The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) is urging academic institutions to take a more active role in commercializing their technologies and translating academic research into economic and social value.
“When institutions enable commercialization, several positive gains are created. It brings new revenue streams for universities to reinvest in R&D, helps society gain from better products and services, strengthens industry competitiveness and opens opportunities for collaborations that make local innovation thrive,” IPOPHL Acting Director General Nathaniel S. Arevalo said.
The call follows a recent licensing agreement signed by the University of San Agustin (USA), a member of IPOPHL’s Innovation and Technology Support Office (ITSO) Program. ITSOs are housed in universities, colleges and research centers to assist inventors and innovators in their communities in managing intellectual property (IP), from application to engaging with potential industry partners.
The agreement covers USA’s patented process for extracting antibiotic compounds from kadios seeds. The patent, titled “Methods of Purifying Antibiotic Compounds from Cajanus cajan,” was awarded to lead inventor Dr. Doralyn S. Dalisay and her co-inventors.
Following the grant, the parties executed a licensing agreement allowing Maridan Industries Inc. to use the patented process in developing and commercializing the Skivios brand, a locally developed formulation designed to protect the skin against multidrug-resistant bacteria and other common skin pathogens.
Lauds University of San Agustin
ADG Arevalo said the USA experience illustrates the outcomes IPOPHL hopes more universities will pursue. “Its early and sustained pursuit of patent protection and industry partnership enabled a full-cycle commercialization milestone from laboratory research to industry application,” he said.
IPOPHL’s Documentation, Information and Technology Transfer Bureau Director Ralph Jarvis H. Alindogan encouraged other higher education institutions and research centers, particularly ITSO members, to emulate USA’s approach.
“Actively pursue patent protection, engage industry partners early and prioritize technology transfer to realize the full benefits of commercialization,” Dir. Alindogan said.
USA President Rev. Fr. Arnel S. Dizon, OSA, highlighted the broader significance of the milestone, noting that the achievement reflects alignment between individual researchers’ commitment and institutional goals, enabled by partnerships with industry and government.
At the ceremony, IPOPHL Intellectual Property Rights Specialist II Marianne Tajanlangit-Bebit underscored that licensing agreements are a crucial bridge between research and real-world impact.
“Every patent granted is a vote of confidence in Filipino ingenuity. It tells our scientists, our students, and our institutions that their ideas are worth protecting, worth investing in and worth bringing outside and to the world,” she said.
