The Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen industry-government cooperation against the online sale of counterfeit automotive parts and vehicles.
The agreement establishes a direct reporting channel between automotive brand owners and major e-commerce platforms to fast-track the takedown of suspected counterfeit listings. Lazada, Shopee, TikTok and Zalora are the initial platform signatories.
IPOPHL director general Nathaniel Arevalo said the partnership builds on the government’s continuing push for online consumer protection and intellectual property enforcement.
“E-commerce is all about helping the private sector develop a form of self-regulation while curbing online infringement. The government acts as a facilitator and convener in this process,” Arevalo said.
“This complements our effort to pursue long-term solutions like site-blocking and takedown mechanisms. Under this MOU, brand owners can directly contact the platforms, and the response is very quick. Relief comes as soon as possible,” he added.
Arevalo said the measure protects not only brand owners but also consumers who may unknowingly purchase substandard or hazardous parts.
Outgoing CAMPI president Rommel Gutierrez said the partnership is timely as the automotive industry marks its 30th year and heightens its campaign to ensure that motorists use safe, legitimate automotive components.
“This will help us curb the sale of counterfeit parts, even entire units, being peddled online. We’ve seen dubious listings, mostly parts, and this cooperation sustains our mission to provide customers only with genuine parts,” Gutierrez said, adding that the group is not discouraging online purchases.
The MOU introduces a notice-and-takedown mechanism that allows CAMPI members to identify suspect listings and coordinate with IPOPHL and platform operators for swift removal.
IPOPHL noted that 74 percent of infringement reports it now receives involve online transactions.
For the automotive sector, data since 2024 show a rising number of cases involving counterfeit condensers, oil coolers and other parts, although overall reporting remains limited due to data gaps.
“We don’t have exact figures yet, which is why we support this effort. We need solid data to fully assess the scale of counterfeiting,” he said.
Under the MOU, brand owners may still pursue administrative or court cases if they want counterfeit sellers penalized. However, both organizations emphasized that the immediate priority is fast removal of fake listings from online marketplaces and stronger safeguards for Filipino motorists.
