ROXAS: TAKING ADVANTAGE OF JPEPA GAINS IN OUR HANDS
'KUNG IKUKUMPARA ANG TALO SA TABLA, DOON TAYO SA TABLA'

Senator Mar Roxas today said that taking advantage of all potential gains that the Philippines got in the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) will be in the hands of the government, with the participation of the private sector.

"Ang treaty ay nagbubukas ng pagkakataon para sa atin, subalit hindi ito maisasakatuparan kung hindi naman hahakbang ang ating gobyerno at ang business sector para nga ang mga potensyal na ito ay maging totoo," he said.

"Iyong mga pagkakataon na napakaloob dito sa JPEPA ay hawak natin. Hamon sa gobyerno na itong mga 'potentialities,' itong 'theoretical gains' ay maging totoo. Gobyerno ang tatawid, magiging tulay, para ang theoretical gains ay maisakatuparan," he stressed.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade and Commerce pointed out that while the treaty provides marginal potential benefits, non-ratification of the treaty would result in real and calculable losses in terms of jobs and incomes.

"Kung ikukumpara ang talo sa tabla, doon tayo sa tabla," he said.

In the case of trade in agricultural and industrial goods [see attached table], he said majority of trade between the Philippines and Japan is already at zero duty: already $5.78 billion or 83% of Philippine exports to Japan, and $4.58 billion or 63% of imports.

He said duties on the remaining $1.19 billion of exports will be brought to zero on day one or gradually (or imposed with another modality). These include fruits, seafood, garments, furnitures, among others.

Even if this was the case, Roxas said: "hawak din ng gobyerno ang solusyon dito para hindi naman masayang ang pagkakataong ito. Yung investments sa seeds at farm-to-market roads, sa packaging, sa refrigeration, sa lahat, tayo lang ang makakagawa ng iyan, para ang ating mga agricultural products natin, hindi lang ang saging at pinya, ay makakapasok ng libre sa bansang Hapon."

On the other hand, of the remaining $2.72 billion of imports that will be conceded, Roxas sees that $1.72 billion of which are actually beneficial imports, in the form of raw materials and capital goods. Meanwhile, $1 billion would be at risk of competing with local goods, which include appliances and consumer electronics, garmets, iron and steel, automotives, among others.

In the case of opening up the Japanese market for Filipino nurses and caregivers, there is a self-executing limitation: the requirement to be able to speak, read and write Nihonggo.

"Maisasakatuparan lang ito kung magkaroon tayo ng programa kung saan magtuturo tayo ng lengwaheng Hapon sa ating mga nurses at caregivers. Ito ay isang programa na madaling magagawa ng gobyerno, hingiin niya sa ODA, na ang ODA ay mag-focus sa ating nurses at caregivers," he said

Roxas noted that other trade partners of Japan have already inked, or is in the process of finalizing, similar economic partnership agreements. He also noted that in the next two months, the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership will be finalized.

"Kung hindi tayo kabahagi ng JPEPA, mawawala tayo sa global supply chain at mailalagay sa alanganin ang mga pagawaan dito dahil ililipat ito doon sa ibang bansa na may pormal na kasunduan," he said

"Mas mabuti na kabahagi tayo rito, na makaka-compete tayo, kaysa maging isolationist tayo, at maiwan tayo," he added.

Though he is convinced that it is better to have JPEPA than nothing, he said it is "too early to tell" if JPEPA will indeed be ratified by the Senate. "Pati na rin mga kasama ko sa Liberal Party ay isa-isa kong pe-presentahan nitong impormasyon para makumbinse rin sila."

He earlier announced that a committee report will be out shortly after session resumes by the end of the month. As in all treaties, the ratification of JPEPA would require a two-thirds vote of the Senate in plenary.

The committee report is being drafted by the Foreign Relations Committee, headed by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, and the Trade Committee. The latter is working on the trade and economic aspects, while the latter is focusing on the legal and international relations aspects.

"Kung hatulan ng Committee on Foreign Relations na unconstitutional ito, eh di kahit ano pang benepisyo na nakikita natin dito o kahit anong probisyon na economic ay isasatabi, dahilan sa Constitutionality ang isyu," he said.