THE Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (Ipophl) reaffirmed its commitment to foster anti-counterfeiting cooperation and pursue stronger IP protection measures in a statement this week, following recognition of its performance by the United States Chamber of Commerce (USCC).
“Our work is far from over. Rest assured that we will continue to advance proactive measures in protecting brand owners... including the e-commerce agreement, which continues to grow in participation and impact,” Ipophl Acting Director General Nathaniel Arevalo said.
The USCC‘s 2026 International IP Index, released in March, ranked the Philippines 36th out of 55 economies.
The report said that Ipophl “has expanded its enforcement powers and is actively partnering with rights holders to more effectively combat physical counterfeiting and online infringement.”
The USCC also noted Ipophl‘s agreement with online business platforms, which establishes a framework for cooperation, including streamlined notice-and-takedown procedures and proactive monitoring of infringing listings between IP rights holders and e-commerce platforms.
The agreement currently has 118 signatories composed of brand owners, industry associations, and e-commerce platforms, including Shopee, Lazada, Zalora, and TikTok Shop.
The USCC report likewise highlighted progress in trademark protection, particularly the Philippines’ efforts to safeguard well-known marks.
It cited Ipophl’s recent establishment of a Register of Well-Known Marks, which provides rights holders greater certainty on the legal status and protection of their brands.
Under the IP Code, these marks are protected against the use of identical or similar marks for related goods or services.
In addition, the report also noted that the recent implementation of the Internet Transactions Act should enable rights holders to protect their IP better online.
The USCC likewise cited:
– Ipophl’s successes in the “expeditious disabling of infringing content online” and “availability of frameworks that promote cooperative action against online piracy” through its Rules on Voluntary Administrative Site Blocking, which first took effect in late 2023;
— The Philippine Senate’s continued deliberation on amendments to the Philippine IP Code that would expand Ipophl’s capacity for enforcement; and
– And the development of Hapag-Isipan, Ipophl’s Philippine Intellectual Property Strategy for 2025–2030, which lays the agency’s priorities for reforming the country’s IP environment, emphasizing the importance of IP-intensive industries to socioeconomic development and the need for cross-cutting reforms, including legal measures, targeted awareness efforts, and stronger support for transforming IP assets into commercialized products.