In celebration of the National Intellectual Property Month in the Philippines with the theme “Intellectual Property (IP) and MSMEs: Our Road to Recovery,” the Department of Trade and Industry – Laguna Provincial Office (DTI-Laguna), in partnership with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) conducted a webinar on trademark registration entitled “Own Your Brand and Protect Your Business”; a special iLeap session for Laguna micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) on April 16, 2021.
iLeap is IPOPHL’s webinar series which aims to deliver IP learning programs. This program is in lieu with the Department of Trade and Industry’s mandate to contribute to the growth of potential and existing MSMEs, especially those who are interested and are ready for branding.
“We are very excited and committed to protect your business. Buo ang aming suporta sa pag-pursue ng inyong trademark. Tuloy- tuloy po ang commitment ng inyong team ng DTI-Laguna. Sa DTI, dama ninyo ang tagumpay na di inaasahan (We are very excited and committed to protect your business. We are giving our full support in your pursuit for trademark registration. The whole DTI-Laguna is continuously committed. In DTI, the success you hoped for can be felt)”, said DTI-Laguna Provincial Director Clarke S. Nebrao in his opening remarks.
In addition to, DTI4A CALABARZON Regional Director Marilou Q. Toledo also mentioned that, for 2021 to 2022, emphasis should be given more on innovation, which includes trademark, and digitalization.
Meanwhile, IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba highlighted in his message that business is not just a business but an intellectual property that one must protect and use as an asset. “Turn your business into a valuable IP asset. Nais namin magamit ninyong mabuti ang inyong yamang isip para po sa recovery at paglago ng ating ekonomiya (Turn your business into a valuable IP asset. We [IPOPHL] wanted you to properly utilize your intellectual property towards business recovery and growth of economy) ”, said Barba.
The two-hour webinar on trademark registration included discussions on the types of IPs, trademark basics, and trademark filing.
Atty. Mary Grace Cruz Yap, Resource Speaker and Director from IPOPHL Documentation and Information Technology Transfer Bureau, gave an overview on the IP system in the Philippines and differentiated the types of intellectual properties one may file.
The focus discussion on trademark and virtual demonstration on filing followed, led by Ms. Emmelina Masanque, assistant Division Chief of IPOPHL Information Dissemination and Training Division, and Ms. Danya Regondon, moderator.
More than 300 participants attended the said webinar via the Zoom conferencing platform and almost 200 watched it via Facebook Live, reaching more than 4,000 total impressions online. Attendees include Laguna MSMEs, government sectors’ representatives, and academe members. Each would receive an e-certificate after earning 75% passing rate on the webinar’s post examination. Some also availed of the free cliniquing session after the webinar proper to address questions and issues on trademark registration.
This webinar is also a part of DTI-Laguna’s initiative for continuous mentorship toward ease of doing business for MSMEs. Upcoming webinars alike are scheduled in the next months
