EFFORTS to speed up digital infrastructure and protect high-value technologies in the Philippines are set to grow after a new partnership between the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (Dict).
Under a memorandum of understanding signed on Jan. 26, 2025, the IPOPHL and the Dict agreed to align intellectual property protection with the country’s digital infrastructure plans.
Supporting digital growth
The agreement aims to give innovators more confidence to move technologies from development to actual use. It also positions the intellectual property system as a key support for digital growth, especially in improving internet access and reducing the digital divide.
Under the partnership, IPOPHL and Dict will work together to improve the skills of IP examiners and staff. This will help them better review inventions in artificial intelligence, blockchain, the Internet of Things, big data and other emerging ICT fields.
“This collaboration will augment our knowledge of innovations and maintain IPOPHL’s record of efficiency, timeliness and quality in providing patent-related services,” said IPOPHL acting director general Nathaniel Arevalo.
Role in global patent review
Arevalo said the initiative is important as IPOPHL serves both as a national office and as an International Searching Authority and International Preliminary Examining Authority. These roles help inventors assess the strength of their inventions before seeking protection in other countries.
The partnership also supports IPOPHL’s plan to develop and roll out its artificial intelligence strategy in line with national roadmaps. This comes as the government moves toward wider AI use and greater adoption of digital tools in public services.
Strengthening the innovation ecosystem
Beyond training, the agreement sets a wider framework for cooperation on policy and operational issues where intellectual property and ICT overlap.
DICT Secretary Henry Rhoel Aguda said the partnership aims to strengthen the innovation ecosystem by ensuring IP personnel have updated ICT knowledge. This, he said, will help Filipino technologies grow and compete on a larger scale.
The agreement comes as advanced technologies continue to expand across the region. The United Nations Development Program estimates that economies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations could generate nearly $1 trillion in added gross domestic product over the next decade as artificial intelligence use increases.
Dict is also a member of the National Committee on IP Rights, an interagency group that shapes national IP policy and strengthens enforcement. The committee is chaired by the Department of Trade and Industry, with IPOPHL serving as vice chair. / KOC