THE government seized a record P26.86 billion in counterfeit goods last year, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) said on Friday, surpassing the previous high of P24.9 billion in 2021 and nearly tripling last year's P9.49 billion.

"With more aggressive and strategic efforts, coupled with its swift coordination with the team and with IP rights holders, the NCIPR (National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights) members were able to ensure the success of its seizure operations," acting committee chairman and IPOPHL Director General Rowel Barba said on Friday.

acting committee chairman and IPOPHL Director General Rowel Barba. File Photo

Ninety-four percent of last year's confiscated items, mostly consisting of apparel, resulted from operations conducted by the Bureau of Customs.

The National Bureau of Investigation, meanwhile, was said to have seized P1.20 billion worth of goods, while the Philippine National Police accounted for P285.93 million, the majority comprising cigarettes.

The rest resulted from operations of the Food and Drug Administration, which tallied P1.58 million in seized goods, and the Optical Media Board, with a P221,500 haul.

Barba said the NCIPR recorded a total of 3,087 enforcement activities last year, an increase from the 2,962 posted in 2022.

The record seizures, IPOPHL director Christine Pangilinan-Canlapan said, do not automatically signify increased counterfeit trade in the country.

"Relative to other nations that have low to zero values in counterfeit goods, a higher value of goods can simply mean we are doing our part in conducting seizure operations, that our close coordination with IP rights holders is bearing fruit in intercepting counterfeit trade and that we are transparent to the public about our operations," she explained.

The IPOPHL also said that IP cases that had reached the trial stage declined to 205 from 291 in 2022. The conviction rate, however, went up to 17.07 percent from 7.9 percent.

"The increased convictions show that there is more substantial evidence gathered and presented against an IP infringer," Pangilinan-Canlapan said.

Trade Secretary and NCIPR Chairman Alfredo Pascual said that eliminating illegal goods would help boost consumer confidence and investor trust.

"Our zero tolerance for illegal acts against IP infringement safeguards business creativity and innovation," he said.

Pascual also called on consumers to stop patronizing counterfeit goods and instead support locally made products.