The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) and the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines Inc. (IEMOP) entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to coordinate their efforts in promoting fair competition within the energy industry.
The agreement, signed by PCC Executive Director Kenneth Tanate and IEMOP President and CEO Robinson Descanzo on June 9, establishes a framework for coordination, cooperation, and capacity building between the two parties to ensure a competitive electric power sector.
Under the MOA, the PCC and IEMOP will work within their respective mandates to monitor and address competition concerns, including anti-competitive conduct and agreements prohibited under the Philippine Competition Act. The agreement also serves to establish a structured mechanism for market monitoring, compliance, and information sharing.
As part of this arrangement, IEMOP will regularly furnish the PCC with necessary reports and market data, safeguarded by strict confidentiality protocols. In turn, the PCC will provide technical guidance to IEMOP to help identify potential competition issues under the law. Furthermore, both parties intend to schedule regular consultative meetings to review market data and undertake joint capacity-building activities, including workshops, courses, and specialized training for their personnel and participants in the wholesale electricity spot market (WESM).
“This framework allows us to work together more systematically in monitoring the electric power sector,” said Tanate. “Through regular exchange of market data and aligning our technical capabilities with IEMOP’s operational insights, we can better perform our oversight functions, address potential competition concerns, and support a stable market environment,” he added.
This collaboration bridges the PCC’s mandate to promote and protect market competition with IEMOP’s operational oversight of the WESM under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001. By formalizing this relationship, both parties establish a structured approach to their respective statutory functions, enhancing institutional efficiency in monitoring the electric power industry.
The signing ceremony, attended by other officials and representatives from both parties, reflects a progression of the PCC’s ongoing collaborative enforcement efforts, building upon existing inter-agency partnerships within the electric power sector.
