Trade chief Ma. Cristina A. Roque formally endorsed the reappointment of Atty. Rowel S. Barba as the director general of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), with his current term set to end this month.

In a memorandum for President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. dated 12 November, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) chief highlighted Barba’s exceptional professionalism and leadership across various sectors.

Atty. Barba, who has served as IPOPHL's director general since 2020, has led the agency to new heights with his "BRIGHT Agenda." This includes building collaboration and partnerships, raising the bar for customer service, integrating IP education and awareness into society, going back to basics, highlighting human capital, and transforming IPOPHL into a fully digitalized agency.

Barba, who holds a law degree from the University of the Philippines and a Certificate in Business Economics, has extensive experience spanning both the public and private sectors. He previously held key roles as Undersecretary at the Department of Trade and Industry and Vice President for Legal Affairs at RFM Corporation.

"Given his extensive qualifications, leadership, and unwavering commitment to strengthening the IP regime in the Philippines, the above-signed firmly believes that he is highly qualified for reappointment as Director General of IPOPHL. His continued leadership will guarantee the success of key legislative and institutional reforms, contributing to a robust intellectual property system in the Philippines," Roque said.

In addition to the DoT, the Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. has also endorsed Atty. Barba’s extension of tenure at the agency.