Western Visayas has been recognized as a model in promoting geographical indications (GIs) in the country with its two registered products.

Bureau of Trademarks Director Jesus Antonio Ros on Wednesday cited the impact of the GI following the approval of the Guimaras Mangoes and Aklan Piña registrations.

One apparent impact of the GI registration of the Guimaras Mangoes is the increase in the farmgate price of the product, from less than PHP100 to as high as PHP300 during the peak season.

“It provides more income to the farmers, the producers of Guimaras mangoes,” he said in a media conference during the opening of the first-ever ASEAN Regional GI Forum and Exhibition in Iloilo City on Wednesday.

Guimaras Mangoes was granted GI registration in 2023 by the IPOPHL, the first-ever registered GI in the country.

The mangoes from the province were recognized for their “long recognized exceptional sweetness and distinct ‘marabo’ texture attributed to the island’s soil, climate and topography,” according to the IPOPHL.

Another product of the region is the Aklan Piña, which was registered in 2025. The product was also recognized by UNESCO in its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Ros said that the GI encourages other producers in the value chain to participate in the “weakening tradition.”

Because of this highlight given to the piña, they are now returning to the traditional practices of making (weaving) piña,” he said.

Currently, there is one pending application, the “ubi” product of Bohol.

He added that they have already capacitated more than 30 potential GIs across the country.

“With the initiative of the Department of Agriculture, they have also identified 20 more potential GIs. The list can go more than 50 because we know how rich our communities in the Philippines are in generating these types of community-based products with this type of branding,” he said.

IPOPHL Deputy Director General Nathaniel Arevalo said that through GIs, traditional products become premium market assets that strengthen regional identity, boost market competitiveness and enhance incomes.

“This forum will provide us with vital insights on how we can continue to develop and strengthen our national GI system, ensuring more effective protection and improved governance, and in turn facilitating more opportunities for Filipino producers to access higher -value markets at home and abroad,” he said in a statement. (PNA)