As Christmas Day is fast approaching, Intellectual Property Rights of the Philippines Director General, Atty. Rowel Barba, who also sits as the acting chairperson of the 15-member National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (NCIPR), is urging Yuletide shoppers to buy local instead of pirated and counterfeit products.

“This would help our MSMEs and will also help the NCIPR’s mandate to crack down on the entry of fake products in our country. It’s better to give gifts that are authentic rather than counterfeited,” said Barba in a press conference after the 2024 NCIPR High-Level Meeting in Admiral Hotel on Tuesday.

He also said the NCIPR is targeting P4 billion worth of counterfeit products for this year.

The NCIPR reported a historic surge in the value of seized counterfeit goods, reflecting increased enforcement efforts and deeper cooperation between NCIPR members and rights holders.

In the first nine months of 2024, the estimated market value of intellectual property (IP) infringing goods seized by the NCIPR reached a staggering P35.24 billion, surpassing the previous record of P26.89 billion in 2023.

Barba credited this to increased enforcement efforts at the NCIPR and “an unprecedented level of collaboration” among committee members and rights holders.

“The success of our coordinated enforcement strategies sends a clear message: we stand firm against intellectual property violations. Dismantling counterfeiting networks is not merely regulatory, it’s foundational in spurring economic growth and upholding the values of fairness that we hold as a people,” Barba added.

For her part, Trade Acting Secretary and NCIPR Chair Cristina Roque also urged consumers to resist counterfeit temptations.

"Your choices shape our nation's entrepreneurial spirit. By choosing quality and supporting our local MSMEs, you fuel the engine of our economy and contribute to a 'Bagong Pilipinas'—the Philippines where innovation and sustainability thrive. Let's empower our communities and build a brighter future together," Roque added. 

Both IPOPHL and the DTI particularly commended the Bureau of Customs for playing a pivotal role in enforcement.

BOC’s seizures accounted for an impressive 99 percent of the total haul year-to-date and marked an increase from P25.38 billion in the entire 2023. 

Aside from the BOC, the Philippine National Police and National Bureau of Investigation also contributed seizures amounting to P25.36 million and P14.5 million, respectively. 

“The BOC and the rest of the NCIPR have been relentless in rooting out counterfeits in both online markets and storefronts,” Supervising Director of IPOPHL’s IP Rights Enforcement Office (IEO) Christine V. Pangilinan-Canlapan said. 

While the spike in seizures is noteworthy, Pangilinan-Canlapan also clarified that “a rise in seizure values does not necessarily equate to rampant counterfeit trade.”

“Instead, it reflects our dedication to transparency and the effectiveness of our efforts to turn the tides against counterfeit trade,” Pangilinan-Canlapan added.