Philippines: Signed Philippines-United Arab Emirates Memorandum of Understanding on personal data security and protection

On 5 April 2024, the Philippine National Privacy Commission (NPC) and the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance their cooperation in data privacy and security. The MoU aims to strengthen the partnership between the two countries facing challenges and opportunities presented by digitalisation in both the public and private sectors. The MoU outlines commitments to assist in the enforcement of data protection laws, conducting joint investigations into personal data incidents and breaches, sharing knowledge on privacy and data protection trends, and exchanging information on commercial or strategic initiatives. Additionally, it aims to promote international certification systems and participate in cross-jurisdictional sandboxes to facilitate trusted cross-border data flows, furthering the development of both the NPC and DIFC in the field of data protection.