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Angara: Guimaras mangoes' first GI certification will boost marketing of PH made products
Philippines
National
Angara: Guimaras mangoes' first GI certification will boost marketing of PH made products
Angara: Guimaras mangoes' first GI certification will boost marketing of PH made products
Published Jun 16, 2023 02:42 am
The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines’ (IPOPHL) recent approval for the Guimaras Mango to be registered as a geographical indication (GI) will open up more opportunities for high-quality, Philippine-made products be known internationally.
Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara reiterated this as he lauded the IPOPHL for approving the application of the Guimaras Mango Growers and Producers Development Cooperative (GMGPDC) for the Guimaras Mango to be registered as a GI.
“Guimaras mangoes have long been well known among Filipinos as being one of the sweetest in the country and having the quality that can pass the standards and requirements of importing countries,” Angara said in a statement.
“With the grant of first ever GI, farmers of Guimaras mangoes will be the ones to benefit with an increase in demand and higher profits,” the senator said.
Angara has filed Senate Bill No. 1868 or the proposed Protected Geographical Indications Act, which aims to set up a mechanism for the potential growth of high-quality, truly Filipino brands and products, particularly in the international marketplace.
The IPOPHL has said that the approval of the GI for Guimaras mangoes was the result of a decade of work by the organization to put the spotlight on Guimaras mangoes as having the highest quality and standards insofar as the processes used in planting, harvesting, handling, packing and storage.
Already, the GMGPDC has received offers to export to the Czech Republic, Dubai, and South Korea after making its first export to Switzerland of an initial two tons in 2022.
The registration of GIs is done through the IPOPHL’s Bureau of Trademarks.
Products with a GI are certified as having originated from a specific territory, region or locality, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic of the good is essentially attributable to its geographical origin and/or human factors.
“With a GI, producers will be able to have a powerful marketing tool at its disposal and also demand a premium for their products,” Angara said.
“This is very much in the spirit of our Tatak Pinoy or Proudly Pinoy advocacy which strives to level up the quality of the goods and services our country produces so that they can access broader markets and generate more quality jobs for our people,” the lawmaker added.
According to Angara, SBN 1868 also seeks to address the concerns of GI holders regarding infringement—a problem that is faced in other jurisdictions such as the European Union (EU) will also be addressed through the imposition of the appropriate penalties.
Under the bill, the unauthorized use of registered GIs without the consent or authorization from the registrant would be considered an infringement and offense against the economic interest of the state.
The bill also carries a criminal penatly of imprisonment from two to five years and a fine ranging from P500,000 to P1-million, on top of possible civil and administration sanctions.
“We encourage our eligible local producers to work towards securing a GI, not only to improve your revenues, but also to showcase the best that the country has to offer to the world,” Angara appealed.