2009 PLAN OF THE TRADE ADVOCACY GROUP (TAG)

Advancing TAG’s Advocacy: The National Trade Agenda Long-term objective: The creation and consolidation of a pro-development, people- centered, effective, and responsive national trade agenda Campaign Issues/Areas of Focus: Legislative Creation of a Philippine Trade Representative Office pursuant to a more effective and responsive National Trade Agenda Participation in, monitoring and critique of trade agreements Tariff recalibration Special Project: Medium Term Philippine Development Plan

TAG shall pursue these campaign issues through: I. PHILIPPINE TRADE REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE A. TRADE FORUM/ DIALOGUE 1. Role of Congress in Tariff Setting 2. Executive Agreements vs Treaties 3. National Treatment/ National Sovereignty 4. Investment 5. Intellectual Property 6. Government Procurement B. TRADE POLICY RESEARCH 1. Study Impact of Free Trade Agreement 2. Inventory of Trade Policy C. FORMATION OF TECHNICAL EXPERTS/ ADVISORY COMMITTEE 1. Meetings

D. INFORMATION EDUCATION/ COMMUNICATION 1. Website Development 2. Website Maintenance 3. TAG Ads - You Tube Campaigns 4. Monograph/ Primer Series 5. Pamplets/ Brochures E. LOBBY WORK/ PEOPLE'S ACTION 1. Meetings 2. People's Mobilization II. Networking A. Local B. International III. COALITION MEETINGS IV. YEAR-END ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING

February 16, 2009 Strategic Plan I.Create a single agency that will focus on Philippine trade policy formulation and negotiation in International Trade Agreements (PTRO) Committee: FTA, PLCPD, IDEALS, RWAN, Kaisampalad II.Work for the maximization of policy space in existing trade agreements (ASEAN FTAs) Committee: IGTN, AFA, AsiaDHRRA, IDEALS, Tambuyog, FDC, RWAN III.Implement a broad based tariff recalibration program that will review and set tariffs on the level of competitiveness of domestic sectors (Tariff Recalibration) Committee: Tambuyog, KM, PLCDP, IDEALS, FTA

TAG’s Planned activities : PTRO Craft a PTRO Bill Participate on committee hearings and technical working groups Lobby work Constituency-building: civil society organizations, Industry, Legislators Popular IEC materials for PTRO Expected Results Passage of the PTRO Bill at both Houses, Congress and Senate Briefing materials IEC materials

TAG’s Planned activities : ASEAN FTAs Identify, prioritize 2-3 FTA: begin with the identification of criteria for the choice Research on impact of a concluded FTA on 1 sector Research on the potential impact of currently negotiated FTAs focusing on the following issues: (a) investment protection; (b) competition policy; (c) transparency; and (d) government procurement Validate, consult stake-holders and build concrete plan of action/ engagement Lobby advocacy for key tactical gains on policy level Be able to participate in pre-negotiation consultative meetings at the CTRM and other key divisions of government Create a consultative mechanism with representatives of country-partners Expected Output: Research and briefing papers Position papers of major issues and positions that cut across different FTAs, concluded or currently negotiated: TAG level and individual-member level Identified champions at the Senate and HOR for trade and related issues IEC materials from researches made

TAG’s Planned activities : Tariff Recalibration Research to identify export-oriented and import-vulnerable products in the fishery industry to provide focus in terms of scope for future research and work Forum to identify major issues affecting the sector such as impact of exchange rates on export and import activities in the sector; in order not to isolate the analysis of the fishery sector on the tariff issues alone Conduct a research on tariff recalibration for the fishery industry Research and presentation of existing tariff lines and effects on the fishing industry Consultation and consensus-building on proposed tariff lines to be followed by validation sessions Present proposed policies to concerned groups, and departments of government Lobby for support on recalibrated tariffs and the underlying policies proposed for the industry Expected Output: Proposed recalibrated tariffs for specific commodities in the fisheries industry [in the form of a draft bill] Policy paper on tariff recalibration for stakeholders and policymakers

Committee and TAG Decisions PTRO The objective now is for the Senate to adopt the HOR version. ASEAN FTAs: The group identified the ASEAN- Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) and ASEAN-China FTA (ACFTA) as priority FTAs to study. ATIGA - Asiadhrra ACFTA - AFA Tariff Recalibration Tambuyog will handle the research on Tariff Recalibration on Fish and Fish Products

Thank you for your attention!