Government agencies seized ₱18.64 billion worth of counterfeit goods from January to September this year, according to the National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (NCIPR).
The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) said the results reflect a strengthened whole-of-government approach to enforcement.
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) led the crackdown, accounting for ₱17.21 billion of the total haul. Last year, the agency seized ₱35.24 billion worth of counterfeit goods — more than 99% of the nationwide total and the highest annual record to date.
A major portion of this year’s seizures came from a May 23 operation in Divisoria, Manila, where Customs operatives raided several warehouses inside a commercial complex.
Acting on intelligence from its IPR Division and in coordination with Guess Philippines, the BOC confiscated 1.27 million counterfeit items valued at ₱15.8 billion.
The haul included bags, apparel, and accessories illegally bearing the marks of Guess, Michael Kors, Coach, Louis Vuitton, and Tory Burch.
Other NCIPR members also posted sharp increases in enforcement. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) seized ₱980.4 million worth of counterfeit goods, far higher than the ₱14.5 million it reported in the same period last year.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) likewise reported ₱456.7 million in seizures, up from ₱25.36 million in 2024.
The NBI earlier detailed one of its biggest operations this year: the confiscation of nearly 62,000 fake Oakley and Ray-Ban sunglasses and prescription eyewear in multiple locations in Binondo, Manila, and Baclaran, Pasay City. The seized items were estimated at around ₱800 million.
IPOPHL’s Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Office supervising director Christine V. Pangilinan-Canlapan said more operations are underway.
“Despite the continued successes of IPOPHL and the NCIPR, there is still much work ahead of us. Filipinos can expect more as we gather additional information on our member-agencies’ operations against counterfeit products,” she said.
