By Victoria “NIKE” de Dios
Various heads of government agencies on Thursday urged for a paradigm shift where businesses, even at the micro-level, can appreciate their intellectual property (IP) assets as tools to create more value for their growth and competitiveness, while calling on increased IP-related support for the recovery of MSMEs.
At the IP Grand Forum held on April 26 and attended by over 300 participants, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) emphasized the need to elevate the awareness of IP among MSMEs, startups and under-resourced inventors and creators, given IP’s role in making local businesses a steady source of livelihood and growth in the pandemic and beyond.
“Our ultimate strategy must lead to a paradigm shift, where MSMEs think of IP as an investment––a long-term investment––rather than a cost,” DTI Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said, noting that MSMEs may have hesitations over IP registration due to misconceptions that the application process is too complex or expensive.
IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba said the agency continuously strives to eradicate such misconceptions by offering free IP learning and capacity building workshops, easy-to-understand online filing processes and instructional guides and even offering hands-on assistance.
IPOPHL also offers MSME-tailored programs such as the Juana Make a Mark, where basic filing fees are waived for women MSMEs, and the Inventor Assistance Program, where under-resourced inventors are assisted to be able to patent globally, all to ensure that the country’s IP development is inclusive.
IP for innovation and recovery
Lopez said IP ”can create an inclusive innovation and entrepreneurship environment that can hasten our country’s post-pandemic recovery,” noting that IP activities are part of government’s recovery strategies, including the REBUILD (Revitalizing Businesses, Investments, Livelihoods, and Domestic Demand) Strategy of the DTI.
“Because IP is everywhere, one cannot talk about recovery and leave out discussions of an IP strategy. They always go hand in hand,” Lopez said.
For his part, DOST Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña shared how the pandemic is spurring creativity and innovation among MSMEs, based on his observations in recent collaborations with MSMEs.
“Our MSMEs have come up with very innovative projects during the pandemic… whether surgical mask or new patch for diabetic patients or additional health supplements, they did it by themselves. And after our assistance, they are now working on innovation and IP protection,” de la Peña said at the forum.
The DOST chief said that they always integrate IP into its briefing, orientation and assistance for MSMEs, startups and under-resourced inventors, and called on others to do the same.
“We encourage organizations from the public or private that assist our MSMEs to be competitive to also include a package of policies involved in IP… in terms of data sharing policies, technology transfer protocols and in terms of IP valuation protocols. That should be part of their policies in their organizations.”
Continued work toward inclusive IP
At the end, IPOPHL’s Barba assured that even at the close of the MSME-focused IP Month, IPOPHL will continue to be aggressive in enabling MSMEs to integrate IP into their business models.
“Etong tulong po namin sa IPOPHL, hindi po ito magtatapos dahil lang sa pagtatapos ng IP Month. In fact we are more emboldened dahil sa pagdalo niyo po ngayon na nagpapatunay that there is a need to know more about IP and how to integrate it sa MSME model,” Barba said noting that the agency has drawn nearly 4,000 stakeholders into its IP learning webinars.
“Mahirap man makita ngayon, lalo na sa oras ng pandemya, pero we assure you, with a high-value IP product, samahan ng sound business strategies and an IP-centric business model, malayo po mararating ninyo,” the IPOPHL chief added.
At the forum DTI Special Concerns and Trade Promotions Group Undersecretary Abdulgani M. Macatoman; E-commerce Lead Assistant Secretary Mary Jean T. Pacheco; Philippine Fashion Coalition Founder Member Carissa Cruz-Evangelista; Philippine Franchising Association President Sherill Quintana; and Lazada Chief Operating Officer Carlos O. Barrera tackled IP’s value creation feature as magnified during the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Deputy Director General Atty. Teodoro C. Pascua, PhilExport President Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr, and other officials from the DTI, namely Consumer Protection Group Undersecretary Atty. Ruth B. Castelo; Industry Development and Trade Policy Group Assistant Secretary Atty. Allan B. Gepty; Regional Operations Group Undersecretary Blesila A. Lantayona; and Competitiveness and Innovation Group Assistant Secretary Napoleon K. Juanillo Jr. discussed IP protection and management as critical strategies in the new normal.
The forum is the traditional culminating event of the annual IP Month celebration where high-level officials and private sector representatives gather and discuss relevant issues on IP.
The event was held three days after World IP Day where MSMEs all over the globe were celebrated as unsung heroes who can further the economy through the protection and strategic commercialization of their IP products and services.
