IP filings hit record high

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April 2, 2026 | 12:00am

In 2025

MANILA, Philippines —  Intellectual property (IP) filings in the Philippines hit a record high last year, reflecting increased innovation, according to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL).

In a statement, the IPOPHL said that filings for patents, trademarks, utility models and industrial designs last year reached 53,231, up by two percent from 52,257 in 2024.

“The new record in IP filings reflects a growing recognition of IP protection as a key strategy for competitiveness in a fast-paced digital economy,” IPOPHL acting director general Nathaniel Arevalo said.

“The sustained rise in applications, particularly in innovation-driven categories, points to accelerating innovation and a stronger appreciation of the need to protect IP assets,” he said.

Patent filings rose by 8.3 percent   to 4,486 last year from a year ago.

By sector, pharmaceuticals led the patent filings (24.9 percent), followed by digital communication (13.6 percent) and biotechnology (5.3 percent).

Utility model filings went up by 20.6 percent to 1,918 from 2024, driven largely by resident applications, which reached 1,848. The rest were non-resident filings totaling 70.

Food chemistry dominated utility model filings (51.5 percent), followed by basic materials chemistry (6.1 percent) and electrical machinery (four percent).

 Industrial design filings also increased by 30 percent to 2,576 last year from 2024.

Categories which saw the biggest industrial design filings last year were means of transport or hoisting (19.2 percent), packages and containers for the transport or handling of goods (3.9 percent) and recording and communication equipment (6.8 percent).

Trademark filings reached 44,308 last year, down by 0.5 percent from 2024.

Pharmaceuticals led trademark filings at 6,444 (9.2 percent); followed by advertising, business management and office functions at 5,981 (8.6 percent); and scientific and technological apparatus and instruments with 5,384 (7.7 percent).

Deposits for copyrighted works rose by 2.8 percent year-on-year to 6,736 in 2025 amid growing awareness of IPOPHL’s copyright registration services and its importance.