PRESS RELEASE
28 May 2026
PCC hosts 25th ICN annual conference on competition enforcement, global cooperation in the digital age
(Front, center, L-R) DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, ICN Chair Andrea Marván, and PCC Chairperson Michael Aguinaldo, together with other heads of competition agencies and delegates from 73 jurisdictions, at the 25th ICN Annual Conference, held on May 5–8, 2026 in Manila.
The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) concluded its landmark hosting of the 2026 International Competition Network (ICN) Annual Conference, held on May 5–8 in Manila. Marking the network’s silver anniversary, the gathering celebrated 25 years of the ICN’s role in shaping global competition cooperation and standards. The event brought together heads of competition agencies, policymakers, and legal and economic experts from 73 jurisdictions to strengthen competition enforcement and global cooperation in the digital era. Beyond serving as a venue, this milestone reflects the PCC’s growing standing within the global community, particularly among developing and newer authorities, as an active contributor to dialogues on capacity-building and peer learning. This gathering further solidified competition policy as a vital pillar for economic resilience, inclusive growth, and innovation in the face of emerging technologies.
ICN Chair Andrea Marván leads the opening session, reflecting on the 25-year history of the ICN as a premier community for global competition benchmarks.
ICN Chair Andrea Marván, president of the Comisión Nacional Antimonopolio of Mexico, reflected on the ICN’s 25-year evolution from a fledgling group of agencies into a premier global community built on both technical rigor and mutual trust. She noted that the global landscape has shifted profoundly since the network’s inception, with digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI) redefining the context of competition law.
Marván further highlighted the ICN’s substantial impact over the last 25 years, pointing to more than 150 work products, including recommended practices, manuals, reports, and seminars and workshops, that have become international benchmarks for quality decision-making and institutional capacity-building.
PCC Chairperson Michael Aguinaldo underscores the value of the ICN annual conference in fostering the professional relationships required for effective international cooperation.
PCC Chairperson Michael Aguinaldo, meanwhile, underscored the significance of the network’s “community spirit.” He noted that the gathering provided a vital platform for peer learning, particularly for younger authorities within the ASEAN region and beyond, many of which have had competition laws in effect for less than a decade.
“The conference is an opportunity not only to gain valuable insights from discussions and working sessions, but also to deepen the professional relationships that make international cooperation possible,” Aguinaldo stated, adding that fair and open competition remains essential to building inclusive economies.
DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan addresses the ICN 2026 plenary, detailing the strategic integration of competition policy within the country’s broader industrial and development frameworks.
In a keynote address, Secretary Arsenio Balisacan of the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development shared his perspective on how competition policy serves as a critical tool for broader economic development. Drawing from his experience as a former PCC Chairperson, Balisacan noted that competition policy ensures that industrial strategies build capabilities while also keeping markets open and inclusive.
He then touched on the challenges of AI, observing that as these systems rely on concentrated inputs, competition authorities must remain vigilant to ensure that the foundations of innovation remain open to all jurisdictions.
(L-R) ICN Chair Andrea Marván, PCC Chairperson Michael Aguinaldo, CARICOM Competition Commission Executive Director Troy Waterman, COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission Chief Executive Officer Willard Mwemba, and ICN special guest William Kovacic
In the host showcase, “Lessons from the Past, Challenges Ahead: Navigating Regional Cooperation’s Next Frontier,” panelists highlighted the evolving role of regional cooperation in addressing increasingly complex and cross-border competition issues. Moderated by Marván, the session brought together Aguinaldo, CARICOM Competition Commission Executive Director Troy Waterman, COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission Chief Executive Officer Willard Mwemba, and ICN special guest William Kovacic. Together, they underscored the importance of sustained collaboration, knowledge sharing, and dynamic and adaptive enforcement strategies among different competition authorities to promote fair markets amid emerging global economic challenges.
The four-day program, organized with the support of the global ICN community, featured sessions on several pressing issues, including algorithmic collusion and cartel enforcement in the digital era, remedies for multi-jurisdictional transactions in digital markets, and the strengthening of the framework for competition agency procedures to ensure international standards of procedural fairness. Other sessions focused on promoting competition in essential food and agriculture markets to support supply chain resilience and reconciling competition enforcement with national industrial policies.
The event concluded with a renewed commitment to the shared values of the network, reinforcing the relationships that will sustain global cooperation for years to come.
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REFERENCE:
publicaffairs@phcc.gov.ph
Public Affairs and Research Division
Communications and Knowledge Management Office
Philippine Competition Commission
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