"We hope that this would make the Parliament aware of the unfair competition vis-a-vis African Caribbean Pacific (ACP) countries and would eventually lead to the establishment of a more level playing field for our canned tuna exports," Roxas said. The government has been keen on attaining increased market access for the country's exports.

This is one of the government's top agendas at the 14th Asia Pacific Economic Conference in Los Cabos, Mexico, which Roxas will attend.

According to Roxas, Ford confirmed with the Commission that the Philippines has agreed to a waiver request from the EU for preferential treatment to ACP countries, provided the EU enters into consultation with the Philippines to assess the extent to which their legitimate interests have been damaged. Ford also asked for an explanation as to why consultations have not been successful, and a probable period within which the issue will be settled.

"This good news is a manifestation of the united effort of the government in addressing the issue of our tuna exports. It is very clear that in a liberalized environment, we want to have a level playing field where our exports can compete fairly with that of other countries," Roxas said.