Philusa Corp., a Filipino-owned company producing pharmaceutical and fast-moving consumer goods, is uniting with other signatories in the landmark E-Commerce Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to combat counterfeit and pirated goods and ensure the health and safety of Filipino families.
Philusa President and General Manager Neogin A. Evangelista and Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) Deputy Director General Nathaniel S. Arevalo signed the MOU last month. Also present at the signing was Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary for E-Commerce Mary Jean T. Pacheco.
“The counterfeiting of personal care, baby care, home care, as well as health and wellness products offered under PHILUSA brands pose serious health risks to consumers. That is why facilitating the entry of IP rights owners like PHILUSA into this E-Commerce MOU will help to serve public interest,” said Arevalo during the signing.
“By joining the MOU, PHILUSA signals its proactive approach to protecting Filipino families’ health and safety from the harmful effects of fake products, and their commitment to offer only quality, authentic products,” Arevalo said.
“We are grateful for the partnership with IPOPHL, together with the DTI, in formalizing E-Commerce MOU. This agreement is a vital step in protecting IP and safeguarding consumers from counterfeit products,” Evangelista said.
“Our brands reflect our promise and dedication to deliver world-class quality and affordable products to Filipino families. Protecting our intellectual property by taking part in this grand collaborative effort will not only help us fulfill this commitment but also build a safe e-commerce environment for our people,” he added.
There are now 45 signatories to this collaborative initiative, including four of the largest e-commerce platforms in the region and in the Philippines: Lazada, Shopee, TikTok Shop and Zalora.
Philusa will join the ranks of other signatories from the pharmaceutical sector and manufacturers of fast-moving consumer goods, which include Astellas Pharma Philippines, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline Philippines Inc.; Sanofi; HI-Eisai Pharmaceutical, Inc.; Greenstone Pharmaceutical HK, Inc.; Bayer Philippines, Inc.; Quadgen Pharmaceutical; Unilever Philippines, Inc.; and Procter & Gamble Company.
Under the MOU, signatories can closely collaborate and directly notify platform members on possible IP violations, allowing a more efficient takedown of online posts selling counterfeit products or pirated content.
IPOPHL facilitates and oversees the continued collaboration of the signatories, monitors the progress of the MOU and elevates signatories’ concerns for enforcement action or uses them as basis for developing improved intellectual property policies.
