Annual Report 2011 - National Agricultural and Fishery Council ...

Strengthening Capacities in Agricultural
Policy and Agriculture and Fishery
Trade Negotiations and Agreements
A series of Seminars on Trade Negotiations and Agreements, under the US PL480-funded project
“Strengthening Capacities in Agricultural Policy and Agriculture and Fishery Trade Negotiations
and Agreements”, was conducted to orient regional, provincial and city AFC coordinators and
planning officers nationwide on the multilateral, regional and bilateral trade agreements, ongoing
negotiations, trade measure remedies, trade and domestic policies and how they affect the
agriculture sector. They were joined by some DA and NAFC staff. The series of seminars kicked
off in April 2010. For 2011, NAFC conducted seminars in different areas, such as the Sunrise
Holiday Mansion Hotel in Alfonso, Cavite (August 23-25); Hacienda Gracia Resort and Hotel in
Lubao, Pampanga (September 22-24); Harbor Lights Hotel in Cagayan de Oro City (November
2-4); Days Hotel in Lapu-lapu City, Cebu (November 9-11); and The Apo View in Davao City
(November 23-25).
Resource speakers included Mr. Noel Padre, Director of DA-Policy Research Service (PRS);
Ms. Allen Castro of the DA-PRS; Ms. Estrella Tulay, Assistant Chief of NAFC-Planning, Monitoring
and Communications Division; and, Mr. Lupino Lazaro, Chief of DA-International Relations Division.
The topics covered during the seminars were: Domestic Processes and Structures in Trade Policy
Formulation and Trade Negotiation, History and Introduction to the World Trade Organization
(WTO), Basic Principles and Main Exceptions in Trade in Goods, Free Trade Arrangements of the
Philippines and Status of Engagements in ASEAN & with Dialogue Partners, WTO Rules on Regional
Trade Arrangements, Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, Agreement on
Agriculture and updates on WTO’s ongoing Doha Round of Negotiations.
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