The National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (NCIPR) has seized P40.99 billion worth of counterfeit products from January to December last year, surpassing the 2023 record and furthering the government’s crackdown against illicit trade.
The estimated value is 52% higher than the P26.99 billion in 2023. Last year’s haul from the Bureau of Customs (BOC) accounted for the lion’s share, totaling P34.70 billion.
Among the biggest operations of the BOC included its July operations in Binondo which hauled P11 billion worth of counterfeit luxury goods and its November raid in a Divisoria mall where the agency confiscated P7 billion worth of counterfeit luxury goods.
BOC’s haul was followed by the seizures from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Philippine National Police (PNP) estimated at P3.42 billion and P2.83 billion, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration seized P30.20 million counterfeit drugs and health-related products.
Under Section 155 of the IP Code, the use, reproduction or imitation of a registered trademark or its dominant feature without the owner’s consent—whether in commerce or advertising—can be held liable for infringement if such use is likely to cause confusion, mistake or deception.
IPOPHL Director General Brigitte M. da Costa-Villaluz lauded the members of the NCIPR for “the proactive work and strategic raid operations to keep counterfeits from reaching markets and households.”
“Counterfeit products harm the economy as they undermine legitimate businesses and market trust, while also exposing consumers to unsafe products that went under the radar of regulatory standard checks,” da Costa-Villaluz said.
IPOPHL Deputy Director General for Policy, Legal Affairs and External Relations Nathaniel S. Arevalo reassured that the NCIPR will continue protecting IP rights and consumers.
“The NCIPR will continue to safeguard our borders from being transit points, our warehouses from being hiding dens and our markets from being thriving hubs for counterfeiting,” Arevalo said.
IPOPHL’s Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Office (IEO) Supervising Director Christine V. Pangilinan-Canlapan encouraged consumers to stop buying fake products, reminding the public of “the high cost of risks to what seem like bargain prices.”
Instead, Pangilinan-Canlapan enjoined consumers to be vigilant and report against counterfeit advertisements and transactions through the IEO’s reporting channels: operations@ipophil.gov.ph, its Facebook page and mobile number 0966-769-1448.
