The National Competitiveness Council has signed an agreement with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHIL) aimed at establishing a coherent and coordinated initiative towards the promotion of access to technology and the contribution of the intellectual property (IP) management system to national development.

The Memorandum of Agreement was signed by Ricardo R. Blancaflor, Director-General of IPOPHIL and Guillermo M. Luz, Private Sector Co-Chairman of the National Competitiveness Council on February 21, 11 AM at the Board of Investments.

It should be noted that among the indicators that the NCC is currently tracking is intellectual property protection where the country has consistently ranked low. Based on the 2011 World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report, the Philippines ranked 102 out of the 142 economies. The NCC is working to improve the competitiveness ranking of the country in science, technology, innovation and intellectual property protection, together with agencies such as IPOPHIL.

The Agreement signing kicks off preparations leading to the conduct of a conference to be organized by IPOPHIL in March 2012, on the occasion of the official visit to the Philippines of the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Francis Gurry.

(you may also download in PDF here: IPOPHIL_Press_Release_02-21-2012)