The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) recently approved the country’s first registered geographical indication(GI), the Guimaras mangoes.
A GI serves as a marketing tool that accentuates a product’s distinctiveness and appealing narratives. A GI seal certifies a link between the quality, characteristics and reputation of a product and its geographical source. These factors may have been shaped due to environmental influences, such as soil and climate, or human factors, such as tradition and local know-how.
Guimaras Mango Growers and Producers Development Cooperative (GMGPDC) applied for GI last November and was approved by IPOPHL on May 13 after passing the Bureau of Trademarks’ (BOT) thorough examination process.
Felipe Gamarcha, GMGPDC president, is hopeful wth the GI seal, the local prices will double bringing additional income to farmers. Farm gate price of Guimaras Mangoes averaged P200 per kilogram in 2022. This y marks an astronomical rise from the P20 to P50 that one kilo would usually fetch before the association secured a collective mark in 2017.
One major challenge to resolve following the GI registration is infringement.
IPOPHL hopes for stronger safeguards to prevent deceptive traders from falsely claiming their products as Guimaras mangoes when they did not meet approved standards.
IPOPHL’s proposed legislation makes violation of GI a crime against the economic and cultural interests of the State, which means it can be enforced by the latter without private stakeholders initiating the process. The envisioned bill will also be in line with IPOPHL’s plans to bring the Philippines to accede to the 2015 Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement.
