MANILA – The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has encouraged its Innovation and Technology Support Office (ITSO) partners to intensify their innovative capacity towards potential inventions that will benefit more Filipinos.
In the 2019 Global Innovation Index, the Philippines zoomed to 54th spot from 73rd a year ago. The massive jump placed the country to be part of the 42 percent leading innovative economies.
IPOPHL director-general Josephine Santiago said the country still needs to do more not for the sake of rankings but to improve the lives of the Filipinos.
“The lives of millions of Filipinos are at stake here. The ITSOs have the capability and the government is now more supportive of research and development, and technology transfer,” she said in a speech during the IPOPHL-ITSO Presidents’ Summit 2019 on Monday as delivered by IPOPHL deputy director-general Teodoro Pascua.
IPOPHL has developed a network of 85 ITSOs composed of higher education and research development institutions. The program seeks to foster creation of intellectual property in the academe and research sectors, particularly on invention and utility models.
Department of Science and Technology (DOST) secretary Fortunato de la Peña said his department has invested heavily on research and development institutes (RDIs) that are members of ITSO.
It did not only provide funds for their research and programs, but also helped in developing, protecting and commercializing the resulting technologies.
“For instance, out of the 2,320 intellectual property applications assisted by DOST, about 67 percent are from ITSO-member universities. RDIs and DOST have invested P42.6 million to file these applications,” he said.
Pascua told reporters that more inventions will benefit industries and create employment.
He cited as examples pharmaceuticals from indigenous plants –sambong and lagundi-which have been invented through the University of the Philippines.
“Marami pa tayong mga plant varieties or sources for medicinal plants or pharmaceuticals, ang kulang kasi research,” he added. (PNA)
