The Cordillera has the most active filers of women-founded micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) under the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines’ (IPOPHL) Juana Make a Mark program, a trademark registration incentive program that has so far benefited 3,000 women MSMEs all over the country.
Of these beneficiaries, women MSMEs in the region accounted for 9.97 percent or 296 applications.
Majority or about 36 percent of the goods they protected were local pastries, delicacies, coffee, tea, sugar; 33 percent were local food outlets selling local delicacies; 11 percent were food processed from fruits and vegetables indigenous to the areas; and the remaining were restaurant services offering local cuisines and organic/natural soaps, shampoo and cosmetic products.
Among the Juana beneficiaries from Cordillera are the Dulche Chocolates dessert shop; Everything is Pine brand of handmade products; Pedro’s pinnunog pizza; Kerobee farm products; and Cheche’s gourmet tuyo and adobo flakes.
IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba commended the Cordillera “for harnessing their IPs which can contribute to the region’s economic growth and promotion of its culture.”
“As a cradle of diverse and rich ethno-linguistic cultures and an agricultural value chain that supports the country’s prospects for export competitiveness, the Cordillera has at its fingertips a wide array of inspiration and materials to create more products protectible by the Juana program and even the entire intellectual property system,” Barba said.
At the IPOPHL’s National Intellectual Property Month kick-off press conference on April 5, Barba invited more women to avail of the benefits of Juana Make a Mark as he revealed the recent extension of the incentive program to benefit 1,000 women MSMEs more.
“With registration, women entrepreneurs could enjoy time-bound exclusive rights over their trademarks. This gives them strategic advantage in building their brand and business and the right to prevent others from using their marks for the same or similar goods or services without their authority or consent,” Barba said.
Launched in 2017, the Juana Make a Mark program is designed to encourage trademark registration among women-led MSMEs engaged in various priority sectors identified by IPOPHL and the Department of Trade and Industry.
These priority sectors include agri-business; aerospace parts; automotive and auto spare parts; chemicals; electronic manufacturing and semiconductor manufacturing services; construction; design-oriented furniture and garments; IT and business process management; tool and die; tourism; and transport and logistics. – Press release
