The University of Rizal System (URS) recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL). The signing occurred during the 3rd Innovation and Technology Support Office (ITSO) President’s Summit at the Dusit Hotel in Makati City on March 18.
The establishment of ITSO offices is one of the flagship initiatives of IPOPHL. The signing of the MOA binds URS and IPOPHL towards the undertaking of the project with the objectives of strengthening the institutional capacity of the host institution to conduct patent search, patent drafting, and assistance in patent prosecution; increasing accessibility by the host institution to patent information, and increasing innovative and inventive outputs manifested by increased patent filing by or through the host institution.
Dr. Leo Rio, Head of the Intellectual Property Office of URS, and Prof. Jerry Esperanza, Head of the Cardona Campus Research Development Unit, represented the University on March 18-19.
The first day of the event was the 3rd ITSO President’s Summit, which included a ceremonial MOA signing. The program included opening remarks from Atty. Ann Claire Cabachan, Deputy Director General of IPOPHL; keynote messages from Atty. Rowel Barba, Director General of IPOPHL, and Dr. Napoleon Juanillo Jr., Assistant Secretary of Technology Transfer, Communication and Commercialization (TTCC) of DOST; message of support by Dr. Tirso Ronquillo, President of Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC); and closing remarks by Ralph Jarvis Alindogan, Director IV, DITTB, IPOPHL. Various presentations were also conducted, including the ITSO 2023 Statistics; ITSO Updates: New Incentives, Revised Clustering; ITSO Best Practice; and the Recognition Rites. The event’s second day was the 2024 ITSO General Assembly, during which the Revised ITSO Clustering 2024 and ITSO NICE IP Incentive Package were primarily discussed.
The summit was themed “ITSO: Celebrating Collaboration, Cultivating Innovation.”
