Philippines eyes to destroy P10M counterfeit goods in 2011

An Armored Personnel Carrier of the Philippine National Police runs over piles of pirated DVDs and counterfeit sunglasses during ceremonial destruction of fake goods seized in raids recently at parade grounds of Camp Crame Thursday. AP

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines aims to destroy at least P10 billion worth of counterfeit goods this year as the country seeks to be removed from a US blacklist of nations tolerating intellectual piracy.

Thursday’s crushing of P350 million worth of fake designer goods at Camp Crame during the World Anti-Counterfeiting Day was just a “tip of the iceberg,” said Ricardo Blancaflor, director of the Intellectual Property Office (PIO).

“This is the only the tip of the iceberg. This is just a small portion of the confiscated goods that we got from the first six months of 2001 which is now P1.4 billion,” Blancaflor said.

Bureau of Customs Lito Alvarez said agents have seized P50 million pesos worth of assorted counterfeit footwear and audio equipment on Wednesday.

“That is to rid the country of stigma of being referred to as the dumping ground of fake consumer products,” said Alvarez as he challenged the IPO to make the ceremonial destruction of intellectual rights monthly instead of yearly.

“Let us not waiver in our belief that together we can win the war against intellectual property rights violators,” Alvarez added.

Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Rico Puno said more investors will come in if piracy is curbed in the country.

Optical Media Board chairman Ronald Ricketts urged the Filipinos to protect, safeguard and promote the intellectual property rights of artists and manufacturers.

“We support in this anti-counterfeiting day. Let’s buy original,” said the former action star.

The Philippines remains on this year’s US Trade Representative’s lower-level Watch List of countries deemed not to be doing enough to protect intellectual property rights.

But the report, released in May, cited progress made by the Philippines and other trading partners in enacting significant legislation protecting intellectual property. With AFP