Philippines and Pakistan IP Offices Open Talks on a Cooperation Pact Covering GIs and Tech Transfer
Photo: gloverbh222 / Pixabay
The Philippine IP office (IPOPHL) has begun talks with its Pakistani counterpart on a formal cooperation framework. IPO-Pakistan's Director General, Nauman Aslam, met IPOPHL Director General Teodoro C. Pascua and his team in Manila on 29 October 2026. Pakistan's ambassador to the Philippines, Asma Rabbani, led the visiting delegation.
According to reports carried by Pakistani media on 29 and 30 October, the two offices discussed a possible memorandum of understanding (MoU) within the countries' Joint Economic Commission. The topics listed were broad: sharing practice on IP laws, registration and examination; awareness, IP management and commercialisation; enforcement; and technology transfer support.
Two areas stood out. The first is support for technology transfer offices and university innovation, a priority in both countries. The second is geographical indications (GIs): the offices talked about registration, quality control, branding and marketing for products linked to their origin. Reciprocal visits by officials were also proposed. No timetable for signing was announced.
Why it matters. Both countries have rich GI candidates in food, textiles and handicrafts, and bilateral deals of this type often lead to training exchanges and examiner study visits before any market access commitments.
Indonesian angle. DJKI has its own cooperation programmes with ASEAN offices and has been promoting GI registration for regional products. The Manila talks are a reminder that GIs are becoming a regular item in South-South IP diplomacy. Indonesian GI groups that export to Pakistan or the Philippines should follow whether any MoU leads to easier recognition of foreign GIs.
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