THE Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) said it has identified about 30 products that can be registered for geographical indications (GI) marks to ensure their protection from misuse and imitation.
“The IPOPHL identified, engaged, and capacitated around 30 other potential GIs, among them the Kapeng Barako, Bicol pili, Dagupan bangus, and many others,” IPOPHL Bureau of Trademarks Director Jesus Antonio Z. Ros said at a briefing on Tuesday.
The Agence Française de Développement (AFD), France’s public development agency, has signaled its support for registering nine potential GIs, with two picked as beneficiaries for its P30.1-million project to enhance climate resilience through GI protection, Mr. Ros said.
The AFD is looking to fund the advancement of pili and Camiguin lanzones toward GI status, he said. The remaining seven will also receive assistance from the project.
Mr. Ros also said that the Department of Agriculture is looking to support 20 more potential GIs, but gave no further details.
The IPOPHL on Tuesday launched a GI logo which will serve as the official mark that certifies the authenticity of GI-registered products.
A GI identifies goods as originating from a specific place, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic is attributable to that particular origin. GIs may be applied to agricultural, industrial and handicraft products.
Products with a GI mark benefit from increased market value, while protecting consumers from misleading claims on origin and product characteristics.
GI-labeled products help protect producers from exploitation by large companies, promote fair competition, and ensure that profits remain within the local community.
The new GI logo, developed by the Bureau of Trademarks, will help consumers easily identify goods linked to specific geographic origins and recognized qualities, the IPOPHL said.
The Philippines currently has four GI-protected products: Guimaras mangoes, Alburquerque Asin Tibuok, Aklan piña, and the T’nalak Tau Sebu.
IPOPHL Director General Teodoro C. Pascua said the GI is “a declaration of origin, that a product possesses a quality or characteristic essentially attributable to where it comes from: to the land, the climate, and the people who produce it,” he said in a statement. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz
