Seizure of fake goods down 47% in Jan-Sept
Government seizures of counterfeit goods fell sharply in the first nine months of the year following record enforcement levels in 2024.
Data from the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) showed that authorities had confiscated P18.64 billion worth of illicit products as of September, down 47 percent from a record-high P35.28 billion in the same period last year.
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) continued to account for the bulk of seized items, contributing 92 percent of the total, or about P17.21 billion.
The National Bureau of Investigation followed with P980.36 million, while the Philippine National Police recorded P456.72 million.
IPOPHL Acting Director General Nathaniel Arevalo said apparel remained among the most commonly seized goods.
Goods found on physical shelves also continued to dominate the seizure total versus online products, he said.
Arevalo said more analysis is needed to understand the decline in counterfeit seizures.
“If you base it on the amount of seizures, it looks like there were more activities last year, not only the value, but also the sheer volume. But this is not conclusive because we really have to look into the reported violations of counterfeiting (translated from Filipino),” he said.
Despite the lower total value seized this year, enforcement operations increased sharply.
As of September, agencies conducted 2,745 operations, compared with just 85 in the same period last year.
Arevalo said authorities expected a possible surge in counterfeit products toward the end of the year, coinciding with the holiday season.
Counterfeit seizures hit an all-time high of P40.99 billion in 2024, up 52 percent from P26.99 billion in 2023.
IPOPHL is part of the 15-member National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights chaired by the Department of Trade and Industry, whose members include the Department of Justice, the Optical Media Board, NBI, PNP and BOC.
