Pili soon to be Bicol’s intellectual property

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LEGAZPI CITY, Albay, Philippines — The next time you see a packet of pili nuts labeled Bicol, take a closer look.

Soon, pili would be listed as an intellectual property of Bicol, which means any pili pack that claims to be produced by the region will have to be genuinely from Bicol. False claims would be a criminal act.

A regional official of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said Bicol pili would be on the list of food products registered at the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines.

Jocelyn Berango, spokesperson of the DTI office in Bicol, said having Bicol pili registered as an intellectual property was the department’s way of helping fully develop the region’s pili industry.

Once registered, Bicol pili would get its own geographical indication, or GI, from the intellectual property office.

GI identifies the origin of a product and is a sign to be pasted on goods associated with specific regions or provinces, said Berango.

GI would name the place where a product originated, much like champagne, the bubbly alcoholic drink, has been tagged as originating from Champagne, a grape-growing province of France.

According to Berango, GI is a powerful tool not only for regions, but the entire country. It helps provinces, regions and the country compete globally, she said.

She said listing Bicol pili as the region’s intellectual property would help promote it in local and international markets.