The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) is encouraging Filipino innovators, researchers, and entrepreneurs to safeguard their intellectual property (IP) and showcase their technologies through the Presidential Filipinnovation Awards, which now requires entries to have a registered IP or at least a pending IP application.
Speaking during a press conference hosted by the Philippine Information Agency in Quezon City on Thursday, IPOPHL Deputy Director General Ann Claire Credo-Cabochan emphasized that initiatives such as the Filipinnovation Awards help advance world-class Filipino inventions toward commercialization.
“It is our mission to establish a strong IP system that supports innovation that would inspire our inventors, creators and scientists to produce more products and services that impact our lives, improve the way we live, help our businesses grow and contribute positively to economic development,” Credo-Cabochan said.
IPOPHL, an ex-officio member of the National Innovation Council (NIC), also highlighted that IP registration is now a requirement for innovators submitting entries to the awards.
“We encourage—and it is now a requirement—that all inventors, creators, scientists and researchers who submit entries for this award register their trademarks, patents, utility models and industrial designs with IPOPHL,” she said.
According to Credo-Cabochan, IP registration not only protects innovations but also strengthens opportunities for commercialization and investment.
“It is through registration that your IP is protected. It is also through registration that you are able to commercialize, attract investors, scale up production and access both local and foreign markets,” she added.
The Presidential Filipinnovation Awards is the country’s highest recognition for outstanding Filipino innovations that contribute to national development. Established under Executive Order No. 99, the annual competition is organized by the NIC and implemented by the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DepDev).
Eligible applicants must be Filipino citizens or enterprises that are at least 60 percent Filipino-owned and duly registered with the Department of Trade and Industry, Securities and Exchange Commission, or the Cooperative Development Authority.
Their innovations must already be at an early stage of commercialization, such as having a functional prototype or operational model, and must include proof of IP registration or an ongoing IP application.
Five finalists with the highest rankings in the national competition will receive the Presidential Filipinnovation Award, along with grants and access to post-competition support.
Interested applicants may register, complete the application form, and submit the required documents through the PFA portal. Applications will be accepted until March 15, 2026.