IPOPHL Jumpstarts National IP Month with Recognition of Previous Directors General

April 5, 2022

In honor of the leaders that had steered the direction for intellectual property (IP) in the country, the IP Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has created a Legacy Wall that bears painted portraits of the current and former Directors General (DGs). 

DG Rowel S. Barba led on Monday the ceremony unveiling the Legacy Wall. Displayed at IPOPHL’s headquarters in Taguig City, the Legacy Wall emphasizes the importance of strategic leadership in helping the agency evolve into its present innovative and development-oriented status.

Gathering the former DGs, namely, Atty. Emma C. Francisco, Atty. Adrian S. Cristobal, Jr., Atty. Ricardo R. Blancaflor and Atty.  Josephine R. Santiago, the ceremony highlighted the various milestones achieved during their term, including IPOPHL’s digital transformation.

“Today’s ceremony and display are just a few of the ways we honor their legacy,” Barba said during the ceremony, which was part of the year-long commemoration of the agency’s 25th Silver Bright Anniversary.

Barba lauded the former DGs for their lasting legacies on IP while admitting that following in their footsteps became even more challenging because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“But knowing that I was carrying the torch passed on to me by our past Directors General, I knew I had to do my part in leading IPOPHL through those challenging times. I would not let my predecessors down,” Barba said. 

After a slump in 2020, IP filings rebounded 11.6% in 2021 and IPOPHL is now “like a phoenix getting off to a new start,” the current IPOPHL chief added.

Delivering a message at the event, Deputy DG Nelson P. Laluces said that “before we can look forward to 25 or 50 or even 100 more years, we first need to look back and appreciate the past,” given the long and rich history of IPOPHL and IP in the Philippines.

Guests during the ceremony were: Alvin Montano, the painter commissioned to do the portraits; Philippine Commission on Women (PWC) Chairperson Sandra Montano; Mr. Wilfrid Fousse, Agri-Food Counselor of the Embassy of France; and Mr. Olivier Ginepro, Economic Counselor of the Embassy of France.

For his part, Deputy DG Teodoro C. Pascua promised that under the current leadership of DG Barba, the agency’s present staff will “commit not to tarnish the honor and legacy of IPOPHL” to “fully realize our vision of utilizing IP as a development tool in nation-building.”