RP seen to benefit under East-South Asian free trade deal.

Byline: Maria Eloisa I. Calderon

THE PHILIPPINES stands to earn $3.5 billion more in exports in the next eight years if there were a free trade pact between Southeast and South Asian regions, together with Japan, China and South Korea, according to a book released yesterday by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

A summary of the ADB-sponsored Pan Asian Integration: Linking East and South Asia said the book found that a consolidation of free trade agreements (FTAs) across both regions would translate to greater economic benefits, compared to Southeast Asia's existing web of bilateral trade deals alone.

While focusing mainly on the South and East Asia, …