For 12 straight years, the country’s vanguard for citizens' intellectual property, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), has maintained its ISO 9001:2015 Certification.

According to IPOPHL Director-General Rowel Barba, the prestigious certification has once again affirmed its commitment to quality public service.

“Our ISO certification reflects a continued legacy of excellence beginning 2012 when IPOPHL secured its initial ISO accreditation. Today, our efforts to better our best across our bureaus and offices remain recognized not just for what is documented on paper but for the outcomes that are felt by the Filipino people and our overall clientele,” said Barba.

The certification, issued by SOCOTEC Certification Philippines Inc., covers a wide range of IPOPHL’s quality management system processes involved in its mandate of granting patents, registering utility models, industrial designs, and trademarks, and recording copyrighted works.

During the audit, IPOPHL received zero non-conformities and seven commendations, including:

• Consistent high customer satisfaction received in sampled areas;

• Digitalization initiatives enhancing efficiency and contributing to climate change mitigation;

• The procurement of an Enterprise HRMIS set for integration in January 2025; and

• The Green Technology Incentive Program of the Bureau of Patents aimed at promoting sustainable designs and inventions.

Further, the ISO certification was awarded to IPOPHL for the strong process knowledge and maturity of the Bureau of Copyright and Related Rights (BCRR) and Bureau of Legal Affairs (BLA); effective transaction management and record maintenance in the BCRR and BLA, highlighting a drive for continual improvement; and IPOPHL’s exemplary finance and cashiering processes. These were supported by their 2023 AGAP Outstanding Accounting Office and Outstanding eNGAS User Entity Awards, alongside plans for e-disbursement by next year.

ISO 9001:2015 is an international standard for quality management systems, established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

The certification defines a framework for ensuring organizations consistently meet customer and regulatory requirements while enhancing overall performance.