Malacañang appoints Pangilinan-Canlapan as new Bureau of Legal Affairs Director 

October 03, 2025

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has appointed Atty. Christine V. Pangilinan-Canlapan as the new Director of the Bureau of Legal Affairs (BLA) at the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL). 

Pangilinan-Canlapan previously held the position of Assistant Director (Director III) at the same bureau since 2018. She succeeds Atty. Nathaniel S. Arevalo, who acceded to the position of Deputy Director General in April 2024 and is now serving as Acting Director General of IPOPHL. During the interim period, Pangilinan-Canlapan was the bureau’s designated Officer-in-Charge. 

Bringing 25 years of law experience specializing in intellectual property (IP) law to the table, Pangilinan-Canlapan demonstrates deep expertise and a commitment to IP legal advocacy that is poised to serve her well in her new role. Her career in law began with paralegal experience as a law student at a firm specializing in IP, and she spent years in legal practice for a number of IP firms. 

Pangilinan-Canlapan is a strong advocate of alternate dispute resolution in IP matters, serving as Supervising Director of the Alternate Dispute Resolution Services (ADRS) Unit at the BLA and mobilizing a paradigm shift from IP litigation to IP alternate dispute resolution. She has also played a major role in developing services at the ADRS such as arbitration and Mediation Outside of Litigation. 

She facilitated IPOPHL’s accreditation with the Department of Justice’s Office for Alternate Dispute Resolution Services (OADR) as an Accredited Public Service Provider Organization, being the first to do so from the public sector, as well as the accreditation of IPOPHL’s pool of mediators. She herself has been an accredited OADR mediator since 2019. 

Aside from her role as Assistant Director and Officer-in-Charge of the BLA, she also served as Supervising Director of the IP Rights Enforcement Office (IEO). Under her leadership, the IEO developed the Rules on Voluntary Administrative Site Blocking, a move which aimed to curb online piracy and has been lauded by the Motion Picture Association and Alliance for Creative Entertainment. 

“There is much work ahead of us, but I am confident the BLA will rise up to the challenge,” Pangilinan-Canlapan said. “We will continue to streamline our processes and enhance the bureau’s capacities, especially in ADR, so we can fulfill our mission of service to the Filipino people.” 

The appointment was signed and put into effect on September 23, 2025. # # # (Rawl Maliwat, Communications and Marketing Writer)