Guimaras Mangoes Registered as PH’s First Geographical Indication (GI),
Bicol Pili as Collective Mark
Photo copyright: Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL)
GENEVA, 09 June 2023 - The Intellectual Property Office (IPOPHL) has approved the registration of Guimaras mangoes as a geographical indication (GI), marking Philippines’ first registered GI.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) defines GI as “a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. In order to function as a GI, a sign must identify a product as originating in a given place.”
With the GI seal for Guimaras mangoes, similar to GIs granted to products such as Gruyere cheese of Switzerland and Champagne of France, Guimaras-based mango farmers/ producers will benefit from additional income and acquire international prestige, protection, and recognition for their delicious mango product.
According to IPOPHL, the work to obtain GI for Guimaras mangoes began in 2013 under a technical assistance project administered by the European Union. Over 30 potential GIs are now being assisted for registration and are in different stages of product development. Once approved as GI, they will additionally be under the protection of the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) Geneva Act once the Philippines has acceded to the instrument.
PH Mission and IPOPHL announce during CDIP30 the completion of Bikol Poli as a registered collective mark under WIPO DA (Geneva PM photo)
Last month, IPOPHL, in cooperation with WIPO, reported the successful promotion of the Bikol Pili collective mark for various products from the Bicol region. The Committee on Intellectual Property and Development (CDIP) of WIPO recognized Bikol Pili as a collective mark in a meeting last May, in line with the WIPO Development Agenda (DA) in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Philippines along with Bolivia, Brazil, and Tunisia were recipients of financial and technical support for the promotion of registration and collective mark for small/ local businesses in the country. Further, the WIPO DA launched the project on Philippine Collective Mark, Bikol Pili, in 2022 to assist local producers and stakeholders, mainly MSMEs (micro-small-medium enterprises), and provide them technical training and awareness-raising for the promotion and marketing of various products in the region carrying the common Bikol Pili brand.
Through its partnership with IPOPHL, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Permanent Mission in Geneva will continue to extend cooperation with WIPO on various multilateral platforms for the protection and promotion of potential GI and collective marks applications in the Philippines. This cooperation will greatly benefit local producers of products with distinct qualities found in specific regions in the country, and of products bearing a distinctive collective mark, under the aegis of WIPO’s Development Agenda projects, with the goal of accessing global markets. END
At the CDIP30 sidelines, IPOPHL Atty. Jesan Rosan served as a panelist in discussions on global products covered by common names and geographic indication (Geneva PM photo)
For more information, visit https://www.genevapm.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.facebook.com/PHinGeneva/ or https://www.instagram.com/phingeneva/.