Farewell to ‘arms,’ to IPOPHL but not to IP

When I first joined the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) in 2020, the world was in a state of upheaval unlike anything most of us had ever seen. It was a world of lockdowns, a contagious and deadly virus, and the toll of many lives lost everyday. What might have seemed like a dystopian story from a novel became our shared reality — even my reality on my first day in office.

On that day, I was confronted with the daunting responsibility of leading IPOPHL into an uncertain future, almost as if I was deployed to the battlefield without ammunition. It was in this darkest time that the BRIGHT Agenda was born.

This agenda became our guiding light, pushing us to champion innovation, nurture creative communities, combat piracy and counterfeiting, and ensure inclusivity in intellectual property (IP).

The results speak for themselves. The Philippines has risen 47 places in the Global Innovation Index over a decade, showing to the world that we are not just keeping up, we are redefining what’s possible.

Contributing to our innovation goals is our Innovation and Technology Support Offices (ITSO) which have become critical bridges, transforming classroom ideas into solutions with real-world impact.

Ensuring that we sustain our innovative competitiveness and that the fruits of intellectual labor reach the marketplace is the National Innovation Council which IPOPHL is a member of.

But IPOPHL’s work isn’t confined to research labs or corporate boardrooms. It extends to the stages, screens and canvases where Filipino creativity shines. Serving on the Philippine Creative Industries Development Council, we’ve seen firsthand the potential of Filipino ingenuity. Now, we celebrate creativity not just as cultural commodities but as high-value assets worth sharing to the world.

As such, safeguarding the rights of our artists and the broader fight in enforcement are vital. From pioneering voluntary site-blocking measures to curbing piracy to strengthening partnerships with platforms to fight counterfeiting, IPOPHL made significant headway in enforcement. Our exclusion from major international watchlists speaks volumes about this progress.

On the global stage, IPOPHL has made historic strides, from breakthroughs in treaties to championing the needs of the developing world in the ASEAN and Asia Pacific regions where we held various leadership roles to steer more meaningful discussions and propel actions on IP.

Maintaining the position of the Philippines as an influential IP leader in the region and beyond, the recently launched Philippine IP Strategy 2025-2030 envisions the country as a global hub for IP creation and commercialization, with the Hapag-Isipan initiative fostering a collaborative culture of innovation.

Beyond the global treaties and influence, what stands out most is the work we’ve done on the ground, in the regions, with the Filipino people. The capacity-building programs, the community awareness campaigns, and the moments when someone’s eyes lit up after learning that IP could elevate the value of their work and even the quality of their lives — these were the wins that kept us going.

I’m very proud to have worked with hundreds of amazing men and women who make up this wonderful IPOPHL family and who have carried this mission together.

After all, what we do would be for naught if others are left behind in our journey. Inclusivity remains at the heart of IPOPHL’s mission. Through various initiatives, we empower women and involve the youth in creating solutions to real-world problems. We help drive green innovations to tackle climate change.

I vividly remember, when I joined IPOPHL in 2020, the first thing I told everyone was that it was time for intellectual property to be understood and felt by every Filipino. Today, in my last column as IPOPHL Director General, I share with you how proud I am to know that we have walked that talk.

Many do not know this but that walk often meant a mountain hike of three hours in Benguet, a 12-hour road trip to Dumaguete, a Ro-Ro journey that had to be taken amid crashing waves.

That walk often meant relentless flights and travel that made us strangers in our own homes. Sometimes, home felt like a temporary destination for a connecting flight, a short reprieve before the next jet lag, before the next “goodbye,” before the next weeks our loved ones would have to bravely face without us.

These were the sacrifices we made to walk that talk. And I’m very proud to have worked with hundreds of amazing men and women who make up this wonderful IPOPHL family and who have carried this mission together, refusing to back down.

As I leave IPOPHL, I am reminded of the countless achievements IPOPHL has made. All this we owe to a commitment shared with all of society to uplift the Filipino people. Like every uphill journey that meets a worthwhile view, I can say it is a journey worth telling and continuing, wherever the winds may take me.