IPOPHL gives nod to collective mark registration of Bicol pili products
THE Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has approved the collective mark registration of Bicol pili products, which is expected to help pili farmers, processors and traders generate higher revenues.
IPOPHL said its Bureau of Trademarks (BOT) awarded the Certificate of Registration of the “Bikol Pili” collective mark to the Orgullo Kan Bikol (OKB) Association Inc. in Legazpi City during a ceremony to unveil the mark held recently.
“The collective mark serves to distinguish the origin and quality of pili products made and marketed by OKB members. It symbolizes OKB’S collective philosophy of supporting the pili industry to reach its potential and contribute to the socio-economic empowerment of the Bicol region,” OKB President Nona Nicerio said in a statement.
Nicerio said the use of Bikol Pili collective mark is expected to further empower their members, mostly farmers, producers and small-scale entrepreneurs in the region, who are now entitled to use the collective mark to promote their pili products.
BOT Director Jesus Antonio Z. Ros said the mark would be “an effective branding tool that would stir increased consumer confidence, enhance competitiveness, attract more investors, sustain demand and productivity and provide additional employment opportunities.”
“We wish the OKB will be able to sustain these efforts in promoting all products covered by the Bikol Pili mark as the pili tree is very distinct and endemic in Bicol,” said Ros.
IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba said the approval of collective mark registration is “a huge leap not just for our producers and traders but also for our nation.”
“The wide-ranging opportunities from having a collective mark protection will, in the long run, foster inclusive economic growth.”
The mark will be used for a total of 13 classes of goods and services based on the Nice Classification. This will range from the processed pili food products, to non-food products, such as garments, fashion accessories and wearables, cosmetics and beauty products and essential oils, among others.
The OKB is a Bicol-based association of more than a hundred local entrepreneurs and an active member of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in promoting Bicol’s products.
Bicol’s collective mark is a “significant milestone” for the region especially after pouring efforts into it for more than a decade to obtain the mark, coupled with the Albay local government’s endeavors to bounce back from the harsh impact of the pandemic.
Albay Governor-elect Noel Rosal has committed to strengthen local government councils to “be more connected with the pili sector” and enable it to help Albay’s economy bounce back to its prepandemic status.
The DTI said the Bikol Pili registration is a continuing responsibility, especially for the producers, processors, and traders.
DTI Regional Director Rodrigo M. Aguilar said, “our journey will not end here; this Bikol Pili collective mark will be nothing if it fails to achieve its objective which is to enhance linkages between collective mark registration and local development.”
Aguilar added that the said linkages can only be strengthened by simultaneously supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMES) through the promotion of practices that generate a positive image for pili as one of the region’s flagship commodities.
Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Director Rodel P. Tornilla said the establishment of production and processing standards—a key requirement to secure a collective mark—“will surely boost the pili industry that serves as a major livelihood for thousands of Bikolano farmers, producers, processors, and traders.”
Tornilla said the branding tool could also open doors for the Bicol region globally as it can later on be popularly known as the origin of pili that has vast uses and potential in agriculture, tourism, food and cosmetics industries.
The push for the Bikol Pili mark is a collaborative effort between IPOPHL, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and DTI with the support of other agencies such as the Trade, Agriculture, and Science and Technology departments.
IPOPHL said in its statement that the Bikol Pili registration is part of WIPO’S project dubbed “Registration of Collective Marks of Local Enterprises as a Cross-cutting Economic Development Issue,” which is also being implemented in Bolivia, Brazil and Tunisia.
The Bikol Pili is now the latest addition to the list of IPOPHL-registered collective marks, which includes the Guimaras Mangoes, Cordillera Heirloom Rice, Lake Sebu T’nalak and the Aklan Quality Seal. The said collective marks are also set to be registered as geographical indications once the BOT finalizes a registration system for GIS this year.