IPOPHL fetes LGUs with most IP filings

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has recognized various cities and municipalities for achieving the highest number of intellectual property (IP) applications and approvals in 2023.

The Special Awards on IP Rights were divided into categories, including Highly Urbanized Cities, Component Cities and Municipalities classified from 1st to 6th class.

In the Highly Urbanized Cities category, Quezon City maintained its lead with 8,864 IP filings and approved registrations. The City of Manila followed with 4,738, and Makati City ranked third with 4,493.

Among Component Cities, Antipolo, Rizal, secured the top spot with 486 filings, while Meycauayan, Bulacan, and Bacoor, Cavite, followed with 292 and 260 filings, respectively.

For municipalities in the 1st to 2nd class category, Cainta, Rizal, emerged as the leader with 380 filings. Argao, Cebu, and Binalonan, Pangasinan, secured the second and third spots with 305 and 279 filings, respectively.

In the 3rd to 4th class municipalities, Lamut, Ifugao, topped the list with 89 filings, followed by Pontevedra, Capiz, with 75, and Palo, Leyte, with 70.

For 5th to 6th class municipalities, Pakil, Laguna, led with 32 filings, while San Juan, Southern Leyte, and Biliran, Biliran, both had 21 filings.

The awards were presented recently during the annual Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) ceremony.

IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba, along with Deputy Director General Ann Claire C. Cabochan, Documentation, Information and Technology Transfer Bureau (DITTB) Director Ralph Jarvis H. Alindogan, and DITTB Assistant Director Chamlette D. Garcia, led the event.

Barba emphasized the importance of IP rights in fostering innovation and creativity across cities and municipalities. “The protection of IP rights not only ensures that individual Filipinos benefit from their creativity and innovation but also their communities,” he said.

Barba added that including IP and innovation in the CMCI highlights the crucial role local governments play in harnessing the creative capital of their citizens to enhance or sustain productivity.

The CMCI Awards evaluate cities and municipalities based on Economic Dynamism, Government Efficiency, Infrastructure, Resiliency and Innovation, with IP application and registration serving as key indicators under the Innovation Pillar.