Starting Oct. 3, 2026, parties must notify the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) within 30 calendar days of signing a definitive agreement and before completing the transaction.
The tighter clock could reshape deal schedules. Late filings may delay closing, disrupt financing and push back integration plans, particularly in industries where market concentration is already drawing scrutiny.
Deals signed before Oct. 3 get a longer runway. Parties to those transactions, including those involving acts of consummation, will have 90 calendar days to submit their notification forms.
The PCC is restoring the standard timetable while keeping its expedited merger review rules suspended.
The faster review process will remain on hold as the commission reassesses its broader procedural framework.
Earlier notification gives regulators more time to determine whether a transaction could weaken competition, increase market power or harm consumers before the businesses combine.
—Edited by Miguel R. Camus
