Tuesday, January 08, 2008 Inventors seek setting up of patent office in Davao By Joy Romares-Sevilla
THE chair of the Mindanao Inventors Federation on Monday said the group is urging the city government to establish a patent office in Davao City.
Virgilio Sangutan, chair of the Mindanao Inventors Federation and president of the Davao Inventors Association, said in Monday's Davao Press Club Kapehan at SM City Davao that the absence of an extension of the Philippine Patent Office is one of the biggest problems being encountered by Mindanao-based investors.
"We are asking the local government to pass a bill to put up an extension office in Davao City to cater Mindanao-based investors," Sangutan said.
He said they find it difficult to acquire a patent or protection for their inventions for several years now.
"We have a lot of inventions from Davao, but our inventors find it difficult to file a patent application in Manila because we lack financial assistance. Kung maka-file naman, hindi basta-basta ma-follow-up, so the extension office is very important," Sangutan said.
Davao City Representative Isidro Ungab, who was also in the same forum, meantime assured that he will file a bill in Congress for the establishment of a patent office in Davao.
"I will not hesitate to help for as long as for Mindanao," Ungab said.
Sangutan said there are a total of 30 members of the Davao Inventors Association, but only 15 are considered active members.
