Pasay city: A strengthened collaboration between the Intellectual Property Office Philippines (IPOPHL) and local governments will be pursued to fight counterfeiting.

According to Philippines News Agency, the partnership with local government units (LGUs) is expected since the Department of the Interior and Local Government is part of the National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights. "We want to work with the LGUs so that they can be at the center of not only enforcement but also education," IPOPHL Director General Teodoro Pascua told the media after the 2026 Gawad Yamang Isip Awards at Newport City in Pasay City Friday night.

Pascua said IPOPHL alone cannot run after illegal activities because of manpower shortage, compared to thousands of municipalities nationwide. "We will find ways to strengthen that, but not only in the anti-counterfeiting enforcement effort but on the education side," he said.

He emphasized the need for LGUs to understand how businesses may navigate around existing policies. "That's a tall order, I know. But the moment we start working with them, I think we've done already half of the things that need to be done," he stated.

IPOPHL earlier reported that it seized PHP472.61 million worth of counterfeit goods in the first quarter of this year through coordination with the Philippine National Police. Last year, it seized a total of PHP29.97 billion worth of counterfeit items.