PORK PRICES, RENT SQUEEZE: Can La Paz batchoy get Champagne-style protection? It is complicated, paper says

QUEZON CITY — Establishing production standards, organizing local businesses, and addressing operational costs are among the challenges facing efforts to secure geographical indication (GI) protection for La Paz batchoy, according to a recent study.

The journal article “Protecting the La Paz Batchoy: Pathways to Geographical Indication” was published in the Philippine Journal of Public Policy of the University of the Philippines Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UP CIDS).

Faculty members Mary Rose Rebueno of the UP Visayas College of Management and Ramon Benedicto Alampay of the UP Diliman Asian Institute of Tourism wrote the paper.

They said registration of the dish hinges on developing a standardized Code of Practice and establishing a formal association or cooperative that will ensure producers comply with agreed requirements.

The paper builds on a policy brief by Rebueno that UP CIDS published in July 2025.

The authors said the lack of an organized producers’ group and clear technical standards remains a major obstacle to protecting the name against products that do not follow traditional preparation methods.

“Securing GI protection requires the Iloilo City LGU to act as an enabler by facilitating the formation of a unified Batchoy Association,” the researchers said.

The proposed association would work with the Iloilo City government, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the academe, and other stakeholders to establish standards and prepare the registration application.

A GI certifies that a product’s quality, characteristics, and reputation are linked to its geographical source, whether through natural factors such as soil and climate or human factors such as tradition and local know-how.

IPOPHL issued its Rules and Regulations on Geographical Indications in 2022, extending protection to agricultural goods, handicrafts, and industrial products.

Standards, registration

The study said the Code of Practice should define the essential ingredients, preparation techniques, and serving benchmarks that distinguish La Paz batchoy from other noodle soups, while allowing reasonable variations among local establishments.

Traditional preparations generally combine fresh miki noodles, pork offal, bone marrow, and chicharon, or crispy pork rinds, in a rich broth that may be seasoned with guinamos, or fermented shrimp paste.

The standards would also need to cover food safety and sanitation.

The researchers said developing these requirements would require consultations among producers and other stakeholders, particularly because established vendors prepare the dish differently.

The standards must preserve the dish’s defining characteristics without unnecessarily restricting culinary innovation or forcing business owners to disclose trade secrets, the study said.

The paper noted that a representative cooperative or association of producers, or a competent government authority such as a local government unit, may file applications for GI protection.

However, the authors said establishing the dish’s geographical identity could be more complicated than registering Guimaras mangoes, the country’s first registered GI.

IPOPHL approved the Guimaras Mango Growers and Producers Development Cooperative’s application on May 13, 2023, a decade after the group took its first steps toward GI status in 2013.

Guimaras mangoes have qualities closely associated with the neighboring province’s soil and growing conditions, while batchoy’s identity is tied to culinary traditions, preparation methods, and its historical roots in the La Paz district.

IPOPHL has since registered a second local GI, the asin tibuok of Alburquerque, Bohol, a salt popularly known as the “dinosaur egg.”

Echoing Rebueno’s earlier policy brief, the paper recommended that the city government first facilitate the creation of a formal producers’ association or cooperative.

Local stakeholders could also pursue a collective mark or an LGU-led certification mark as an interim measure while preparing for full GI registration.

The Guimaras mango cooperative followed a similar path, registering the fruit as a collective mark in 2017 before securing GI protection.

“The application for GI will not happen overnight,” the paper said, noting that registration would require continued cooperation among producers, government agencies, and other stakeholders.

Rising costs, business constraints

Apart from the registration requirements, the study identified rising production costs and operational difficulties that threaten the sustainability of local batchoy businesses.

Producers face cost pressures on pork and miki noodles, with market disruptions such as African swine fever further straining the supply chain.

Stakeholders also cited frequent power and water interruptions, high commercial rents, labor shortages, and lengthy Department of Tourism (DOT) accreditation processes.

These constraints affect both established businesses and smaller entrepreneurs trying to stay in operation, the study said.

Stakeholders also pointed to limited marketing opportunities.

Local producers raised concerns about high vendor fees at private commercial festivals and the lack of dedicated spaces to promote batchoy at major transport hubs, including the Iloilo International Airport.

They proposed a joint petition to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to secure such space.

To address these problems, the researchers recommended that the city government consider capacity-building programs and incentives to support local businesses and help them meet the proposed standards.

The study also cited a possible need for common ingredient suppliers and technical assistance on business operations and costing, particularly for startups.

City government’s role

The researchers said the Iloilo City government should convene producers, suppliers, cultural organizations, the academe, and relevant agencies to reach a consensus on the standards and coordinate the registration process.

They said GI protection could help prevent the misuse of the “La Paz Batchoy” name by commercial products that do not conform to the agreed requirements, while strengthening consumer confidence and protecting the dish’s reputation.

Iloilo City was recognized by UNESCO as a Creative City of Gastronomy in November 2023, with La Paz batchoy among the signature dishes associated with its culinary heritage.

The paper said successful registration would require more than filing an application.

It would also entail sustained monitoring and enforcement of the standards, alongside support that enables local businesses to comply with them.

“Geographical indication, after all, is not just a one-time application; it entails long term management and enforcement of the GI standards to protect the La Paz Batchoy,” the researchers said. ###