Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) Director General Rowel S. Barba has doubled to 10 percent this year’s growth target in IP filings as the agency vowed to accelerate implementation of programs and campaigns for the registration of new local innovations and inventions and protection of these products. “Actually, we’re happy with 5 percent growth this year from 48,000 last year, but we want to target a higher growth, if possible, 10 percent,” said Barba said at the kickoff event for the National Intellectual Property Month (NIPM). IPOPHL reported that last year’s applications totaled 48,259, reflecting a 3.7 percent higher than the 46,558 in 2021 and two percent up from the previous record-high of 47,328 in 2019. Historically, IP protection filings in the country has been consistent since the creation of IPOPHL, on the average of 4-5 percent annual growth, except in 2020 when the filings dropped considerably by 20 percent due to the pandemic. But Barba said they would be able to double this year’s growth with the full blast implementation of all their programs, particularly the “Juana” programs such as the Juana Patent, Juana Design, and Juan for the World, which aims to help Philippine MSMEs' advance globally by protecting their trademarks under the Madrid Protocol. IPOPHL has also targeted the youth with its IP Program. “Hopefully this year, we’re targeting 10 percent growth in IP filings,” he said. The World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) has reported an increase in IP filings in the past two years globally, particularly in South American countries. Unfortunately, he said, this was not true for the Philippines. “But since we are seeing improvement in filings again, we will exert more programs to increase filings,” he said. In fact, he said, the IPOPHL will be joining the foreign investment missions of the Board of Investments (BOI) to assure foreign businessmen that their IPs are well protected when they invest in the country. “IP is related to investments,” he explained, adding that those registering for IP in the country are foreign investors and those who want to market their products in the Philippines. “We can protect their trademarks and patents,” he said. IPOPHL would like the BOI to allot a portion during their investment seminars overseas to assure potential investors that “We have a robust and transparent IP system in the Philippines.” Barba further said that the high inflation rate in the country should not drive up demand for counterfeit products. Even with no high inflation, he said, piracy and counterfeiting still remain. A WIPO commissioned survey revealed that kids 15 years old and below are prone to piracy for two reasons: cheaper cost and their peers are doing it anyway. With that, IPOPHL has teamed up with GMA-7 targeting the youth to promote legal streaming.