The Small Enterprises Research and Development Foundation has joined the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and other like-minded government, non-government and academic institutions in commemorating Policy Research Month in September, according to SERDEF President Paterno V. Viloria.
The celebration seeks to inculcate among the general public the importance of policy research in nation building
This year’s celebration will focus on the theme “Tamang regulasyon para sa patuloy ng pag-ahon (Effective regulations for sustainable growth)” which highlights how regulatory improvements will help ensure policies and laws indeed facilitate rather than hamper competition, innovation, productivity and growth.
In the PIDS website, it was explained that there are regulations in various sectors not responsive to both economic and social business and others detrimental to the investment climate. “These issues stem from poor regulatory vetting processes that neglect the importance of research evidence and systematic assessment of proposed policies and regulations before they are implemented. “
The celebration is expected “to influence our policy makers to take action in building a formal regulatory management system that adopts explicit standards for regulatory quality and ensures the integrity and quality of new regulations through the use of regulatory impact analysis, systematic public consultation procedures, and effective regulatory coordination among concerned agencies.”
Aligning policies and regulations with business goals becomes more pressing in the light of the impending ASEAN economic integration. According to PIDS President Gilbert Llanto in his paper entitled “Reduce Regulatory Burden, Improve Regulatory Quality,” this is necessary so that the Philippines can fully capitalize on the benefits of economic integration and overcome the challenges of aligning the country’s regulations with the standards of an economically integrated ASEAN region.”
The celebration will kick off on September 1, Tuesday, at a press conference at Romulo Hall, NEDA sa Makati Building, Makati City. A series of regional conferences in Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Tuguegarao, Laoag and Cebu City will follow.
Other cooperating agencies are expected to organize conferences and other fora on building a more responsive policy climate in the country.