The US Chamber of Commerce has kept the Philippines at 36th place out of 55 economies in its 2026 International IP Index, unchanged from the previous year, despite noting incremental gains in the country’s intellectual property (IP) environment.
The Philippines posted a score of 40.64 percent, up slightly from 40.17 percent in 2025, based on an assessment of 55 indicators spanning patents, copyrights, trademarks, and enforcement.
The Index ranks economies according to the strength of their IP frameworks, with a rank of 1 representing the strongest performance.
The flat ranking reflects how improvements in the Philippines were matched or outpaced by progress in other jurisdictions.
While the country recorded modest gains, these were not enough to lift its overall position.
The report highlighted stronger enforcement as a key area of advancement, particularly efforts by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines to deepen coordination with rights holders and curb online infringement.
Recent measures, including the Internet Transactions Act and an e-commerce cooperation framework, have enhanced authorities’ ability to address piracy and counterfeiting.
Institutional reforms also supported the improved score, including proposed amendments to the IP Code, the rollout of specialized IP courts, and the creation of a Register of Well-Known Marks.
However, structural gaps continue to weigh on the country’s standing. The Index cited weak protection in life sciences and digital content, persistent online piracy, and barriers to licensing and technology transfer.
These challenges, along with the lack of targeted incentives in key sectors, constrained the Philippines’ ability to climb the rankings despite ongoing reforms.
