic partnership agreements in the eve of globalization. More than 120 researchers, key policy makers, and representatives from the business sector, government, industry associations, and other concerned sectors of the civil society, including representatives from the four other countries covered in the regional component will be invited to attend.

For inquiries, please contact Aileen Gaelon or Emmanuel Marasigan at 524-5369/33 or email us at villanuevaa@dls-csb.edu.ph or marasigane@dls-csb.edu.ph or eman_inbox@yahoo.com.