Trade Undersecretary Adrian S. Cristobal Jr. will take his oath before President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo tomorrow (Monday, Feb. 14) as director general of the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), the agency that oversees the protection of intellectual property rights in the country.

The head of IPO has a fixed term of five years.

Expressing his gratitude for the President’s confidence in him, Cristobal said the "head of the IPO faces the challenge of implementing an effective intellectual and industrial property system to develop local talents and creativity, facilitate the transfer of technology, attract foreign investments, and ensure market access for Filipino products."

The IPO is tasked to put in place the necessary infrastructure to protect the exclusive rights of scientists, inventors, artists and other gifted Filipinos to their intellectual property and creations, particularly if beneficial to the people. The IPO also plays a strategic role in nurturing domestic industries and ensuring consumer protection.

Atty. Cristobal said, "I thank the President for entrusting to me this important and challenging task of developing and protecting the intellectual creations of our people. Protecting intellectual property rights encourages innovation and preserves cultural heritage. But, intellectual property also bears a social function, and the diffusion of knowledge and information will promote national development, progress and the common good. We must find a healthy balance between the two to ensure sustained growth and development."

As undersecretary for Consumer Welfare and Trade Regulation, Cristobal spearheaded the DTI’s major programs for consumer protection through the implementation of the Consumer Act, the enforcement of product standards and other fair trade laws. He was also concurrent supervising undersecretary of legal affairs of the DTI.

Cristobal chaired the National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC), a multi-sectoral body that monitored basic goods and commodities to ensure stable prices and their adequate supply. He also chaired the Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines (CIAP), and represented the DTI in the boards of the Philippine Port Authority, the National Development Company, and the Philippine Export Processing Zone Authority (PEZA).

Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye said today the government is doing everything possible to minimize the collateral damage on civilian population in the fighting between the military and Muslim rebels around Jolo, Sulu.

"Everything is being done to help non-combatants caught in the fighting, first and foremost, by getting them out of the areas of conflict, and looking after their needs at the evacuation centers," Bunye said in a radio interview this morning.

What’s important is that the government is doing its best to help and protect the civilians affected by the conflict, and confine the fighting in certain areas, Bunye said.

He said calls for a ceasefire were welcome. "That is part of an on-going operation," Bunye said. But he pointed out that ensuring compliance with ceasefire agreements is not easy.