The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) and the National Privacy Commission (NPC) signed on Wednesday, Feb. 9, a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to strengthen enforcement and policy coordination between the two regulators.
In a virtual ceremony led by PCC chairperson Arsenio M. Balisacan and NPC chairperson and privacy commissioner John Henry D. Naga, both agencies agreed to work closely on policy implementation and case investigations involving competition and data privacy.
“With the rise of the digital economy, data — including personal data — have become an important source of market power. It falls upon regulators to ensure that data-driven markets develop and mature in a manner that does not harm consumer welfare. With their respective mandates to promote competition and data privacy, there is a need to develop a united approach between the PCC and the NPC,” Balisacan said.
The MOA facilitates investigation and enforcement support between the PCC and the NPC, including forming joint task forces and notification of matters of common concern. It also enables direct consultations between both regulators in the drafting and implementation of policies relating to one another’s expertise.
To further promote coordination and cooperation, the agencies also agreed to conduct capacity-building activities, which may come in the form of trainings or temporary secondments of staff to one another.
The accumulation and use of “big data” by dominant market players have been the subject of regulatory scrutiny in many other jurisdictions. The greater risks of abuses emerging in the areas of data privacy and competition necessitate close collaboration between the PCC and the NPC.
“In today’s digital economy, data play a key role in the business model of many firms. The synergy we are forming through this agreement is a springboard for stronger enforcement of our competition and data privacy laws,” Balisacan said.
To date, the PCC has inked 25 partnerships with government agencies, counterpart competition authorities, and other organizations. The agency’s MOA with NPC marks the first institutional collaboration for 2022.
