IPOPHL progresses further toward strong local GI protection system

January 15, 2020

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), with the support of the Embassy of France in the Philippines and the Department of Agriculture, facilitated a Workshop on geographical indications (GIs) at Fairmont Hotel on Jan. 14, 2020. 

The workshop is part of the initiatives identified in the National Intellectual Property Strategy Roadmap recently launched by the Office in a broader effort to make effective the use of the intellectual property system in harnessing the potential of local products. 

IPOPHL Officer-in-Charge Director General (OIC DG) Teodoro C. Pascua said the conduct of the workshop is "very timely and important" as the country continues to actively find ways to strengthen its GI system. 

"While we have made progress in our effort to promote and strengthen the protection of potential GIs in the country, there is still a lot of work to do, particularly, in the organizational development and capacity building of our farmer-producer groups. There remains the need to establish strong internal and external control to adequately ensure the high quality of goods eligible for GI protection, as well as to provide an appropriate legal framework to strengthen GI protection. It is our hope that this workshop will augur new learning and collaborative approach on how to grapple the aforementioned challenges," Pascua said.

GIs are signs or indications used on a product to identify the specific place from which the product is made. The GI product possesses a quality, characteristic or reputation essentially attributable to its geographical origin. These characteristics are due to the environment of the place from which it is produced or sourced—for instance, soil, climate, and skills, traditions and practices of the community, among others. 

Currently, GIs are protected under the Trademarks section of the Intellectual Property Code as collective marks, one of the several legal mechanisms to protect a product as a GI. 

The famous Guimaras Mangoes and the Tau’ Sebu T'nalak have been registered as collective marks.

Other products identified as potential GI products are Bicol Pili, Davao Pomelo, Cordillera Heirloom Rice; Camiguin Lanzones; Davao Cacao; Kalinga Coffee; Bagtason Loom (Antique); Sabutan Weave (Aurora); Basey Banig (Samar); and Yakan cloth of Basilan and Zamboanga.

OIC DG Pascua also expressed optimism in IPOPHL's nascent partnership— formalized through a memorandum of understanding in November 2018—with the Department of Agriculture (DA), the agency having a critical role from identifying GI-eligible Philippine products to capacitating and mobilizing farmer-groups. 

"It is our aspiration that our partnership with DA will further broaden into a fruitful cooperation. Promoting high quality and renowned agricultural products and traditional specialties through GIs can contribute to rural development and strengthen the competitive advantage of local agricultural products penetrating the international market," Pascua added. 

The Embassy of France's workshop also provided IPOPHL an opportunity to hear the experiences of local producers in developing GI branding in their respective communities.

"Their valuable inputs are essential to sustain their commitment and interest to GI, and to enhance future interventions," Pascua added. 

The workshop is also part of the INAO (Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité) Mission to the Philippines, and is in line with the administrative arrangement on agricultural cooperation inked by the DA and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the French Republic in September 2017.

Under the supervision of the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food, INAO is in charge of the regulation and the certification of GIs. 

The workshop is IPOPHL's first engagement this year on GI. Next month, the Office, in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office will conduct a workshop on the use of the certification mark and collective mark systems to protect GIs.

IPOPHL progresses further toward strong local GI protection system

January 15, 2020

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), with the support of the Embassy of France in the Philippines and the Department of Agriculture, facilitated a Workshop on geographical indications (GIs) at Fairmont Hotel on Jan. 14, 2020. 

The workshop is part of the initiatives identified in the National Intellectual Property Strategy Roadmap recently launched by the Office in a broader effort to make effective the use of the intellectual property system in harnessing the potential of local products. 

IPOPHL Officer-in-Charge Director General (OIC DG) Teodoro C. Pascua said the conduct of the workshop is "very timely and important" as the country continues to actively find ways to strengthen its GI system. 

"While we have made progress in our effort to promote and strengthen the protection of potential GIs in the country, there is still a lot of work to do, particularly, in the organizational development and capacity building of our farmer-producer groups. There remains the need to establish strong internal and external control to adequately ensure the high quality of goods eligible for GI protection, as well as to provide an appropriate legal framework to strengthen GI protection. It is our hope that this workshop will augur new learning and collaborative approach on how to grapple the aforementioned challenges," Pascua said.

GIs are signs or indications used on a product to identify the specific place from which the product is made. The GI product possesses a quality, characteristic or reputation essentially attributable to its geographical origin. These characteristics are due to the environment of the place from which it is produced or sourced—for instance, soil, climate, and skills, traditions and practices of the community, among others. 

Currently, GIs are protected under the Trademarks section of the Intellectual Property Code as collective marks, one of the several legal mechanisms to protect a product as a GI. 

The famous Guimaras Mangoes and the Tau’ Sebu T'nalak have been registered as collective marks.

Other products identified as potential GI products are Bicol Pili, Davao Pomelo, Cordillera Heirloom Rice; Camiguin Lanzones; Davao Cacao; Kalinga Coffee; Bagtason Loom (Antique); Sabutan Weave (Aurora); Basey Banig (Samar); and Yakan cloth of Basilan and Zamboanga.

OIC DG Pascua also expressed optimism in IPOPHL's nascent partnership— formalized through a memorandum of understanding in November 2018—with the Department of Agriculture (DA), the agency having a critical role from identifying GI-eligible Philippine products to capacitating and mobilizing farmer-groups. 

"It is our aspiration that our partnership with DA will further broaden into a fruitful cooperation. Promoting high quality and renowned agricultural products and traditional specialties through GIs can contribute to rural development and strengthen the competitive advantage of local agricultural products penetrating the international market," Pascua added. 

The Embassy of France's workshop also provided IPOPHL an opportunity to hear the experiences of local producers in developing GI branding in their respective communities.

"Their valuable inputs are essential to sustain their commitment and interest to GI, and to enhance future interventions," Pascua added. 

The workshop is also part of the INAO (Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité) Mission to the Philippines, and is in line with the administrative arrangement on agricultural cooperation inked by the DA and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the French Republic in September 2017.

Under the supervision of the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food, INAO is in charge of the regulation and the certification of GIs. 

The workshop is IPOPHL's first engagement this year on GI. Next month, the Office, in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office will conduct a workshop on the use of the certification mark and collective mark systems to protect GIs.