The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has extended its filing assistance program for new applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), enabling inventors to protect their technologies in global markets at reduced costs.
The PCT Filing Assistance Program waives certain fees and provides technical consultation on the PCT system and application process.
Under the program, preliminary search fees amounting to $200 for small entities and $600 for large entities are waived, along with preliminary examination fees of USD 150 and USD 300, respectively.
Technical consultation under the program guides applicants in navigating the PCT system, clarifying that while the PCT does not grant a single international patent, it enables the filing of one patent application that can take effect across multiple contracting states.
In line with established guidelines, IPOPHL has extended the program with a quota of 100 eligible applicants.
Eligibility under the program is open to individual Filipino inventors, as well as higher education institutions that are members of the Innovation and Technology Support Offices (ITSO) network. Foreign applicants who choose IPOPHL as the office of first filing are also eligible under the program.
IPOPHL Acting Director General Nathaniel S. Arevalo urged inventors “to take advantage of the program to ensure they have a solid foundation in enforcing their IP rights against infringers, enabling them to expand to new markets with greater ease.”
Bureau of Patents Officer-in-Charge Director Cristina P. De Guzman said the PCT is vital to inventors as patent protection is territorial, meaning technologies are protected only in countries where a patent has been granted.
“Hence, inventors must protect their technologies in each market where they intend to have presence, whether through sales, distribution or manufacturing,” Dir. De Guzman added.
Administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the PCT simplifies and lowers the cost of filing patents and utility models in multiple jurisdictions. The system allows applicants from treaty-contracting states to file a single international application through one national receiving office, instead of submitting separate applications in each country where protection is sought.
2026 marks the Philippines’ 25th year as a PCT contracting state, following its accession to the treaty in 2001. Since then, the PCT has grown to encompass 158 contracting states worldwide.
