EU ambassador supports launch of Mindanao
collective trademark
DAVAO CITY, June 19 (PIA) - Reaffirming the
European Union’s (EU) commitment to promote and expand domestic and
international markets for Mindanao products, EU Ambassador to the Philippines
Franz Jessen will grace the launch of the Mindanao Collective Trademark (MCT),
a system designed to enhance the competitiveness of products originating from
Mindanao.
The MCT launch, slated for Tuesday at the Park Inn
by Radisson Hotel here in the city will officially unveil the MCT logo that
will become the distinct mark of quality products coming from the
island-region.
Ambassador Jessen is expected to keynote the event
that will gather key government officials, top business players, chief local
executives and private sector representatives from across the region.
“The participation of the ambassador during MCT
launch sends a strong signal of EU’s interest to enhance trading with the
Philippines, giving particular attention to high-quality products from
Mindanao,” said Secretary Luwalhati Antonino, chair of the Mindanao Development
Authority (MinDA).
She added that EU-Philippines through its Trade
Related Technical Assistance Project 3 (TRTA3) supported MinDA in the
development of the trademark in line with its efforts to contribute to the
country’s integration into the international and regional trading and
investment system.
MinDA is the lead agency in the implementation of
the MCT system, as part of its mandate to increase trade and investments and
boost the development of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in
Mindanao.
“Once fully utilized, the MCT will give Mindanao
agri-products a certain distinction in the global market where standards on
good agricultural practices, organic farming, single origin, are given premium
consideration among discerning buyers,” Antonino added.
The MCT is a collective trademark that will
function as a certification trademark.
Certification trademarks are owned by an organization who would allow
for its use by companies that comply with the rules and standards defined by
the owner of that particular certification mark. A collective trademark on the
other hand is used by particular members of the organization that owns it.
In the case of the MCT, it aims to improve the
competitiveness of the products originating from the island-region through
alignment with internationally recognized Voluntary Standards (VS) which
guarantee sound management practices, traceability, and sustainability.
“In the global markets, where commodities converge
and compete, there is a growing preference among buyers for information on
their sources,” said Antonino while adding “aside from scale, quality, and
delivery, consumers also want to know the origin of the products that they are
buying.”
The introduction of the MCT system strategically
fits into the Mindanao agri development agenda put forward by the economic
agenda of incoming administration.
Through the TRTA 3, the EU is assisting in
developing and enhancing the systems and procedures of the Intellectual
Property of the Philippines in the promotion, protection and registration of
Geographical Indications and Collective Marks, among many others. It is a
program funded by the EU in partnership with the Department of Trade and
Industry.
In the past three years, organic products from
Mindanao have been aggressively penetrating the EU market through international
trade fairs and exhibits. At the 2014
Biofach Organic Fair, the world’s leading trade fair for organic food products
in Nuremberg, Germany, products from Mindanao such as the organic black rice
and coco sugar earned international attention.
Bios Dynamis, an organic rice producer popular for
its sought-after organic black rice, and the TreeLife coco sugar from the town
of Carmen in North Cotabato showcased Mindanao-grown organic products during
the four-day international exhibit, which was attended by more than 42,000
trade visitors from 135 countries.
“Success stories like these need to be sustained
and replicated, and we aim to achieve more of these through the MCT system,”
said Antonino while adding “we hope to see many of our local producers and
manufacturers conquer the international market while carrying the distinct
Mindanao trademark.”
A Knowledge Center on Voluntary Standards and Best
Management Practices will be established to will encourage the MCT
beneficiaries to adopt to their VS of interest and eventual use of the
trademark. The center will be hosted by
MINDA and will compose networks of experts from the academe and the private
sector who have extensive experience in various voluntary standards.
Collective trademarks are similar systems used by
collective quality labels in Europe that due to these distinct labels, products
are preferred by consumers. Products
that carry collective quality labels in Europe are currently generating
revenues of more than P2.6 trillion annually and make up about 15 percent of
all European food and beverage exports. (MinDA/PIA-Caraga)
