IPOPHL Sees Stronger Ties with WIPO as ASEAN Partner Takes Helm

May 13, 2020

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) celebrates the appointment of Singapore’s Daren Tang as the new Director-General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). 

“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the appointment of DG-elect Daren Tang. WIPO partner-countries are assured not only of a smooth transition to the new management but, more importantly, of hopes of a future that may resemble the remarkable success Mr. Tang had achieved during his leadership at the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore,” IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba said.

“We welcome the new beginning as an opportunity to reinvigorate our advancement of globally shared innovation and creativity goals with fresh, bold, and innovative strategies that Mr. Tang will surely put on the table. In addition, as we are certain that the incoming DG carries the ASEAN value of unity and inclusiveness where no one is left behind, we look forward to the larger participation of developing countries and other underrepresented stakeholders in discussions that will shape the global intellectual property (IP) system. This ensures that outcomes will be beneficial to all," Barba added. 

In his acceptance speech, DG-elect Tang said the conduct of his work will be built on integrity, transparency, and inclusivity. Inclusivity, he defined, should “serve all interests of countries and stakeholders” while recognizing the political, economic, and cultural differences of each.

His other platforms include: moving the normative agenda by resolving long-standing issues among WIPO member-states; harnessing technology to convert data into insights that can be valuable to IP offices, stakeholders, and other relevant partners in the aim of overcoming national and global challenges; broadening work on IP commercialization by supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs), inventors, and creators of various fields; and intensifying the IP awareness campaign by moving beyond its legal and technical aspects to its impacts in economic productivity, cultural vibrancy, and, generally, in several walks of life.

DG-elect Tang’s six-year term will begin in October 2020.  

IPOPHL’s strong relations with WIPO has resulted in impactful activities that improved the efficiency and quality of the customer service provided by the Office; registration and adjudication processes; protection and enforcement of IP rights; promotion of IP education and awareness; and enhancement of partner-institutions’ innovative capacities, among others. 

The collaboration with WIPO has also immensely assisted local innovators and creators through capacity building programs, sharing of global best practices, and shepherding their innovations and creations to relevant markets.

“With WIPO’s expressed commitment to continue strengthening support for IP offices, innovators, creators, SMEs, startups, and other critical catalysts to a better future, we are optimistic that the agency, under its new leadership, will sustain — accelerate even — the progress of the Philippines and all other economies in enabling our IP systems to foster innovations needed in our societies and creative works that enrich our cultures,” Barba said. ### (Janina Lim, Media Relations Officer)