The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) reported its strongest enforcement and cooperation with rights holders, including a record P40.98 billion worth of seized counterfeit and pirated goods in 2024, as the country aims to maintain its favorable standing in the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy Review.
IPOPHL submitted its 2025 inputs to the USTR on Oct. 15, 2025.
“We take the USTR review as an opportunity to demonstrate tangible progress,” said Nathaniel Arevalo, IPOPHL acting director general.
“Our results show that the Philippines continues to reap the fruits of strategic IP enforcement while cultivating respect for innovation and creativity as the roots of a responsible and sustainable economy,” he said.
The record seizures in 2024 were up 63 percent from the previous year, achieved through intensified operations in both physical and online markets by the National Committee on IP Rights (NCIPR), which is chaired by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and presided by IPOPHL.
The Bureau of Customs accounted for the largest share of the seizures through border operations. The Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation also conducted raids in key markets, including the Greenhills Shopping Center (GSC), 168 Mall and 999 Mall.
In coordination with the local government, the GSC administration implemented a three-strike policy that led to 299 tenant removals for repeat violations. By the end of 2025, an NCIPR Help Desk is scheduled to be set up at GSC to institutionalize on-site enforcement and assist vendors in shifting to legitimate trade.
Significant gains were also recorded under IPOPHL’s E-Commerce memorandum of understanding (MOU), whose signatories grew to 108 from 43 in the previous reporting period. E-commerce platforms enhanced their detection and seller verification systems, with Lazada proactively removing 85.5 percent of infringing listings and Shopee achieving a 93.6 percent takedown rate.
“Brand representatives emphasized that these improvements stem from years of trust-building, resulting in more efficient enforcement and proactive intervention,” IPOPHL acting director general Arevalo said.
Since enforcing the Rules on Voluntary Administrative Site Blocking in 2024, IPOPHL has restricted access to about 30 sites linked to piracy.
The agency also co-organized the “Piracy-Cybercrime Nexus” symposium with GMA Network, the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) and Globe to tackle links between piracy, malware and data theft.
