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MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

[ MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 16, November 21, 2017 ]

DIRECTING THE NATIONAL ECONOMIC AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (NEDA) BOARD AND ITS MEMBER AGENCIES TO EXERT UTMOST EFFORTS TO LIFT OR EASE RESTRICTIONS ON CERTAIN INVESTMENT AREAS OR ACTIVITIES WITH LIMITED FOREIGN PARTICIPATION

To raise the Philippines' level of competitiveness, and to foster higher economic growth in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region and beyond through joint endeavors in the spirit of equality and partnership, the NEDA Board and its member agencies are hereby directed to take immediate steps to lift or ease existing restrictions on foreign participation in the following investment areas or activities:

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1. Private recruitment, whether for local or overseas employment;

2. Practice of particular professions, where allowing foreign participation will redound to the public benefit;

3. Contracts for the construction and repair of locally-funded public works;

4. Public services, except activities and systems that are recognized as public utilities such as transmission and distribution of electricity, water pipeline distribution system, and sewerage pipeline system;

5. Culture, production, milling, processing, and trading except retailing, of rice and corn and acquiring by barter, purchase or otherwise, rice and corn and the by-products thereof;

6. Teaching at higher education levels;

7. Retail trade enterprises; and

8. Domestic market enterprises.

The members of the NEDA Board are hereby directed to earnestly support, in a coordinated manner, such legislative efforts as may be necessary to eliminate or relax the aforesaid restrictions, including pending legislation seeking to clarify the definition of public utilities.

The NEDA Board is likewise directed to immediately advise the President regarding those restrictions on foreign participation which may already be lifted or eased without need of legislation, with the aim of amending the Tenth Regular Foreign Investment Negative List under Executive Order (EO) No. 184 (s. 2015), in accordance with the objectives of this Order

For compliance

Manila, 21 November 2017

(SGD.) RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE

By the President:

(SGD.) SALVADOR C. MEDIALDEA
Executive Secretary

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