Although the WTO has noted that protectionist measures are indeed on the rise globally, Philippine policies, thankfully enough, so far, remain fairly supportive of free trade. Such were my thoughts when interviewed by BusinessWorld for this article:
"I think we have not fallen into the protectionist traps so far. The reason is because the government has been distracted with political issues and groups calling for protectionist measures have not found a credible argument or intellectual backing. But since next year is an election year, populist measures can be something of a campaign strategy."
