As we celebrate ASEAN Month this August, we honor the enduring spirit of regional cooperation that has guided the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for over five decades.

This celebration is particularly meaningful to me, having had the privilege of serving as Chair of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) from 2021 to 2023 and as Director General of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) from 2020 to 2024.

I never had any interest in chairing the AWGIPC having just assumed the position of DG of IPOPHL the year before. Back then, we were so busy planning and implementing our programs to continue making an impact despite Covid. In fact, the pandemic was the reason the three countries due for chairmanship declined to assume the role. Even Singapore passed because its IP Head had just been appointed.

Faced with the prospect of having no AWGIPC Chair, I consulted with the executive committee of IPOPHL which immediately gave their approval, with each bureau committing to support this leadership role.

And so through unity and a shared vision, progress was not only possible, but inevitable. In those difficult times, we strengthened ASEAN’s position as a dynamic IP hub through strategic collaboration, harmonization, and digital transformation. It was good that we started face-to-face meetings in 2022 after virtual meetings in 2021. We can only build relationships during personal and face-to-face interactions.

The AWGIPC remained committed to the ASEAN Intellectual Property Rights Action Plan 2016–2025, and under the Philippines’ leadership, we accelerated initiatives focused on regional IP policy coherence, capacity building, and greater engagement with global partners such as the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and other partners.

We advanced the integration of IP into national and regional development strategies, ensuring that IP became a key driver of innovation, creativity, and economic recovery in the post-pandemic landscape. We were able to hit a 75-percent accomplishment rate out of 57 deliverables coming from a 36-percent accomplishment rate before I assumed the chairmanship in 2021.

In addition, I championed the continued support not only of our partners but also of advanced IP offices within the region for countries with basic IP offices so all ASEAN IP offices could develop and advance together. I have always believed that innovation, creativity, and inclusive IP policies can only prosper in the region if all IP offices are on the same level of development and commitment to support one another.

As IPOPHL’s Director General back then, I brought the Philippines’ national priorities into alignment with ASEAN goals, fostering innovation among Filipino micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and promoting IP as a vital tool for growth. We led discussions on emerging issues such as IP and digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and green technologies—ensuring that ASEAN’s IP frameworks remain future-ready.

These collective efforts exemplify ASEAN’s foundational values: mutual respect, cooperation, and the belief that we are stronger together. As ASEAN continues to evolve amid the complexities of the global IP landscape, our work in AWGIPC at the time laid a strong foundation for deeper regional integration and innovation-led growth.

In celebrating ASEAN Month and in preparation for the chairmanship of the Philippines next year, I express my gratitude to my fellow ASEAN IP leaders, our dedicated technical working groups, the ASEAN Secretariat, and our partners who have made regional IP cooperation a shared success.

May the current AWGIPC continue to champion the power of IP to uplift our economies and empower our people—toward a more innovative, inclusive, and resilient ASEAN.