Around P9 billion worth of counterfeit products were uncovered in two malls in Binondo, Manila by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in inspections conducted last November 14, according to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL).
This developed as the IPOPHL on Tuesday unveiled its new roadmap meant to attract global investments to stimulate domestic innovative and creative activities in the country.
IPOPHL on Wednesday said the operation in Binondo was in response to a public comment from the United States Trade Representative (USTR) flagging 168 Mall and 999 Mall as markets of concern.
The comment identified the malls as locations facilitating the sale of counterfeit products, affecting a range of well-known US and international brands, IPOPHL said.
The BOC has since stored the infringing goods in the malls which will only be seized upon issuance by the brand owners of certificates of non-authenticity.
IPOPHL said BOC continues to investigate to determine the value of the products from the whole of 168 and 999 shopping centers.
IPOPHL said the seventh floor of 168 Mall alone yielded P7 billion worth of fake products.
The positive certification of non-authenticity to be issued by the concerned brand owners will be one of the basis in the request for the issuance of the Warrant of Seizure and Detention against the goods stored at warehouses in 168 Mall.
IPOPHL said the government plans to duplicate in other malls the strategy taken in Greenhills Shopping Center, identified by USTR as a notorious market, in reducing the stalls selling counterfeit items. This entailed the collaboration of the agency with the local government of San Juan.
Several reports have cited establishments in Baclaran, Divisoria and the Cartimar Shopping Center are also notorious for selling counterfeit goods.
The Philippines has been out of the US Special 301 Watchlist for 11 straight years.
Meanwhile, IPOPHL said the new roadmap unveiled on November 26 and called Philippine Intellectual Property Strategy (PHIPS) 2025-2030 sets four tacks in attracting global investments and leverage them to stimulate domestic innovative and creative activities in the country. These are to: strengthen IP awareness and education; build systems for IP valuation and commercialization; enhance local and global cooperation and maximize emerging technologies, IPOPHL said in a statement on Wednesday.
IPOPHL said the PHIPS 2025-2030 aims to position the Philippines as a global hub for creativity and innovation.
The roadmap imagines the Philippines as a “hapag-isipan,” directly translated as a “banquet of ideas.” “We envision the Philippines as a global hapag—a global table, a platform for creativity and innovation, where nations, industries and individuals can come together to create, commercialize and consume IP and IP-backed products and services,” IPOPHL director-general Rowel Barba said at IPOPHL’s annual stakeholders’ forum where the strategy was unveiled.
