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Maria Christina Macasaet-Acaban

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Maria Christina Macasaet-Acaban is a partner, and the head of the Corporate & Commercial Practice Group, the Healthcare Industry Group, and the Competition Focus Group, in Quisumbing Torres, a member firm of Baker & McKenzie International. She is a member of Baker & McKenzie International's Asia Pacific Healthcare Steering Committee, and the Asia Pacific Competition Steering Committee. She has 19 years of experience advising and representing multinational corporations on domestic and cross-border transactions.

To implement Section 35(b) of the Universal Healthcare Act, the Department of Health has issued Administrative Order No. 2021-0036 entitled ‘Guidelines on Compliance with Section 35(b) of [the UHC Act]: All Drug, Medical Device, Biological and Medical Supplies Manufacturers to Submit Reports on Disclosure of Financial Relationships with Health Care Providers and Health Care Professionals.

PCC raises administrative fines for violation of competition law 
CEO issues Statement of Objections against Developer for abuse of dominance

Administrative fines for violations of the Philippine Competition Act increased as of 9 February 2021. A second administrative case is before the PCC concerning a condominium developer for providing exclusive internet services.

Following the declaration by the Philippine government that the Greater Manila area or “NCR Plus” (comprising Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite and Laguna) will be placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from 29 March 2021 until 4 April 2021 (unless further extended), the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) on 27 March 2021 issued PEZA Memorandum Circular No. 2021-024 (“Circular”), allowing ecozone IT enterprises to implement courses of action to ensure continuity of operations and non-interruption of services during the ECQ period.

As the world prepares for the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, manufacturers, governments, and clients in the logistics sector are looking into various structures and arrangements that will help bring the vaccine to the public as soon as possible.

Our Primer focuses on key legal issues and high-level considerations on topics such as the procurement framework, regulatory approvals, and contractual stipulations relating to the supply and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine across 14 Asia Pacific jurisdictions.

Click to read Digital healthcare, a globally booming market, has been catalyzed by the events of COVID-19. In Asia Pacific, in particular, a rapidly expanding population, an empowered and tech-savvy middle class and physician shortage has created the perfect conditions for digital health innovation. A new era of digital healthcare…

On 11 September 2020, President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law Republic Act No. 11494, otherwise known as the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2), which details the measures to be implemented by the Philippine government to stimulate and accelerate the recovery of the Philippine economy from the adverse impact brought about the by the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. 

The Bayanihan 2 took effect on 15 September 2020.

The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) has identified the health and pharmaceuticals industries as one of its priority sectors of enforcement for year 2020. Coupled with the increased demand for improved access to healthcare and affordable medicine resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, we expect the PCC to intensify its monitoring of participants in the Philippine pharmaceutical markets.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a profound impact on businesses, companies have started to focus on navigating the medium- to long-term implications of this crisis. While disruption may pose challenges, we have also seen how various sectors are embracing and accelerating digital transformation as a way to achieve…

DTI, DA, and DOH temporarily freeze prices on basic necessities as part of Covid-19 remedial measures Recent developments The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Agriculture (DA), and Department of Health (DOH), citing the mandate of the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 (Republic Act…