By Monsi A. Serrano
Cognizant of the impact of climate change on the global and local scenes, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) which has been at the forefront of encouraging innovation and developing business solutions among Filipinos recently launched its Green Technology Incentive (GreenTech) Program.
The GreenTech introduced by IPOPHL aims to encourage individuals or groups to develop long-term solutions that will mitigate the impact of climate change in the country and at the same time conserve our natural resources.
The incentive of waiving certain application fees for technology-related intellectual property (IP) to those applicants who have developed transformative and long-term solutions that are aligned with the global ambition and action in the locality.
On November 5, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines Bureau of Patents (BOP) held a ceremonial launch of the green program which now accepts applications for patents, utility models (UMs) or industrial designs (IDs).
“Today, as we launch our Green Technology Incentive or GreenTech Program, IPOPHL hopes to make a contribution to encourage an innovation climate that doesn’t just consider the return of investments but also the costs of what we do to our environment and natural resources, especially when they cost jobs, incomes, homes and lives,” said IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba.
Under the program, applicants can save up to ₱6,600 in fees and have their applications prioritized, possibly significantly reducing the time it would take to obtain a grant or registration. The technology applied for protection must fall under the following classification:
- Alternative Energy Production
- Solar Energy
- Sustainable Transportation
- Energy Conservation
- Waste Management
- Sustainable Agriculture/Forestry
- Administrative, Regulatory or Design Aspects
- Nuclear Power Generation
The incentive will be granted to up to 30 patents, 60 UMs and 60 IDs.
IPOPHL, through examiners of the BOO, will evaluate and check for eligibility the submitted documents in the Formality Examination Report.
The BOP clarified that the GreenTech Program does not automatically confer a Certificate of Grant or Registration. The qualified applications will still undergo the regular registration or grant process but may succeed in benefiting from IPOPHL’s expedited application process if applications do not receive adverse information that will require further examination and inquiry on the part of BOP’s examiners.
Deputy Director General Ann Claire C. Cabochan urged inventors and innovators to leverage the GreenTech Program.
“We call on all inventive Filipinos with green technologies to take advantage of the GreenTech Program and gain IP protection at a lesser cost and, possibly, much faster approval than the regular track,” Cabochan added.
BOP Director Ann N. Edillon expressed confidence in the future contributions of Filipinos in creating green inventions and innovations that make an impact.
“IPOPHL is confident that it is Filipino ingenuity, ideas and innovation that will ensure our nation will stand on steady ground amidst the challenges and uncertainty brought about by climate change,” Edillon added.
The program will run until November 1, 2025 or until slots for applications have been filled in.