A vendor hangs mangoes in her store in Jordan municipality in Guimaras Province on March 27, 2019. Guimaras is known to produce some of the sweetest mangoes in the world. Manman Dejeto, ABS-CBN News/File
MANILA — The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines IPOPHL said it wants to expand the list of Filipino products to be registered with their own geographical indicators (G.I.) following the recognition of Guimaras mangoes.
Guimaras mangoes. was named as the country's first G.I. product, which is a mark of good quality and uniqueness to an area or region. It also provided Guimaras mangoes with trademark protection.
G.I.s are “unique to a certain locality, a territory. It is due to, it could be geographic location, it could be also how people here produced a certain product," IPOPHL Deputy Director General Ann Claire Cabochan said.
Cabochan said there are 30 other potential candidates in the G.I. list in the country including barako from Batangas, pili nuts from Bicol, heirloom rice from the Cordilleras, dried mangoes from Cebu, pomelo from Davao and the T'nalak fabric from South Cotabato, among others.
“We are able to promote culture, the arts, and also give back to the locality where it originates from the needed revenue and development,” said Cabochan.
Other countries already have their own G.I. systems and products including champagne from France, parmesan from Italy, darjeling tea from India and kampot pepper from Cambodia, the agency said.
Tiago Guerreiro of the EU-backed IP Key Southeast Asia said being recognized as a G.I. product has several benefits including the exclusivity of the name of your product.
With this, the business of a community can be protected and it also boosts the local economy. Not to mention, it could also lead to an increase in tourism as fans of GI products often travel to their place of origin, he said.
“The value of your product might increase as well, which was the case for Kampot pepper, which they were able to increase the value throughout the years as they were being recognized as a geographical indication.,” said Guerreiro.
IPOPHIL now urges communities or cooperatives to register their products to become G.I. The application will then undergo a strict process before approval.
To raise awareness, IPOPHL said it is holding its the National Geographical Indications Forum this week.
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