BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance establishing a branding system to raise the quality, standards, and marketability of Baguio made products.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Leandro B. Yangot, Jr. stated that it shall be the policy of the local government to create a branding system for accrediting Baguio-made products and their producers to raise the quality, standards, excellence and marketability of such products which the city and its people can be proud of and such products that meet the criteria and standards set forth shall bear the ‘Seal of Excellence’ through a registered logo, design and slogan or tagline.
The ordinance also created an accreditation body composed of the City Mayor or his authorized representative as Chairperson that will be co-chaired by the Chairperson of the City Council Committee on Market, Trade and Commerce and Agriculture with the City Treasurer, President of the Baguio-Benguet chapter of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Director of the Small and Medium Enterprise Center, representatives from the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Agriculture, private sector representative and private sector representative from the non-food sector as members.
The accreditation body shall receive, evaluate and accredit applications for both products and producers wanting to avail of the established branding system.
Under the proposed ordinance, the accreditation body shall formulate and adopt procedures and requirements for accreditation and shall ensure that only products and producers that meet high-quality standards shall be given such accreditation and the body may charge reasonable fees for the processing of applications and the use of the Seal of Excellence.
The alderman proposed that the accreditation body shall adopt a logo, design and slogan or tagline that best represents Baguio and its high-quality products and producers and the Seal of Excellence shall be printed or displayed on the packaging of all accredited products and producers and in their advertisements, marketing and sales activities, the same shall be duly registered with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to protect the use of the logo design and slogan or tagline.
However, printing establishments, advertising and sales agencies shall not use the logo, design, and slogan or tagline for product packaging without the permission and consent of the accreditation body.
Yangot urged all concerned government agencies and departments of the local government as well as participating entities, the business and consumer sectors to support the implementation of the branding system to advance the promotion of Baguio-made products in the outside markets.
He added the local government shall, as far as practicable, make use of the accredited products in the basket of goods as official gifts, tokens or souvenirs of the government for official missions abroad, for visiting dignitaries, and for participants in meetings, conventions, events or contest sponsored or co-sponsored by the city.
By Dexter A. See
