MORE business and trade groups unveiled key priority reforms and programs that they wish to hear from the State of the Nation Address (Sona) of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., including amendment of the intellectual property code, more investment roadshows and prioritization of long-term education reforms, among others.
British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (BCCP) Executive Director Chris Nelson said that the Philippine government should continue to do investment roadshows. Nelson cited as example the recently-held European investment roadshow spearheaded by Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual.
“It’s very good to see more communication among government officials,” Nelson told the BusinessMirror last Thursday. He added that Pascual’s participation in the Philippine investment roadshow in Europe recently “is very important and very useful.”
“What we’re looking for is those signals that we’re [going to] continue this trade promotion,” Nelson added.
Intellectual property
ANOTHER key area that the British chamber wishes to hear from the President’s SONA is his thrust for the ease of doing business.
“I’d like to hear more [of that] because what we’re looking for is [what] can be improved in terms of process and doing things electronically,” Nelson told the BusinessMirror. “There are multiple agencies involved sometimes across different sectors, local government and national government; so this is how that process can be sped up and then linking it to getting companies here as we’re going to try to make the Philippines [an] investment…a very large, important market but also as a gateway to Southeast Asia.”
Meanwhile, Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) Director General Rowel S. Barba said the office hopes to hear more about the progress with the amendments in the Intellectual Property Code (Republic Act 8293).
Barba told reporters last Thursday the IPOPHL wants the penalties against infringement doubled, especially on products that “will affect the life and health of the Filipinos.” He cited food and drugs as examples of these products.
Moreover, the IPOPHL chief is hoping the modernization of the intellectual property system could be prioritized as the whole world is keeping up with technological advancements.
RCEP commitment
BARBA added it’s important for the country to stick to its commitment in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which he said contains a chapter on intellectual property.
He cited as an example the recognition of marks that are “not necessarily visual.”
Barba said that the country’s IP code only recognizes visual marks while other markets allow the registration of sound, color and motion.
“So yun [sticking to visual marks] ang gusto natin tanggalin din as our commitment under the RCEP,” he added. [We want that limiting provision in the code amended as our commitment under the RCEP.]
Meanwhile, Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), an advocacy group led by business leaders pushing for education reforms, urged the president to prioritize long-term education reforms in SONA.
“We must make education and nutrition our national concern and national priority. If we focus on developing our people first, many of our problems—from corruption to poverty, to low productivity to joblessness—will be easier to solve,” PBEd President Meliton B. Salazar said.
“To make education reforms happen, we must set aside political calculations in choosing what is right and what is correct for our children,” Salazar added.
Read the original article here.
