THE Philippines was chosen as the next host of the International Competition Network (ICN) Annual Conference in 2026, gathering competition authorities from across the globe to promote fair market practices and consumer welfare, the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) said Wednesday, May 14, 2025.
“The PCC is excited to welcome the world to the 2026 ICN conference! This event is a great opportunity to accelerate our collective effort for effective competition law enforcement, safeguarding businesses, consumers and economies globally,” PCC chairman Michael Aguinaldo said in a statement.
The 2026 conference will be the Philippines’ first time to host a high-level antitrust forum.
Next year’s conference will be held from May 6 to 8 in Manila, bringing together representatives from more than 140 competition agencies from 130 member countries.
Discussions are expected to focus on antitrust trends, enforcement strategies and regulatory reforms.
“As hosts, we will highlight the crucial work of competition authorities internationally and reinforce our unity in tackling global challenges,” Aguinaldo said.
The country’s hosting of the global competition event was announced during the closing session of the 24th ICN summit in Edinburgh, Scotland on Friday, May 9.
As the country’s primary antitrust agency, the PCC is mandated under the Philippine Competition Act to promote fair competition, prevent abuse of market dominance and review mergers and acquisitions. It also serves as the government’s representative in international competition matters. / PNA