THE Mindanao Collective Trademark (MCT) decision body is set to meet first week of April, an official said.
“The meeting will be about the different mechanism about defining the logo the label and which Voluntary Standards will be included in the trademark initially,” said MCT consultant Peter Damary at the sidelines of Wednesday’s Habi at Kape media forum in Abreeza Ayala Mall, Davao City.
He said the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), the lead agency of the system with Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (Philexport) and Mindanao Business Council (MinBC) will settle issues for the pilot stage of the project’s implementation.
The MCT is a system designed to augment the competitiveness of Mindanao products and strengthen the agri-value chain.
Industry groups and organizations, especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that will adopt the system and have the trademark be carried in their products will automatically mean that its products are aligned with the recognized global Voluntary Standards of their preference and that it is produced in Mindanao.
The system launched last June 2016 has two components, the decision body and the knowledge center.
He added that they are working with four big companies for the decision body and six agrarian reform cooperatives for the knowledge Center.
Sheila May Almasa of MinDA-Policy Formulation Division assisting the MCT system Knowledge Center said, in a previous report that apart from Philexport and MinBC, the Cacao Industry Development Association in Mindanao, Inc (Cidami), Tagum Agricultural Development Company, Inc. (Tadeco) along with some 10 MSME showed interest to be part of the new system.
For a company to be allowed to use the trademark, one must inscribe with the Knowledge center, specify which voluntary standard and prove production in the island, put in management practices as assisted by the KC until pre-audit and lastly be audited and certified by a third party certifier.
Some of the emerging global voluntary standards eyed to be included in the system are Fairtrade, Global Gap, Organic, MSC, Halal and Rainforest Alliance, among others.
