The once unrecognized attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry, which is mandated to protect, patronize, and promote the Intellectual Property Rights of Filipinos, Intellectual Property of the Philippines, treats the year 2023 as a great year following the number of citations they received from various institutions.

"This year, mas marami din nakapansin sa ating good governance and quality public service kaya't marami tayong nakuhang awards and commendations sa ating performance. Isa na dito yung Motion Picture Association Award na binigay sa atin last month during the IP Enforcement Summit in recognition of our site-blocking efforts," said IPOPHL director-general Atty. Rowel Barba in a media appreciation night last week.

Also, Barba said he was included in the Institute for Solidarity in Asia Society of Fellows, which includes him on the roster of top-level officials who advocate and propagate good governance and responsible citizenship in both public and private sectors, particularly by championing and promoting the Performance Governance System within their organizations and networks.

"I was also regarded as one of the Top 50 Most Influential People in IP in 2023, a list made by Managing Intellectual Property website. Nakatanggap tayo ng Outstanding eNGAS User Entity by the Government Financial Management Innovators Circle Inc. dahil sa epektibkng paggamit natin ng electronic system para mas mapadali at mas maging efficient ang ating financial reporting," Barba told the members of the media.

And with its effort to adhere to and implore good governance, the IPOPHL for 10 straight years, reaped "unqualified or unmodified opinion" from the Commission on Audit.

IPOPHL, with Barba at the helm, also maintained compliance with the International Organization for Standardization's 9001:2015 Certification, which covers the process for the grant of patents and the registration of utility models, industrial designs, and trademarks.

Also in 2023, he said his leadership role in Asia was widened when he took the chairmanship of the Intellectual Property Rights Experts Group or APEC-IPEG.

"Almost a year into this term, we've been steering meaningful discussions and capacity-building activities in IP financing, IP in the digital economy, IP for sustainable and inclusive growth, and other cross-cutting issues. In March this year, IPOPHL—bilang chair naman ng ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation— matagumpay nating isinagawa ang 69th AWGIPC Meeting sa Bohol para malatag ang future work ng ASEAN IP offices at para mapaigting ang ating collaboration," according to Barba.

Under his chairmanship at the AWGIPC, the achievement of IPOPHL's goals under the ASEAN IP Rights Action Plan 2016-2025 was accelerated, as completed and ongoing deliverables jumped to 75 percent in March 2023 from 36 percent in March 2021, showing that IPOPHL's dedication to make our ASEAN partnerships work and create tangible outcomes.

"Speaking of partnerships, IPOPHL linked up with various government agencies, business organizations, and associations throughout the year to ensure a whole-of-society approach in promoting IP among our people. These include: the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, the Legal Education Board, the Confederation of Wearables Exporters of the Philippines, the Manila International Airport Authority, the Quezon City University, the Cooperative Development Authority, and GMA Network, Inc., among others," he said.

Among momentous endeavors made by IPOPHL this year, the "Gawad Yamang Isip Awards and Fashion Night" last April to recognize people who have shown distinct IP ingenuity and talent in their respective fields, being part of the celebration of National IP Month, among others.

"IPOPHL also worked with the World Intellectual Property Organization last September in holding the "Asian Regional Conference in Support of Accelerated Life Sciences Innovation" in Manila. The Philippines was chosen to hold this event thanks to our success in strengthening collaboration among the academe, government, and industry to establish a thriving environment of open innovation and technology transfer in life sciences. Following the publication of the rules and regulations of the geographical indications, the Philippines now has its first GI product in the sweetness of the Guimaras mangoes. With GI, local products can fetch favorable prices that can uplift our farmers and producers' livelihoods.IPOPHL has identified over 30 potential GIs including Ube Kinampay, Asin Tibuok, T'nalak, Basey Banig, and many more. We hope to see as many of them in our pool of GI products soon," according to Barba.