PH gains access to India’s traditional knowledge library

The Philippines, through the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has signed an agreement with the Republic of India’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to access the latter’s Traditional Knowledge (TK) Digital Library (TKDL) that would allow IPOPHL’s patent examiners access to India’s ancient and traditional knowledge in aid of examination—as well as enable the Philippines to learn how to establish its own TK database and prevent the misappropriation of its culture. 

The Philippine Mission to New Delhi’s H.E. Ambassador Josel Francisco Ignacio and Third Secretary/Vice Consul Melissa Anne Telan attended the ceremonial agreement exchange—serving as representatives to IPOPHL—and met with TK Digital Library Unit Head Viswajanani Sattigeri during the CSIR’s Silver Jubilee Celebrations of the TKDL held on January 24, 2025 in New Delhi.

Set up in 2001, the TKDL is a prior-art database of Indian traditional knowledge (TK) boasting about 515,000 Indian formulations and practices that are translated to five languages—English, Japanese, Spanish, French and German. It is primarily focused on medicinal plants and formulations used in ancient wellness and healing systems, such as the Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Yoga and Sowa Rigpa, but it also contains traditional agricultural and metallurgical knowledge.

The TKDL was made to prevent the erroneous granting of patents on traditional Indian knowledge and promote modern research based on TK.

Access to the TKDL is free for patent offices and institutions that enter into an agreement with the CSIR. The Philippines is the 17th intellectual property office that has access to the TKDL, joining the likes of the European Patent Office, the Japan Patent Office and the United States Patent and Trademark Office. 

“Our agreement shows IPOPHL’s strong thrust to prevent biopiracy across the world and protect traditional systems of indigenous communities,” IPOPHL Officer-in-Charge Nathaniel S. Arevalo said. 

The database, he said, also serves as “an invaluable resource that creates an opportunity for the Philippines to document and safeguard its own TK.”

“By learning from India’s experience in creating, growing and maintaining its database, the Philippines can create a robust mechanism to protect its traditional knowledge and preserve its cultural heritage while fostering scientific progress,” Arevalo added.

Bureau of Patents Director Ann N. Edillon said the database could  also be made accessible by the CSIR to Philippine research institutions upon request, providing them information that could inspire the generation of new technologies.

“This will allow research institutions to access and utilize valuable information, combining old knowledge to develop new medicines, therapies and innovations,” Edillon said.

The Philippines is currently in the works of formalizing its status as a Contracting Party under the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Treaty on IP, Genetic Resources (GR) and Associated TK—a treaty which the country strongly supported.

Adopted by consensus in May 2024, the treaty aims to establish in international law a new disclosure requirement for patent applicants whose inventions are based on GR and its associated TK to prevent misappropriation.