Philippines: Competition Commission revised merger notification thresholds under Competition Act

On 1 March 2026, the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) updated the merger notification thresholds under the Philippine Competition Act. It was stated that mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures must be notified to the PCC when the size of the party (SOP) exceeds PHP 9.1 billion and the size of the transaction (SOT) exceeds PHP 3.8 billion, increased from PHP 8.5 billion and PHP 3.5 billion, respectively. It was highlighted that the adjustment was calculated using nominal gross domestic product growth data from the Philippine Statistics Authority to reflect inflation and economic conditions. The PCC stated that the revision aims to ensure efficient allocation of enforcement resources while maintaining oversight of transactions that may substantially lessen competition, noting that it may still review transactions below the thresholds through a motu proprio investigation if competition concerns arise.