How Do You Say JPEPA?
In the coming days, maybe even weeks, we will again be gearing up for JPEPA, The Japan-Philippine Econonmic Partnership Agreement. The JPEPA hearings will fall under The Committee on Foreign Relations which is chaired by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago.
In what I feel is a subtle attempt to put JPEPA in a good light, it seems that proponents have hailed it as The Japan-Philippine “Prosperity” Agreement. Although, this isn’t the legal title for the treaty, it seems that this early on, a clear attempt to put The JPEPA under a good light through mere re-wording of the title is taking place.
Yesterday, Senator Pia Cayetano lead a Forum on The JPEPA, the photo below was released soon thereafter with the following caption:
JPEPA FORUM: Sen. Pia “Compañera” Cayetano leads the discussion in the Senate today on the Japan-Philippines Economic Prosperity Agreement (JPEPA). The forum raises a critical perspective on the JPEPA and gives light on the concerns on how it binds the hands of Philippine legislature in passing protective and development measures that favor and support Filipinos. Representatives from various sectors also bring up pertinent issues such as the unhampered access of Japanese commercial fishing industry to the country, the free entry of lower-costing products from Japan, and the welfare of our health workers eager to work as caregivers for Japanese despite the significant differences in culture and language.
The Forum is part of a greater effort to inform the public about this treaty, but I think mislabeling the title may be used for a campaign based on emotion rather than facts. Let’s call JPEPA by its legal title, and let’s stick to the facts. If indeed, the provisions within the treaty are fair for The Filipino people, then there should be no need to start a campaign for the hearts and minds of The Filipino people with regards to this treaty.
It is a Partnership Agreement, not a Prosperity Agreement. If proponents can’t even represent the title in a transparent manner, what more when we actually get to the juicy details.
tags: JPEPA
Aside from wastes – toxic or not to be exported by Japan to Phils and Japan’s concession in allowing our caregivers/nurses to work in Japan, the market access for Phils/Japan under JPEPA are mentioned below.
In market access on agricultural products granted by Japan in favor of the Phils, it allowed, at minimal tariff rates, products of Phils covering sugar/mascovado & molasses (2,300MT to increase to 3,400MT in 4 years at half of existing tariff rate), chicken meat (3,000MT to increase to 7,000MT in 5 years at 8.5% tariff), pineapples (1,000MT to increase to 1,800MT in 5 years at 0% tariff), fishery products like tuna (to eliminate tariff in 5 years), small bananas (no limit at 10 - 20% tariff). While Japan’s agricultural products and fruits are allowed market access to Phils at 0% tariff.
On the other hand, Phils granted Japan market access on industrial goods such as iron/steel (175,000MT to 207,500 in 3 years at 0% tariff), auto and auto parts at 0% tariff, electrical and electronic appliances and parts at 0% tariff, textiles and apparels at 0%. The combined amount of these imports to Phils would run to millions of dollars compared to paltry agricultural exports of Phils to Japan mentioned above. On iron/steel alone, it will hurt the local steel industries and may even cause numerous job displacements. Understandably, Japan eliminated its tariff for industrial goods coming from Phils (which is already 0% for electronic parts such as microchips etc – produced by Japanese corps) – actually there is no such Phil industrial goods manufactured by a Filipino owned corp that is being exported to Japan.
In addition, Japanese commercial fishing is allowed unhampered access to Phil EEZs as provided in Article 28 & 29, Chapter 3 of JPEPA. In rough estimate, a yearly catch by Japanese commercial fishing fleets could even reached around 100,000MT to 500,000MT with equivalent value of $500M to $2.5B! (certainly huge) – this quantity is not far off if Japan will deploy a number of its 8,000 ton factory ships grazing Phils EEZs – all these income goes to the pockets of Japs and some hare-brained locals. The impact to the Phil fishery resources as well as to the local tuna industry will be worse because it will completely deplete Phils EEZs fishery resources in a span of 5 years – leaving the elimination of tariff rate by Japan on fishery products on the 5th year meaningless. I can only surmise that Japan’s reason for pursuing this can be due to the proximity of Phils to Japan, the depletion of other tuna areas (Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Eastern/Central Pacific), ensuring the survival of its fishing industry even it will be detrimental to Phil tuna industry and to maintain the stability of the prices of tuna in the near future which will most likely spike up due to supply constraints. Please take note that in the late 2006 and early 2007 there was a shortage of tuna in Japan which lead to skyrocketing of prices of sashimi grade tuna. Japan wants to prevent this situation to happen again by controlling/positioning themselves in the source of the supply. Do you think Filipino fishermen or fishing companies will benefit from this agreement?
JPEPA could have been a good agreement if the terms were fair and has taken into consideration the essence of “reciprocity and equality” – a benchmark used by most countries in entering into free trade agreements as Phils and Japan does not stand in equal footing in terms of economic, technological, political and social development. In this context, Japan has to yield more concessions to the Phils.
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assalfy@gmail.com