The Philippine Bar Association (PBA) in partnership with LAWASIA conducted a webinar entitled “Localization and Cross-Border Data Transfers: Asia Update” last 24 March 2023. It was a landmark collaboration of a national and an international bar association featuring experts from different jurisdictions.
In light of globalization, transfer of data across borders is inevitable. Data processing, collection, and transfer rules vary in different countries. It was thus timely that this was the topic of the data privacy practitioners in the region.
The webinar was formally opened by PBA President Ernestine Carmen Jo Villareal-Fernando. It was followed by a brief presentation for a specific jurisdiction. The panelists were Johannes C. Sahetapy-Engel, the Founding Partner of AKSET Law, for Indonesia; Sandy Chan, Senior Privacy Counsel of Shein, for Singapore; Ma. Laarni Viñas, Legal Director of Shusaku-Yamamoto, for the Philippines, Daisuke Kammera, Managing Partner of Shusaku-Yamamoto, for Japan; Lindsay Zhu, Partner of Squire Patton Boggs for China; and Natasha Sim, Senior Associate of Russell Kennedy Lawyers for Australia. Before the open forum, Scott Warren, Partner of Squire Patton Boggs, who is based in Japan, also shared his insights on the changing regulations in these different jurisdictions. He also gave his insights for Vietnam and Thailand.
After the open forum, Dr. Sunil Abeyaratne, Chair of the Communications, Technology & Data Protection Committee of LAWASIA and Chairman of the Arbitration Center of Kandy, Sri Lanka thanked the over 100 participants who attended the webinar.
The participants were from both the private and government sectors. Students also attended the webinar.
The webinar was organized by PBA Past President Fina Bernadette Dela Cuesta-Tantuico and PBA IP Committee Co-Chair Ms. Viñas. It was moderated by PBA Treasurer and Trustee Chrysilla Carissa P. Bautista.