Learner Worksheet 3

Student Name: Christian John A. Laput Score: ____________

Course/ Year/ Section: BSEE 3-1

1. Give at least ten partners of the Philippines?

In terms of import and export, the main partners of the Philippines are the
following:

• Japan (both import and export)

• US (both import and export)
• China (both import and export)
• Hongkong (export)
• Singapore (both import and export)
• Thailand (both import and export)
• South Korea (both import and export)
• Germany (export)
• Taiwan (export)
• Malaysia (export)

2. In what commodities do you think the Philippines has comparative advantage? Why?
- Ever since, Philippines is very rich in terms of rice production. Most of the places in the
country especially those in rural areas are composed of Agricultural Land. Despite of being
a 3rd World Country, back then most of the foreigners are used to attend in some State
Universities in the country just to learn agriculture especially in the field of rice production.
Few decades ago, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) was established in the
Philippines, and countries like Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam came here to learn how to
produce rice. Thus, it would only signify how good Filipinos are in terms of rice
production.
- Moreover, rice production as a comparative advantage of our country is very vital to our
economy ever since. In the year 2010, according to some articles in the internet, the
Philippines is the 9th largest rice producer in the world, accounting for 2.8% of global rice
production. It was also the World’s largest rice importer on that year.

3. Does the Philippines practice protectionism? In what ways?

- Yes, in some ways Philippines has been practicing protectionism. The National Economic
Protectionism Association (NEPA) which is founded in the year 1934 is the local non-
government group that has been implementing such action in terms on applying
protectionism in all sorts of trades happening in the City.
- Whenever the Filipino people are buying imported products, domestic produced products
will go unsold and might result to lose of jobs on the makers and workers of a certain
domestic product factory. Thus, protectionism with the help of NEPA fosters protection of
Filipino domestic products by imposing tariffs or limiting foreign goods and services in the
marketplace of our country. Moreover, Protectionist policies help reduce import levels and
allow the country to increase its trade balance. Also, through NEPA it helps the country to
maintain the spirit of economic nationalism and national industrialization, and promotes
the protection of Filipino interests in the country's polity, economy, culture and
environment
4. Why do countries adopt protectionist policies?
- Protectionism refers to government policies that restrict international trade to help
domestic industries. Protectionist policies are usually implemented with the goal to
improve economic activity within a domestic economy but can also be implemented for
safety or quality concerns. Thus, countries apply protectionist policies in order to protect
the local economy giving way on a better market position for local firms with a short-term
job creation. In other words, such policies are implemented in a certain country in order to
expand the employment rates that might lead to increase in income per capita due to raise
in GDP and by then, an economic growth will be experienced.